Waterford plays spoiler to West Jefferson’s home playoff game with a 21-14 victory
By: Max Roberts
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WEST JEFFERSON, Ohio (WOUB) — The 9-2 Waterford Wildcats traveled to face the 9-1 West Jefferson Roughriders in a Regional Quarterfinal matchup.
The first quarter was a very defensive battle, as the only points scored came from a 60-yard end-around sweep from Finn Pennock, who would take advantage of the blocks downfield and score a touchdown to give Waterford a 7-0 lead.
The second quarter would be much of the same, as no points would be scored by either team. Waterford made an effort to strike paydirt with time expiring, but quarterback Avery Pottmeyer’s pass, intended for Gavin Heiner, would fall incomplete. Waterford would maintain their seven-point lead as both teams hit the locker rooms at the break.
The second half would start as Waterford would kick it away to the Roughriders. The West Jefferson offense would string together a nice drive led by quarterback Mason McBrayer and running back Memphis Book. Around the 25-yard line, a Wildcat defender would successfully strip the ball from the receiver’s hands, and the Wildcats would take over on offense.
The Waterford offense would then respond with a very well-put-together drive of their own, but this time they would punch it in for a score off a 10-yard scramble from Avery Pottmeyer to give themselves a two-score advantage over the Roughriders.
Back on defense, the Wildcats would continue to apply pressure to West Jeff, as McBrayer’s pass would find the hands of Waterford sophomore defender Luke Roberts, who would run it back for the third Wildcat score of the game.
Waterford’s kickoff would be fielded by Wade Reeve, deep in West Jeff territory, but he would find a seam and return the kickoff to the Wildcat 40-yard line. The Roughrider offense would use this moment to find the end zone for the first time off a one-yard touchdown run from Landen Koehler, making the score 21-7 Waterford.
Now with the game more in their favor, the West Jeff special teams unit would recover an onside kick. The offense would continue to move the ball down the field and would end the drive in the end zone off a five-yard rush to bring the game back within one score.
The fourth quarter would start just before the Roughriders score, and the Wildcats would lead 21-7 with about eight minutes left to play. The West Jeff defense would stand tall, forcing a turnover on downs around their own 35-yard line.