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Comeback bid by AB falls short

PHILIPPI — The Alderson Broaddus football team had its comeback bid fall short as Glenville State topped the Battlers 47-42 on Saturday afternoon in the I-79 Barrel Classic.

Trailing 47-29 with just under nine minutes to play in the game, AB cut the lead to 47-36 when the Battlers scored a defensive touchdown when Kyle Warren recovered a GSC fumble in the end zone. On the ensuing possession, Glenville State took nearly five minutes off the clock and drove all the way down to the 12-yardline but the Battlers got a big stop on fourth and one with 3:18 to play.

AB responded with a five-play, 88-yard drive, as Connor McWilliams found freshman Jermaine Wynn from 13-yards out for a touchdown and after a failed two-point attempt, the Battlers trailed 47-42 with 1:57 left.

The Battlers attempted a pooch kick from kicker D.J. Opsatnik on the following kickoff but GSC called for a fair catch at its own 45 to take possession. After a first-down carry from Dominique Gibson to move the ball to the AB 42, the Battlers forced the Pioneers to punt with 1:05 to play. On the punt attempt, the ball sailed well over the Kelvin Flores’ head and the Battlers took over at the Pioneer 35 with 57 seconds left.

On first down, McWilliams connected with Wynn for 16 yards to the 19-yard line. On first down, McWilliams’ pass to David Hurt was broken up by Bakari Davis in the end zone to prevent the score and then after back-to-back incomplete passes down the middle of the field, McWilliams was sacked on fourth down to clinch the win for GSC.

McWilliams finished 20-of-44 passing for 247 yards and a touchdown while Wynn finished four of 72 for one score. On the ground, freshman Jamil Collison-Cofie rushed for three first-half touchdowns and finished with 91 yards in the game on 22 carries.

Glenville QB Jaylen McNair passed for 243 yards and four touchdowns on the afternoon as D.J. Williams finished with six catches for 134 yards and three scores. On the ground, Dominique Gibson rushed for a game-high 171 yards while adding a pair of touchdowns.

In the first half of play following a Pioneer punt, the Battlers scored their fourth-consecutive opening drive touchdown when Collison-Cofie scored from 13-yards out to cap a 12 play, 59-yard drive, with 10:55 to play in the first quarter. Later in the first, Collison-Cofie found pay dirt again for a 14-0 Battler lead from four-yards out with 3:58 left in the first.

Just before the end of the quarter, the Pioneers scored from 48-yards out when Williams scored his first touchdown of the contest. In a back-and-forth second quarter, Smith rushed up the middle from five-yards out to even the game at 14 with 12:12 left. On the other end, the Battlers stopped the Glenville run when Collison-Cofie score his third touchdown of the game on a seven-yard run and then following a botched snap on the point after, Grant Noon connected with Brandon Lavern on a two-point conversion for the 22-14 lead.

After Glenville (1-3) cut the lead to 22-21 on the next drive, Darius Hagans rushed in a touchdown with 7:09 to play in the second from nine-yards out to give AB a 29-21 lead. Late in the quarter, Gibson scored his second TD of the game, a two-yard run, to cut the lead to 29-28 and then following an AB three-and-out, McNair found Javon Butler for a 22-yard touchdown with just nine seconds left for the 34-29 halftime lead.

In the second half of play Williams gave the Pioneers a 41-29 lead with 51 seconds to play in the third to extend the lead. Gibson scored another touchdown less than three minutes later to put GSC on top 48-29 before the Battlers scored the final two touchdowns for the game.

Quade Raley finished with nine tackles and one and a half tackles for loss while senior Jacob Spellman finished with an interception and a fumble recovery. Up front, Sean Dean and Corey Payne each finished with eight tackles while William Bailey chipped in with six tackles.

The Battlers (1-3) open Great Midwest play next weekend when they take on Lake Erie College on Saturday at noon.

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