Andrew Potts (44) carries for McClain during a Frontier Athletic Conference game Friday against Washington. No.7 for Washington is Rocky Jones. For McClain, No. 68 is Jaden Allison and No. 4 is Connor McCune.
Photo by Mary Kay West
GREENFIELD — On one of the colder evenings of this fall so far, the Washington Blue Lions traveled to take on the McClain Tigers in a Frontier Athletic Conference football contest with the hosts posting a 49-25 victory.
Washington received the opening kickoff, and a nice return from Mason Coffman set it up near midfield. Thanks to a couple of long runs by senior Ian Rogers-Wright, the Blue Lions found themselves inside the red zone moments later. On fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Rocky Jones plunged into the end zone for the first score of the evening. The extra point by Gavin Coffman was good to make it 7-0 with 9:03 remaining in the opening quarter.
McClain responded with a drive that took over eight minutes and was capped off with a 1-yard TD run by Andrew Potts. The PAT was successful to tie the game with under 30 seconds to go in the first.
On the second play of the next quarter, Rocky Jones added another touchdown to his credit, this one a 52-yard scamper down the sidelines. The PAT was good, making it 14-7 with 11:40 to go in the half.
A big tackle for a loss by Blue Lion sophomore Miguel Utrera on the first play of the next drive pushed the Tigers back, and two consecutive incomplete passes forced a punt that Mason Coffman returned 70 yards for a Washington touchdown. The extra point was good to make it 21-7.
The first turnover of the evening came on the next drive as Gabe Perez of Washington intercepted a Drake Stapleton pass to set the Blue Lions up near midfield. A big catch and run by Rogers-Wright got them just outside of the McClain 30-yard line and a long run by Jones had them inside the 15. Later, Coffman found Isaiah Haithcock in the back corner of the end zone for a four-yard score. The PAT made it 28-7.
After forcing another Tiger punt, the Blue Lions found themselves in position to score again. Mason Coffman broke several tackles and raced over 50 yards into the red zone early in the drive. Washington ultimately turned the ball over on downs with just under two minutes remaining in the half.
Potts broke a long run of his own to get McClain into Blue Lion territory with under a minute to go. The Tigers later faced a second-and-goal inside the five with nine seconds remaining and completed a pass, but were unable to get out of bounds or in the end zone and the clock expired to send it to halftime.
McClain received the opening kick of the second half and a sack from Matthew Colflesh halted any chance of a Tiger score.
After a face mask penalty on the Tigers put the ball near midfield, Rocky Jones broke free for his third touchdown of the game, this one from 55-yards, with the extra point making it 35-7.
A late hit penalty on the Blue Lions extended the next Tiger drive, which was capped with a 27-yard touchdown run from Potts. The PAT was no good, making it 35-13 late in the third quarter.
On the third play of the next drive, the Coffman-to-Coffman connection went for 54 yards and a Blue Lion touchdown. The PAT was good to make it 42-13.
A combined sack from Isaiah Haithcock and Isaac Hood on the first play of the next drive had the Tigers facing a second-and-long, but Potts exploded for a 60-yard run to get the ball into the red zone. On the last play of the third quarter, Kaden Penwell crossed the goal line from 13 yards out to make it 42-19. The two-point try was unsuccessful.
On the ensuing drive, McClain recovered a fumble and took it 52-yards for a touchdown. The two-point try was again unsuccessful, leaving it a 42-25 game.
Washington responded with a 21-yard touchdown from Rogers-Wright to extend the lead. The PAT was good to make it 49-25 midway through the fourth quarter.
Both teams traded turnovers before the Blue Lions regained possession and were able to run out the clock.
Washington (1-2 in the FAC, 4-4 overall) will host Chillicothe (0-3, 1-7) next week in their final home contest of the season.
McClain (1-2, 5-3) will travel to Jackson (3-0, 7-1) next week.
In other FAC games last week, Jackson defeated Hillsboro, 63-21, and Miami Trace beat Chillicothe, 47-7.
Tyler Flora is a reporter for the Record-Herald in Washington C.H.
