Red Devil offense waits for the play
Photos courtesy of patty Haught
By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
There is no way to sugar coat Calhoun's 47-13 season-ending loss to St. Marys Friday night. The home-standing Blue Devils took command early and stayed in command all the way.
The loss drops Calhoun to 7-3 on the season while St. Marys goes to 9-1. The loss will probably drop the Red Devils to 10th place in the final standings and send them on the road in the first round of the playoffs against the seventh-ranked team, which could be Mount Hope, Weirton Madonna or St. Marys. The WVSSAC will announce the pairings and dates and times of the game some time Sunday.
The first round playoff pairing depends on bonus points for other schools but one thing is certain, Calhoun will be on the road. St. Marys saw to that Friday night.
The Blue Devils jumped on Calhoun in its opening drive with lightning quickness as senior tailback Cody Hashman scored on a 10-yard run to end a quick drive which also saw him break free for a 40-yard run that set up the touchdown.
After a botched punt attempt by the Red Devils St. Marys scored quickly again when quarterback Derek Barnhart teamed up with tight end Matt Umstot on a 20-yard scoring pass.
Barnhart and Umstot would team up once again when the Blue Devils got the ball back, this time on a 60-yard scoring play which came with St. Marys facing third and long.
Calhoun finally got off its heels and took the fight to St. Marys as Zach Moore scored on a six-yard quarterback keeper following a St. Marys fumble that was recovered by Randy Fluharty on the Blue Devils' side of the field.
After Calhoun's score which seemed to stem the Blue Devils momentum, St. Marys got it right back again and scored on a six-yard run by Derek Spitzer right before the end of the half to make it 28-7.
Calhoun once again got things going when Fluharty broke around the end on the first offensive play of the second half and rambled for a 70-yard touchdown to make it 28-13.
But that was the high water mark for the Red Devils as St. Marys not only answered that score - with a 55-yard run by Spitzer - but added two more touchdowns.
The first came on another pass as Barnhart hit Dylan Brizindine for 55-yards. The second came late in the game while the Blue Devils were running out the clock with their first team offensive unit when fullback Zac Anderson scored on a four-yard run with 3:41 remaining.
Randy Fluharty after running the ball, team mate Danny Slider
Despite taking the loss there were some bright spots for the Red Devils, including:
- The running of all-state candidate Fluharty. Fluharty showed his worthiness for all-state honors with 262 yards on 33 carries when everyone - I mean everyone - in the stadium knew he was going to run the ball. Despite the Blue Devils keying on him the entire game he still persevered.
- The Red Devils did not have many penalties although one illegal block did negate Moore's 30-yard scoring pass to tight end Danny Slider.
- The tackling of Calhoun's mighty mite Nick Stevens who on three occasions pulled down the Blue Devils' bullish Anderson despite giving up nearly 100 pounds and a foot of height to the 6-2, 224-pound senior.
- The play of the special teams despite the one botched punt attempt.
- The fact that Calhoun did not lay down when St. Marys jumped out early and then snuffed a couple of Red Devil rallies.
Calhoun now has a week to prepare for the first round of the playoffs and that will give the Devils a chance to correct some problems in pass defense - St. Marys passed for 206 yards on 6-of-9 passing - and allow everyone to heal.
| 
