Reeling Wolverines come up short against Stars, 43-33, in key region contest
By Garrett Mitchell
The Woodruff Wolverines are reeling after another region loss, this time to heated rival Mountain View Prep. The Wolverines’ 43-33 setback to the Stars on Friday was their third straight loss and puts Woodruff’s playoff hopes in peril with one game remaining in the regular season.
The Wolverines once again were forced to play catch-up all night as MVP scored first on a strike from Jacoby Kelly to Savion Booker. The two-point conversion gave the Stars an 8-0 lead after one quarter, though Woodruff ended the period threatening in the red zone.
The Wolverines scored on the first play of the second quarter on a nine-yard pass from Connor Davis to MiCah McClintock, but the extra point failed, leaving the Stars with an 8-6 lead. MVP increased the margin on a Kelly pass to Chase Richards midway through the stanza and added to that lead one possession later. Davis connected for his second score of the night, a 12-yard pass to Brycen Davis, to send Woodruff into halftime trailing 22-12.
Missed opportunities stall Woodruff’s rally
The Wolverines struck quickly coming out of the locker room, with Davis finding McClintock for another touchdown to trim the deficit to 22-19.
After a brilliant fourth-down stop at midfield, it seemed Woodruff was poised to take over the lead, and the game, but consecutive penalties caused the drive to stall. Another defensive stop also ended in an empty possession, and from there MVP steadily increased its lead.
A 21-0 run ballooned the Wolverines’ deficit to 43-19, but Woodruff forged one final, desperate comeback in the last four minutes.
Davis found McClintock one more time for a long touchdown pass, and the successful two-point conversion cut the MVP lead to 43-27. After Woodruff recovered an onside kick, yet another deep strike to McClintock set the Wolverines up with first-and-goal from the four-yard line. The possession, however, came up inches short on fourth down.
The Wolverines’ defense forced a fumble on the Stars’ next snap, and Makhai Dummott recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. The conversion failed, all but sealing Woodruff’s fate at 43-33.
It was another disappointing ending for a team that continues to search for its footing after a great start to the season.
McClintock turns in a career night
Davis had another stellar night, completing 16 of 23 passes for 293 yards and four touchdowns. McClintock turned in a career night, with the Appalachian State commit hauling in 10 catches for a career-high 193 yards.
Senior running back Jaylen Lyles surpassed the 1,300-yard mark for the season with 111 yards on 27 carries.
For MVP, Kelly completed 17 of 26 pass attempts for 243 yards and five scores. Richards caught five passes for 101 yards, and Booker added six grabs for 68 yards. Tailback Cam Martin added 101 yards on the ground.
Woodruff outgained MVP 413-400 in overall yardage.
The Wolverines now face a rivalry game at Clinton in their regular-season finale needing a win to ensure a playoff spot. While Woodruff could qualify for the postseason with the new RPI format due to a strong strength of schedule, the only way to guarantee a spot in the postseason is with a win.
