By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports Report
WAVERLY — Sophomore QB Cooper Chrystie ran for four TDs, and Waverly's defense came up with a key stop late in the game in a 27-26 win over state-ranked Horseheads here Friday night in Section IV non-divisional football action at Memorial Stadium.
The Wolverines, who dropped a 35-34 decision to Class B Owego last week, improve to 2-2 with the win over the Class A Blue Raiders, who are ranked ninth in the state.
"It's a huge win," said Waverly coach Jason Miller. "We needed this.
"We got banged up two games ago," he noted. "Last week, we had a bunch of green players who haven't played any varsity football.
"We played pretty good on offense last week, didn't play good on defense, so we emphasized defense this week," noted Miller. "Going into divisional play against the ninth-ranked team in the state in Class A and getting a win is monumental.
Last week, Owego scored on its first five possessions, and ran the game clock out on its sixth. Although giving up 26 points Friday night, the Wolverine defense came up with two second-half stops, including a three-and-out on the first possession of the third quarter.
"I just think our people were more aggressive this week," said Miller. "We were getting one to two hats to the ball (last week) ... I thought tonight we got four, five, six hats to the ball, and that to me, that's the big difference — we emphasized that all week.
"I feel like, over the course of the last few weeks, we have been making major progress in execution of things," Miller added.
Miller was especially pleased with his team's effort against a potent Horseheads ground game, which rushed for 121 yards on 30 carries, led by Bryce Thomas, who had 62 yards on 14 carries.
"I thought we did a good job on Bryce Thomas," said Miller. "He's a really dangerous back.
"He's exploded for big runs in every game, including U-E, and he really didn't gash us tonight with a long run," noted Miller.
"Even last week with (Dylan) Brace, he didn't have any real explosive runs, so we're doing a good job, getting to the ball at the third level.
"I thought Connor Bentley and Bryce LaForest (at inside linebacker) looked like they were playing their second varsity game this week," added Miller. "They played a lot better."
The Wolverine offense piled up 389 yards in total offense, while Horseheads had 316 yards.
"I like the little things were doing," said Miller. "The line is doing much better on assignments, and they're playing faster. I just thought they did a pretty good job against a scheme that was really trying to stop it.
"It wasn't a huge night running the ball for our tailbacks, but it was effective yards," added Miller. "There wasn't a whole lot of yards ...last week, when a whole lot of plays where those guys going backwards, they went ahead for 3 yards and 4 yards tonight."
Cooper Chrystie was once again the catalyst of the Waverly offense, rushing for 158 yards and four TDs on 28 carries, while completing 12 of 19 passes for 167 yards and one interception.
"The offense is revolving around Cooper (Chrystie) right now, but those decisions are his," said Miller. "It's not intentional. As a matter of fact, I don't like when he takes off and runs when there are guys open down the field.
"And with that said, man, it's fun to watch him run out there," added Miller.
The Wolverines ran for 222 yards with senior Bryce LaForest rushing for 37 yards on 11 carries, and senior Rylen Larson adding 27 yards on seven carries.
Senior Carter Chrystie led Waverly's receivers with eight receptions for 118 yards, while senior Chase Wheeler (29 yards), senior Matthias Welles (15 yards), and sophomore Axel Murray (6 yards) each added one grab.
After both teams opened the games with three-and-outs, Waverly drew first blood with a four-play, 53-yard drive. The key play was a 36-yard swing pass from Cooper to Carter Chrystie, and Cooper Chrystie capped the drive with a 2-yard TD run with 8:04 remaining in the opening stanza.
Junior Jesse Lantz's PAT kick made it 7-0.
The Blue Raiders caught the first break of the game. After another three-and-out, Waverly mishandled a Horseheads punt and the Blue Raiders pounced on the loose ball at the Waverly 43.
Seven plays later, Horseheads junior QB Lyncoln Bennett connected with Bradyn Hourihan on a 9-yard TD on fourth-and-four. Jahvier Meisner's PAT kick tied the game at 7-7 with 3:10 left in the first quarter.
Waverly answered with a 12-play, 65-yard drive the actually covered 75 yards after a holding call put Waverly in a first-and-20 to start the drive.
Cooper Chrystie's 15-yard run on third-and-11 kept the drive going early, then his 10-yard pass to Carter Chrystie and 15 yards toss to Welles on consecutive plays moved the ball to the Blue Raider 18.
Five plays later, Chrystie scored on a 6-yard run with10:30 remaining in the first half. Lantz's PAT kick made it 14-7.
Horseheads took the ensuing kickoff and marched 71 yards on 10 plays to tie the game. Bennett was 6-for-6 on the drive including passes of 21 and 18 yards to Jack Patchett.
Aiden Culshaw capped the drive with a 1-yard TD run with 7:22 left in the half. Meisner's PAT kick tied the game at 14-14.
The Wolverines again started in a hole — first-and-19 at their own 9, but the Chrystie brothers hooked up on passes of 21 and 10 yards to moved the ball to midfield.
Waverly moved the ball into red zone, but Chrystie was picked off in the end zone by Patchett with 2:09 left in the half.
Bennett engineered an 18-play, 80-yard scoring drive, completing five passes, including passes of 17 and 18 yards to Culshaw on consecutive plays. Culshaw also picked up a key fourth-down conversion on a 10-yard run to the Waverly 2.
Four plays later, Bennett connected with Hourihan for a 1-yard TD as time expired in the first half to give Horseheads a 20-14 lead.
The Blue Raider PAT kick was good, but a personal foul penalty moved the ball back to the 18, and Bennett's pass on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt was batted down in the end zone.
Horseheads started the second half with the ball, but the Wolverine defense forced a three-and-out, and the Waverly offense took over at its 28.
Waverly ran the ball seven straight times and moved the ball across midfield, then Wheeler made a leaping catch between a pair of defenders for a 29-yard gain to the Blue Raider 13.
Five plays later, Cooper Chrystie scored on a 1-yard run with 6:40 remaining in the third quarter. Lantz PAT kick gave Waverly a 21-20 lead.
Horseheads answered with a 14-play drive, but turned the ball over on downs at the Waverly 11 with 1:58 remaining in the third quarter.
Waverly, however, couldn't muster any offense and punted the ball away 67 seconds later.
Horsehead capitalized with an 8-play, 50-yard drive to take a 26-21 lead with 9:46 left in the game. Their two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete in the end zone.
Waverly took the ensuing kickoff and marched 76 yards on 10 plays to take the lead for good.
The biggest play of the drive was first. Carter Chrystie, who was being held, made a one-handed grab on the Waverly sidelines for a 32-yard gain to the Horseheads 44.
Eight plays later, Cooper Chrystie scampered in from 13 yards out to make it 27-26 with 6:16 left in the game. Chrystie was stopped short of the goal line on the resulting two-point attempt.
Horseheads went to Thomas on the ensuing possession, and he picked up a quick first down with runs of 4 and 8 yards. On his third consecutive rush, he busted loose on a 24-yard run, but was stripped of the ball by Murray at the Waverly 25.
The Wolverines picked up three first downs — the first coming on a 23-yard scamper by Cooper Chrystie on third-and-15 — to run out the clock.
Senior Connor Stotler led Waverly with 11 tackles, including six solo stops, while senior Austin Burns had 10 tackles, including eight solo stops, senior Carson Rockwell contributed eight tackles, Wheeler, Bentley, Wells added seven tackles, and Murray chipped in with six tackles
Waverly returns to action Thursday at Norwich in its divisional opener.
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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly's Connor Stotler. IN TOP PHOTO: Waverly's Carter Chrystie. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
