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A stunner: Mguffey gets rare win over Washington

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Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter

Highlanders running back Nathan Yagle turns the corner at the eight yard line and takes off to get McGuffey to the Prexies 49 at the end of the first half in the game against Washington on September 11.

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Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter

Washington fullback Andre Porter breaks through the Highlander line behind the blocking of Steven Patterson and advances to the six yard line, the Prexies best position of the first half in the game at a spectator-free McGuffey stadium on September 11.

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Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter

A team effort pushes Highlander Kyle Brookman across the goal line, breaking a scoreless tie in a spectator-less game. McGuffey went up 7-0 over Washington late in the third quarter of the September 11 game at McGuffey.

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McGuffey running back Nathan Yagle finds an opening in the Washington defense in the September 11 game at Highlander Stadium.

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Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter

With the marching band observing social distancing and no spectators in the stands, McGuffey football hosts Washington on Sept. 11.

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Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter

Bus drivers Jerome Asbury and Pat Maloney watch the game from empty stands as McGuffey take on Washington in a Sept. 11 high school football game in Claysville.

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A masked color guard leads the McGuffey Highlander marching band into a stadium with no spectators for the football game against Washington on September 11 at Highlander Stadium.

CLAYSVILLE – In this strangest of years did we get one of the most unusual high school football contests Washington County has seen in quite some time.

Christening their new playing surface that gleamed in gray and blue without fans in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the McGuffey exorcised some demons and finally toppled Washington 7-6 in the Century Conference opener, avenging four losses in a row in the series and their first since 2009.

“In our conference, if they are Alabama and we want to be Clemson; we have to beat them at some point,” Highlanders coach Ed Dalton said.

Washington had won key late season contests in 2014, 15, 18 and 19. Each of which gave the Prexies local bragging rights and the inside track to a conference title. Friday night’s loss was Washington’s first in conference since a 64-33 setback at Charleroi in 2018.

Lack of offseason work and preseason practices for both squads on account of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a sloppy affair that saw numerous pre-snap penalties for both squads. The Prexies fumbled the ball five times, losing two. The most costly of which occurred with 1:30 left when quarterback Davoun Fuse mishandled a shotgun snap on the Highlanders 25. Grant Brookman recovered for McGuffey on the 29 clinching the game for the Highlanders and touching off a wild celebration amongst the players and coaches.

“There were a millennium of errors, but we’ve only beaten them four times since 1960, so we’ll take it,” Dalton said afterwards.

The two squads slugged it out through a scoreless but physical first half as rust was shaken off from a dearth of offseason preparation. Washington’s swift defensive front led by Washington DC transfer Andre Porter held the Highlanders flexbone attack to 65 total yards in the first half; minus eight in the first quarter.

The Prexies fared only a little better, gaining 132 yards in the opening half. A Fuse fumble in the first quarter on the McGuffey 20 that was recovered by McKinley Whipkey ended one Prexies threat. Fuse was stopped short of a first down on a fourth-and-3 run on the Highlanders 5 late in the second quarter to end their second scoring threat of the half.

“We’re a really inexperienced young team,” Washington coach Mike Bosnic noted. “We made a lot of mistakes. And not that this is their fault, but we’re out of shape. But we’re going to get better every week.”

McGuffey’s dormant offense finally found their scoring gear on their second possession of the third quarter. Moving 72 yards, all on the ground; the Highlanders pierced the scoreboard thanks to a Kyle Brookman two-yard scoring plunge. The drive was highlighted by Whipkey runs of 27 and 14 yards off inside misdirection plays. Nate Witowsky’s kick was good, giving the Highlanders a 7-0 lead with 3:38 remaining in the third.

“Obviously their big front gave us some issues,” Dalton said. “When we don’t hit early, we start reducing our splits and taking away our margin of error.”

Washington appeared poised to take control of the game in the fourth when they marched 68 yards for a score with 5:40 remaining. Tayshawn Levy capped the drive with a one-yard run, slicing the Highlanders lead to 7-6. The Prexies elected to go for two points and the lead but came up short when Fuse was stopped short of the goal by Kyle Brookman, Tristan McAdoo and a host of Highlander tacklers on the one-yard line.

“It was a busted play,” Bosnic lamented. “Blocker went one way, runner went the other.”

The Prexies had a final shot at redemption when they forced a Highlander punt and took over on the McGuffey 31 with 2:48 left.

But the Highlanders held on for the win when Fuse lost his second fumble of the contest.

For the contest, Washington outgained McGuffey 227-144 in total yards. The Prexies gained 215 of those yards on the ground while McGuffey rushed for 142.

Fuse finished with 73 yards on 10 carries. Levy rushed 10 times for 54 yards for the Prexies. Whipkey led McGuffey’s attack with 84 yards on 11 runs.

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