RAVENSWOOD — Ravenswood may have been unable to reclaim the Hatchet, but the Red Devils are more interested in a trip to Wheeling for a state championship. That journey began Friday night at Flinn Field against the Webster County Highlanders. On paper, the opening round Class AA playoff game between seventh and tenth seeds should have been close.

For a while, it was. Webster County won the toss and elected to begin the game on offense. Ravenswood defensive lineman James Piggott thought better of it and recovered a fumble on the game’s second play.

Ravenswood controlled field position throughout the first quarter, but came away with only one score to show for it. After receiver Matt Fizer completed a 19-yard catch and run to the Highlanders’ eight-yard line, it appeared that score would come on a Tanner Hunter field goal. However, Luke Murray scrambled and attempted a pass that Jake Young just missed catching at the goal line.

It didn’t take the dominant Devil defense long, though, to put the offense in good position again to score. Webster County standout receiver Tim Miller appeared to have a long third down gain on the far sideline, but an illegal procedure penalty wiped out the play and forced a punt.

Offensive coordinator Kemp Kelly went deep in the playbook for the highlight of the Devils’ next drive. Quarterback Cole Starcher hit fullback Jake Young, who ran a hook route, with a pass. Young then pitched the ball back to runningback Zach Shriver who scampered to the Webster County 26-yard line for a net gain of 16 yards. Shriver later scored on an eight-yard carry and 7-0 lead.

Defensive coordinator Jason Jackson alerted his group to “watch out for the long ball” to Miller. The strategy worked as Miller finished with five catches for 78 yards—most of those came with the game already in hand. However, he did break free for his lone gain of the first half—a 36 yard catch to the Highlanders’ own 49-yard line.

However, Ravenswood stiffened at that point. Cornerback Luke Corley fought off two blocks to stop Webster runningback Cody Taylor for a three-yard loss on a toss sweep. Then, Jake Young blitzed from his linebacker post and sacked Webster quarterback Grant Perrine for an eight-yard loss—forcing another punt.

Red Devils were unable to move the ball and faced what might have been three plays and a punt. But the prime field position—fourth down and four from Ravenswood 48-yard line—gave Head Coach Dick Sturm the confidence to go for the first down.

Instead, his team scored a touchdown. Starcher carried the ball past right tackle and outran the defense for 52 yards and a 14-0 lead.

The aggressive play continued with mixed results on the ensuing drive. Murray recovered Hunter’s onside kick. Two plays later, Starcher threw a deep pass which Highlanders defender Taylor read and intercepted with a return all the way to his own 45-yard line.

Webster’s offense soon faced third down and eight in Ravenswood territory. Ravenswood coaches warned the team that the Highlanders were about to run their “favorite pass play.” As a result, Young and Brandon Nutter combined for a sack and nine-yard loss.

Stagnation continued to plague the Devils on early downs. But facing third down and 12 yards to go from his own 20-yard line, Starcher ran a quarterback draw for a 13-yard gain and first down. His offensive linemen continued to open lanes for Ravenswood playmakers to run though. Two plays later, an inspired Jake Young hustled 64-yards for a touchdown. The extra point sailed wide left but Ravenswood took a commanding 20-0 lead.

Ball security was a problem for the Highlanders again—and the rain had yet to come. Red Devil Tom Moss recovered the team’s second fumble of the half and set the offense up at Webster’s 37-yard line.

Starcher led the Devils on a drive that took up most of the rest of the time in the half. He scored on a sneak from two yards out with 45.4 seconds left. Hunter nearly atoned for his lone miss of the half by throwing a good pass to Young near the back of the end zone, but Young was unable to come down with the ball inside the back line, so the score stood at 26-0.

Webster County found resolve to make one good play prior to intermission. Cody Taylor muffed the ensuing kickoff but the disruption in Ravenswood’s coverage units the fumble caused helped him find a lane down the far sideline. He dashed 88 yards for a touchdown; Quentin Robinson’s extra point was good.

Webster’s miscues continued to actually help their cause. Penalties gave them three separate chances to attempt an onside kick. They successfully recovered the third try and mounted a last-ditch effort to make the game competitive. Ravenswood’s Starcher played coverage from his defensive free safety position and intercepted the last pass of the half.

Fizer opened third quarter scoring as he found himself wide open and hauled in a 33-yard pass for a score. Tanner Hunter made the extra point, which gave him the school record for most points by a kicker in single season.

Later on, Nutter threw a key block on a would-be touchdown run. Officials determined the block was an illegal block in the back and called back the score. Ravenswood didn’t mind, as Starcher threw a bomb to Lance Casto down the far sideline. A Highlander tackled him just short of the goal line. Young then scored on a one-yard touchdown run; Hunter’s extra point try was wide left, maintaining a 39-7 lead.

Flinn Field faithful saw one last big play before the reserves entered the game. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Starcher again broke free for a long touchdown—this one 46 yards. The carry gave Starcher more than 1,000 rushing yards for the season. Hunter tacked on one last point to give Ravenswood a 46-7 lead.

Unlike Ravenswood, Webster County decided to keep in their starters for most of the rest of the game. As a result, Webster scored its first and only offensive touchdowns of the game. A high snap in driving rain on a Chad Small punt attempt caused a huge loss which set up the first score, a one-yard dive by Robinson. Miller hauled in the conversion pass for two more points.

Taylor wrapped up the scoring on a scamper from 14 yards away. Robinson made the PAT for the final margin of 46-22.

Murray led the fourth quarter charge for the home team on defense with an interception of yet another deep pass. Nutter entered the game on offense for Ravenswood and had two sensational runs in which he cut back against the grain to gain additional yardage. Unfortunately for him, penalties cost his team much of the yardage, and the Red Devils were unable to score again.

The Red Devils rushed 50 times for 380 yards and passed 12 times, completing six for 85 yards. They three of four fumbles, suffered one interception, and nine penalties for a total of 95 yards. Highlanders rushed 26 times for 85 yards and passed 24 times, completing ten for 104 yards. They suffered six fumbles (three lost), one interception, and ten penalties for a total of 84 yards.

Seventh-seeded Ravenswood (9-2) will make the drive east on U.S. 50 Friday to face second-seeded Grafton (10-1). Grafton won its opening round game with 15th-seeded Philip Barbour (6-5) by a score of 41-16. Kickoff for Ravenswood’s contest is 7:30 P.M.

Webster County (8-3) 0 7 0 15 | 22
Ravenswood (9-2) 7 19 13 7 | 46

RW Zach Shriver 8-yard run (Tanner Hunter PAT) 2:27 1Q
RW Cole Starcher 52-yard run (Tanner Hunter PAT) 9:48 2Q
RW Jake Young 64-yard run (Tanner Hunter PAT wide left) 4:11 2Q
RW Cole Starcher 2-yard run (Tanner Hunter pass to Jake Young failed) 0:45.4 2Q
WC Cody Taylor 88-yard kickoff return (Quentin Robinson PAT) 0:31.0 2Q
RW Cole Starcher 33-yard pass to Matt Fizer (Tanner Hunter PAT) 6:19 3Q
RW Jake Young 1-yard run (Tanner Hunter PAT wide left) 3:14 3Q
RW Cole Starcher 46-yard run (Tanner Hunter PAT) 11:50 4Q
WC Quentin Robinson 1-yard run (Grant Perrine pass to Tim Miller) 7:14 4Q
WC Cody Taylor 14-yard run (Quentin Robinson PAT) 4:18 4Q

story by Michael Ihle (mihle@jccitizen.com)

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