Parkersburg High School Big Reds Football

Sept. 25, 2020 Huntington Game

Big Reds End Highlander Streak, 25-14

Ten years of frustration for Parkersburg Big Red football fans came to an end Friday night at Stadium Field as PHS defeated Huntington for the first time in the last 11 tries by a 25-14 score.
Bryson Singer scored two touchdowns and passed for another while rushing for 157 yards and passing for 119 more to lead the 13th ranked Big Reds to their third win in four outings.
The Big Reds are scheduled to play at Hurricane next Friday but if Putnam County is not allowed to play because of COVID restrictions there is a chance Cabell Midland may come to Parkersburg for a make-up (if Cabell County is allowed to play).
Singer was able to make enough big plays to produce four touchdowns and freshman Casey Stanley kicked his second field goal of the season but it was the Big Red defense that came up with the key plays when needed and the offensive line blocked well enough to enable PHS to run 78 plays (53 of them on the ground) to only 49 for Huntington. The Highlanders went to the air 32 times but completed only 15 for 221 yards with one interception. On the ground the visitors had just 58 yards on 17 attempts with one fumble. Carter Mills and Keenan Curry were the leading tacklers for PHS.
Singer ran for 157 yards on 32 attempts including several as the tailback in a full house or reverse-T formation. In the air he was eight of 24 for 119 yards including a 48 yard bomb to Jordan Martin.
The game started with an exchange of punts but on Huntington’s second possession quarterback Gavin Lochow broke loose for a 46 yard run to the PHS seven yard line. Two running plays got the ball to only the five before a penalty pushed the visitors back to the 21 and on fourth down Nathan Young missed a 38 yard field goal.
An interception set up Huntington’s first score, an 11 yard run by Lochow with 11:08 on the second quarter clock.
The Big Reds responded with a seven-minute drive that took 16 plays and covered 85 yards with Singer throwing a 21 yard touchdown to a diving Carter King with 4:08 left in the half. Casey Stanley’s kick tied it at 7-all.
A fumble recovery by Justin Waybright on the Huntington 38 yard line early in the third quarter set up the go-ahead PHS score. The fumble was caused when Singer, now playing defense, knocked the blocker back into the Huntington quarterback. Six straight running attempts with Singer as the tailback and Michael Owen as the quarterback produced the touchdown on a five yard Singer rush with 7:22 on the clock.
Huntington was able to answer with a 10-play, 68-yard drive that was aided by a roughing the passer penalty against PHS on a third down incomplete pass. The touchdown came on a 14-yard pass to Devin Jackson. Young’s kick made it 14-all.
A leaping catch by Martin at the Huntington 13 yard line highlighted the next PHS series and an unsportsmanship conduct penalty against the Highlander head coach moved the ball to the seven. Four plays later Singer, running from the tailback slot, went over left guard from the one to put the Big Reds ahead for good. On the extra point, Owen fielded a bad snap, tossed the ball back to Stanley, who calmly tossed the ball to Waybright for the two-point conversion and a 22-14 lead.
Early in the fourth quarter the Big Reds got a 29 yard field goal from Stanley on a 10-play drive that saw Singer run for 17 yards on a fourth-and-three play. That score with 9:17 left in the game made it 25-14.
Huntington never threatened the rest of the way until the final minute as the Big Red defense made two impressive stands in a row.