Welcome back to The Deep Post!
What a great weekend of football with historic individual performances!
We had a 500-yard rusher, a game decided in the final minute and of course my Philadelphia Eagles pulled off a 19-point second half comeback, blocking the game-winning kick as time expired.
Let’s break it all down.
Getting Nashty
I’ve seen Kennedy Award winners stamp their campaigns with incredible performances.
I was there when 2017 Kennedy winner Mookie Collier rushed for 300 yards against Bridgeport in the Class AA semifinals in 2017. I watched 2022 Kennedy winner Judah Price break almost every single Super Six rushing record while delivering Independence a 42-7 championship victory. I watched 2023 Kennedy winner Dom Collins post 300 yards receiving in a 73-70 win over Bridgeport in the Class AAA state semifinals.
What Devin Nash did is up there with the best individual efforts I’ve ever seen. I’ve never covered a game where a player ran for 400 yards. It has happened – Meadow Bridge’s Kaiden Sims has done as recently as last year – but I’ve never covered one of those games. So seeing Nash officially rush for 511 yards and seven touchdowns was special.
This isn’t to say Nash is in the Kennedy running as Nicholas will need to make a run deep into November. But it’s an individual performance we may never see again, so savor it. And here’s the kicker – the Grizzlies needed all of them.
Nicholas County found itself going blow for blow with Lincoln which accumulated over 400 yards of total offense itself, 370 of which came through the air. At one point there were 10 straight drives between the two teams that ended in touchdowns. When performances like this are had, there’s typically some stat padding in an uncompetitive game. That wasn’t the case here.
The line blocked well for Nash who was regularly getting to the second level, but when he got there he was carrying defenders with him. It could’ve easily been a 600-yard night if not for a few penalties that had nothing to do with the play. Here’s the stat that I keep coming back to – on touchdown rushes alone, Nash had 228 yards with all but one of those touchdowns coming on an explosive play (runs of 15 yards or more). He was a bruiser with explosiveness.
But what added to the lore of his performance was his play on the defensive side of the ball. His forced fumble and recovery on a Lincoln QB sneak attempt with under four minutes to go effectively put the Cougars to bed.
And while the Grizzlies were already up two scores at that point, a touchdown would trim it to one and with the way special teams had played up to that point (Nicholas had a punt attempt intercepted), there’s no guarantee Lincoln doesn’t recover an onside kick attempt and march to tie the game.
Nicholas gets a bye this coming week and Nash gets a much-deserved break on the heels of a generational performance.
Clutch Beavers
I’ve seen Bluefield three times now and each time there’s noticeable growth. Friday’s win over Beckley felt like we watched the young Beavers step up from a dark horse to a legitimate title contender.
It wasn’t just that Bluefield won, it’s that it won playing two totally different styles of football. Two of the Beavers’ first half touchdowns came on explosive plays – coverage busts that led to touchdowns of over 40 yards. But the patience on offense in the second half was what stood out
The Beavers had just three possessions in the second half and controlled the game with drives of 10, 11 and 12 plays with two of them resulting in touchdowns. It’s easy to abandon patience and hunt big plays when they click in the first half but Bluefield stayed the course.
And then of course the Beavers rolled the dice on one of the biggest plays of the game. After Beckley faced a fourth-and-2 decision on its penultimate drive, it elected to punt around midfield. The punt was fantastic, pinning Bluefield back at its own 10, forcing it to drive the field for the decisive score. But when Bluefield was faced with the same decision – fourth-and-1 at its own 42 – head coach Fred Simon rolled the dice and ran his quarterback who converted.
The game changed there as Bluefield QB Max Simpson hit Pax Calhoun for a big gain and Jeremiah Jones followed with a 16-yard run down to the Beckley 1.
That fourth down, with the plays that immediately transpired after it, felt like an emotional crusher for the Flying Eagles.
I didn’t foresee a 3-1 start for Bluefield which has struggled with a front-loaded schedule over the last four years. I thought at best the Beavers would be 2-2, but they’re in the position they are because they’ve grown up fast. Max Simpson and Pax Calhoun have emerged as top two players at their positions in Class AA.
Jeremiah Jones had just 19 carries in the first three games and capitalized on his 13 against Beckley with a pair of touchdowns on top of his blocked PAT and team-best 14 tackles on defense. He waited his turn and made the most of his opportunity when it came. That’s a sign of maturity, something the young Beavers will need more of to continue their push into contention.
During my preseason stop at Bluefield, Simon was excited about what this year could be but thought the title window would open in 2026. Through four games it’s widening in 2025.
Fortune Favors the Bold
There’s something to be said about playing it safe but aggressive play-calling and decision making paid dividends for Bluefield and Nicholas County. Regular readers know I prefer an aggressive approach at the end of the half and on fourth downs. Those two factors helped the 2017 Eagles to a Super Bowl victory.
Nicholas head coach Matt Morriston and Bluefield head coach Fred Simon were rewarded for their aggressive decision making. Morriston’s flea flicker call for the final play rod the half resulted in a 62-yard touchdown pass that tied the game for the Grizzlies in game that quickly evolved into a shootout.
With the flow of the game and Lincoln receiving the second half kick, an aggressive approach was almost necessary. Many coaches would run the clock and try to avoid disaster, but Morriston’s roll of the dice paid off.
The same can be said for Simon who explicitly said if his team couldn’t get a yard, they didn’t deserve to win. That call probably provided the biggest swing in win percentage of any one this past week. If the Beavers don’t get it, Beckley needs maybe 20 yards for a field goal attempt with an offense capable of bleeding the last two minutes of the clock.
It was probably the most aggressive I’ve seen Simon coach as his team went 3-for-4 on fourth down with all of those attempts taking place in his own territory. He tested his offense and they rewarded with two touchdowns on drives extended by fourth down conversions.
Game Balls
- Independence – The entire team gets a game ball. Two receivers over 100 yards, a running back over 200 yards, the first area passer over 1,000 yards and another shutout. What more could you ask for?
- Dom Collins, Concord – The 2023 Kennedy winner has been one of the best receivers in the country following his transfer to Concord. You can’t coach speed and most teams are finding out you can’t really stop it either.
- Nicholas County’s offensive line – Nash routinely shrugged two or three defenders off on his runs but it’s admittedly harder to tackle a tank when it’s are full steam because of the blocking in front of it.
- Kaiden Sims, Meadow Bridge – Sims pulled off the trifecta by throwing a touchdown pass, rushing for a touchdown and catching one. He needs a fumble recovery touchdown, a pick six, a punt return and a kickoff return to knock out the full bingo card.
- Will Daniel, Westside – In our preseason conversation, Daniel was adamant that he didn’t view this year as a rebuilding year. He believed with the players he had returning, the Renegades would be back in the playoff picture. Through three games they’re 3-1 with a very manageable schedule ahead of them.
- Ryan Mann, James Monroe – The Mavericks signal called bounced back from a loss to Bluefield with nearly 300 yards passing against Liberty.
- Jeremiah Jones, Bluefield – Jones made the most of his opportunities in the win over Beckley. Touches on the Bluefield offense are tough to come by with a variety of playmakers. Jones’ number was called, he answered and helped lead the way on defense as well.
- Antoine Hicks, Oak Hill – Hicks played QB this past week against Shady and showed out, throwing for 137 yards and rushing for 49. It remains to be seen if this is permanent but having an athletic playmaker at QB has helped Oak Hill jumpstart its offense over the last two seasons.
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