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EC football whips Williamsburg 47-0

Saturday, 30 August 2008

By SARAH CLARK

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LEES CREEK — It is pretty easy to win a football game when you hold your opponent to 27 total offensive yards in the first half, force seven three-and-outs and rack up 171 yards of offense of your own.

That is exactly what the East Clinton High School football team did on Friday night in it’s 47-0 win over Williamsburg in Southern Buckeye Conference action.

The Astros wasted no time getting to business. Three carries from Steve McFadden and the Astros scored on the first series of the game. Matt McFadden tacked on the PAT to give EC and early 8-0 lead.

After a sack and two incomplete passes, the Wildcats punted back to the Astros. EC was forced to punt, but then forced another three-and-out to regain possession of the ball. The Astros then got five more caries out of Steve McFadden for 62 yards and another TD. Brother Matt tacked on another PAT and EC was up 14-0 with 4 minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Williamsburg received Mike Perry’s kick off and set up first and 10 at their own 22. Again unable to convert to a first down, the Wildcats punted into the waiting arms of Nick McCord who returned the ball more than 50 yards for a touchdown. Another Matt McFadden kick put EC up 21-0 with 2 minutes left in the first quarter.

“I was impressed with our special teams. I thought we did a good job covering kicks and returning punts,” said EC head coach Matt Hodge.

WHS again went three-and-out, and a nice 33-yard return by Matt Williams put the Astros just 32 yards away from paydirt. This time, the Astros were plagued by penalties and the team was forced to punt away.

On Williamsburg’s second attempt to move the ball, Austin Miller picked off a Caleb Morgan pass to return the ball to EC at the 50. Miller then carried for 49 yards before he was brought down just shy of the goal line. EC quarterback Chris Moore carried the ball in the final yard and EC went up 27-0.

After the kickoff, EC forced another punt from Williamsburg.

On the ensuing Astro drive, Moore hit Miller for a long 41-yarder and then Steve McFadden for 21 and the touchdown to give EC the 33-0 lead.

Perry kicked off again for the Astros, and three snaps later the Wildcats punted. This time, Williams caught the punt and packed it 60 yards to paydirt, and after a Matt McFadden PAT, EC held the 40-0 lead.

The final EC score came when Mike Seitz carried two long totes for 29 and 10 yards, Josh Evans rushed for 20 and then Seitz packed it in the final four. Matt McFadden hit the PAT to give EC the final 47-0 score — all before the intermission.

“Our kids played with a high intensity level which is what we talked about all the time. We got better fromWeek 1 to Week 2 and that is important,” said Hodge. “Our kids played really hard. We played four good quarters of defense. I am really proud of the way my seniors are leading.

“I thought this was a total team effort. I thought my offensive line of Cory Huffman, Ethan Fisher, Nate Smith, Matt McFadden, Grant Houck and Matt Blackburn did a great job of coming off the ball, moving people and giving us running lanes.”

The Astro starters took to the sideline early in the third quarter and the second and third stringers kept up the solid defense. Williamsburg only crossed into EC territory once in the contest — with just 2:53 remaining in the contest after a long string of EC offensive penalites which forced the team to punt from its own 25.

Brett Neanover and Matt Morrow had strong offensive showings for the Astros in the second half.