File photo by Shannon J. Allen/Sand Mountain Reporter
By Gary Hanner/St. Clair Times
West End entered its game against Ragland last Friday (Sept. 27) 0-4 on the season while having given up 245 points.
The Patriots, however, flexed their muscles in the first half in gaining 226 total yards and building a 34-0 lead.
By the end, West End (1-4, 1-2) picked up its first win of the season, 47-20, and left Ragland at 1-5, 1-2.
On the third play of the game, Ragland quarterback Owen Schall’s pass was intercepted at the Purple Devil 8-yard line. Three plays later, Levi Armstrong scored on an 8-yard run to make it 6-0 Patriots.
Ragland drove from its own 12-yard line to the Patriot 20, powered by runs of 7 and 16 yards by Josh Phillips and a 31-yard pass from Schall to Kentrell Tucker. But the march stalled, and the Purple Devils turned the ball over on downs.
West End then drove 80 yards in seven plays and scored on a 3-yard pass from Eli Pearce to Jeremiah Roberson (pictured above). The two-point conversion was good to make the score 14-0 after the first quarter. Following a Ragland punt early in the second quarter, the Patriots scored on a 36-yard keeper by Pearce to make it 20-0.
After Ragland failed for a second time on a fourth-down conversion, West End scored on the very next play, a 39-yard pass from Pearce to William Tidmore that made it 26-0.
With 36 seconds remaining before halftime, West End reached paydirt on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Pearce to Jeremiah Roberson. The two-point conversion was good by Isaiah Roberson to make the halftime score 34-0.
On the third play of the third quarter, Ragland’s Nathaniel Kelley intercepted a pass and returned it 65 yards, but Ragland was penalized and the Purple Devils got the football at their own 30.
Three plays later, Adam Bates intercepted Schall’s pass and returned it to the Ragland 11.
On the next snap, Pearce scored on an 11-yard keeper to make it 40-0.
Ragland finally got on the scoreboard with Phillips scoring on a 21-yard run with 8:06 to go in the third quarter.
After a West End punt, Ragland found the end zone when Trevin Williams scored on a 6-yard run with 10:19 remaining. The two-point conversion was good by Phillips to make the score 40-14.
With 5:15 to play, West End scored on a 37-yard run by Kaiden Silor to make it 47-14.
Ragland’s offense looked good on its next drive as the Purple Devils needed only four plays to march 75 yards, all on the ground. A touchdown by Javaris Turner made the final score 47-20.
West End returns to its Class 2A, Region 6 schedule this Friday (Oct. 4) at home against third-ranked Ohatchee.