THURSDAY PREPS: Wetumpka win pulls them closer to playoff berth

Quarterback Charlie Skipper follows the block of Jeremy Collins in Wetumpka’s win over Julian on Thursday at Cramton Bowl. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

Wetumpka has seen its share of ups and downs this season as a youthful and inexperienced squad has lost games to the frontrunners of 6A Region 2 while coming out on top against similar opponents this season.

That made Thursday’s game with Julian a must-win region battle for both teams, but Wetumpka coach Bear Woods wasn’t sure if his players knew what was at stake.

“I think we’re too young to even realize that,” Woods said. “But I told them sitting at 3-3 (before the game), this is not coach-speak when I say this is a new season because every region opponent in front of us has the same opportunity we have. Who we’re playing right now determines the outcome of our regular season.”

 The Indians (4-3) took a huge step toward the playoffs with a 34-20 win over Julian at Cramton Bowl on Thursday, improving to 2-2 in Region 2 play with two region games remaining.

Wetumpka can clinch a playoff berth at Cramton Bowl next Friday against Park Crossing (0-5), while Julian (2-6) fell to 1-4 in region play and was eliminated from playoff consideration with the loss.

And while the Indians struggled at times and showed their inexperience in the first quarter, they showed their maturity and potential with a pair of impressive drives to close out the second quarter and open the third quarter to take a 34-6 lead.

“We talk about winning the first five and the last five,” Woods said. “When I go in there now (to talk to the players in the locker room), I’ll say that’s what we did and it ended up being the difference in the game.”

The Indians owned a 21-0 lead with a little more than four minutes left in the first half and the Phoenix had been held without a first down through the first 19 minutes of the game. Suddenly, Julian’s offense started clicking, picking up first downs with the feet of Germarion Jones and Ernest Shuford threw a 25-yard pass to a leaping Rob Manora that put the ball on the Wetumpka 2-yard line.

Shuford scored two plays later and the Phoenix had swung the momentum to their side with 64 seconds remaining in the first half.

Just as quickly, sophomore quarterback Charlie Skipper and the Wetumpka offense grabbed it back, marching 61 yards in six plays. Skipper lofted a pass to the left corner of the end zone and Kaleb Ballard grabbed it for a 25-yard completion with 13 seconds left and a 28-6 halftime lead.

The Indians came out in the second half and promptly marched 48 yards in six plays, with Skipper scrambling to his left, then flipping the ball to Patrick Davis for a 2-yard touchdown reception and a 34-6 lead.

“At the end of the first half, we gave up a late score,” Woods said. “Then to be able to go down and match it with one minute left was big and to come out in the third quarter and be able to do it, those two drives ended up being the difference in the game.”

 Julian made things interesting in the third quarter, coming to life with Shuford’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Orrion Harvest, recovering an onside kick, then scoring when Manora took a lateral from Shuford and threw 44 yards to an uncovered Samuel McCall, but that was all Julian had left. Nine third-quarter plays accounted for nearly half of their total yardage and the final 16 minutes provided just 66 more as the two teams played through a scoreless fourth quarter.

 “It was poor eye discipline by us,” Woods said of Julian’s third quarter offense. “We had a kid who tried to get an interception and didn’t cover his guy. And credit No. 3 (Harvest) for making that athletic play (on a 26-yard run to set up his touchdown catch two plays later). Our strongest man on defense, No. 45, Logan Fawcett, had him dead to rights, spun him around and slingshotted him forward. At the end of the day, they fought. Credit to Coach (Kenneth) White and them.”

Skipper completed 17 of 27 passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 37 yards on 10 carries. Jordan Smoke led the Indians with 46 rushing yards on nine carries, with Deon Floyd adding 27 yards on eighr carries. Ballard led the receivers with 55 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions. John Hudson Wingard added 42 yards on three catches.

Shuford completed 10 of 16 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted once and sacked twice, fumbling both times. Jones led the rushers with 17 yards on 11 carries, while Harvest led the receivers with 36 yards and a touchdown on three receptions.