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Interestingly enough, Griffith made his game-changing decision on Monday morning, not on Friday night.
With heavy rain pelting the Skyhawks’ field and more wet weather predicted for the rest of the week, Griffith decided to put pieces of tarp — weighed down with cinderblocks — from end zone to end zone and from hash mark to hash mark to keep it as dry as possible.
“In coaching, a lot of it has to do with things that don’t take place on the field,” Griffith said. “We looked at the weather and decided to do it. When I first put the plastic down, people said, ‘Well, it’s going to rain Friday.’ I knew that was a possibility, but I didn’t want the field so saturated that the rain Friday wouldn’t soak up.”
For the Skyhawks, particularly senior superstar Jordan Roberts, a dry field provides the best opportunity to maximize their speed.
“It was great for us because it didn’t rain,” Griffith said. “We got to play on a pretty good surface. It was pretty dry and pretty fast.”
A bi-partisan crowd of about 1,200 watched Scott give a dominating performance in the Boone County rivals’ annual showdown.
“The entire family showed Sherman what they can do, including Jordan obviously,” said Griffith, whose team led 41-0 at halftime. “We wanted to put on a show.
"We didn’t get an opportunity to do that last year because of the weather. I honestly believe that the field conditions last year (in Scott’s 13-8 road win over Sherman) were as close to being unplayable as you can find. We made every effort we could this week to make sure this field was playable and that we could put forth our best effort.”
Roberts rushed 15 times for 340 yards and four touchdowns. He also returned an interception 33 yards for another score.
“That was pretty unreal to say he had a game like that,” Griffith said. “But we expect it. Jordan is the most unnoticed superstar in this state. I don’t think there is another Jordan Roberts out there.”
The Kennedy Award candidate now has a state-best 2,571 yards and 32 touchdowns on 200 carries.
“Roberts is unbelievable,” said Sherman coach Bill Miller, whose team still leads the series 45-37-5 despite losing five of the past six games. “He’s as good as advertised. He’s a special back that you hope to get while you’re coaching. Shane and Scott are lucky to have him. He’s a great player.”
Roberts wasn’t a one-man show, however.
Senior tailback Randy Bishop added 119 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
“We have heard all year that our opponents are going to key Jordan,” Griffith said. “OK, well, one, it is very difficult to key him because he is that good, and, two, we have talked all year about significant others, and Randy is definitely one of those.
“He has had two or three games like this now. He gets more confidence in his abilities and shows defenses that if you do decide to sell out for one, then he definitely has the ability to make you pay for it.”
Roberts reeled off touchdown runs of 66, 64 and 35 yards in the first half. Bishop added touchdown runs of 21 and 1 yards as Scott built an insurmountable lead.
“In the first half, it seemed like we were standing around and weren’t aggressive enough,” Miller said. “I thought we had a pretty good game plan, but our kids didn’t execute it the way we wanted them to. They stood around.”
Miller and his staff borrowed a trick from Class AAA power Nitro, which previously had its defensive linemen stand up rather than bend down before the ball is snapped.
“It was something we tried to put in for Scott two weeks ago,” Miller said. “We worked on it real hard for two weeks. We had our speed out there. We stand up three yards off the ball so we can’t get blocked both ways.”
The alteration didn’t work, though. So, the Tide returned to its normal scheme.
“In the second half, we went back to the defense we had put in for the first six weeks and it did a better job,” Miller said.
Roberts added a 55-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for the Skyhawks’ only second-half score.
The Skyhawks finished with 492 yards and six scores on 34 carries.
“Our offensive line did a good job,” senior left guard Dennis Roberts said.
Scott limited Sherman to 211 total yards.
“We were fired up,” Griffith said. “We had a lot of emotion and a lot of passion. Our defense wanted to step up and stake its claim. There has been so much focus on our offense, and rightfully so.
“They did a great job in the first half, but we lost some focus in the second half. When the game gets to that point that quick, it’s tough to keep that mental edge, even as a coach or a fan.
“But I have to give Sherman credit there. There wasn’t a whole lot to play for at that point, but they did. They made some plays. We have to realize from Bluefield on out, it’s four-quarter teams.”
Senior tailback Shane Keeney rushed 13 times for a team-high 52 yards and one touchdown, a 2-yarder in the third quarter.
As a team, the Tide managed only 76 yards on 32 carries.
Sophomore quarterback Colby Treadway completed 5-of-22 passes for 136 yards with one interception and two touchdowns, a 27-yarder to sophomore wide receiver Jake Rollo in the third quarter and a 17-yarder to senior fullback Seth Smith in the fourth quarter.
Rollo finished with three catches for 83 yards. Smith followed with two catches for 50 yards.
“We were ready for the running game and we were ready for the passing game,” said Dennis Roberts, who also starts at defensive end. “We came to play, and we shut them down.”
Griffith praised Scott's defensive linemen — Roberts (one solo, three assists and two tackles for loss), junior end Ryan Price (three solos, three assists and one tackle for loss), senior tackle Eric Pauley (three solos and four assists), senior nose guard Cameron Chafin (two solos and four assists), sophomore end Tyler Thompson (two solos, four assists, one tackle for loss and one sack) and junior tackle Brandon Booth (three assists) — and called their effort "dominant."
The Skyhawks’ ability to stop the run — not to mention their large lead — forced the Tide to pass more than normal.
“Everyone was doing their jobs and filling their gaps,” Chafin said. “The linebackers were coming up and making plays. That’s what our coaches wanted us to do — shut down the run.”
Junior middle linebacker Drew Runyan recorded seven solos and six assists for the Skyhawks. Jordan Roberts contributed three solos and five assists from his free safety position.
Junior linebacker Jordan Green had four solos, three assists and one tackle for loss. Senior strong safety Randy Bishop made two solos and four assists.
Senior linebackers Sam Milam and Smith led the Tide with 11 and seven tackles, respectively.
Senior linebacker Michael Showalter and junior linebacker Jeff Elian each contributed six stops. Elian also recovered one fumble.
Sophomore safety Jake Rollo and freshman cornerback Jacob Halstead added five tackles apiece.
With the win, Scott improved to 7-2. With the loss, Sherman dropped to 2-7.
The Class AA Skyhawks also clinched a first-round home game in the state playoffs.
Led by Roberts, the Class of 2008 became the second group in school history to make the state playoffs all four years. The Class of 2007 was the first.
This year’s berth is Scott’s seventh in school history and fifth in a row. The others came in 1972, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Next up for Sherman is a season-ending road trip to Westside.
The Renegades (5-4) need a win to make the state playoffs.
“We want to end the season with a win to give us a good jumpstart on the offseason,” Miller said. “We play a lot of young kids out there.”
Next up for fourth-ranked Scott is top-ranked Bluefield.
The Beavers (9-0) are one of the favorites to win the Class AA state title.
“It’s an opportunity game,” Griffith said. “That’s what we called it when we scheduled it. In opportunity games, you can’t lose. Something good can always come out of it.
“Walking off that field last year (after Bluefield’s 22-0 win over Scott), knowing and believing it was a much closer game than the score showed, pushed us through into the first round of the playoffs with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement.
“We want to — and you have to — play these type of teams that puts our program center stage. Our guys have been looking forward to this rematch for an entire year — and they don’t say that with arrogance. It’s an exciting atmosphere for them and they enjoy it. I often tell people that it’s not a big game if both teams aren’t legit. I’m glad we’re there.”
Contact Managing Editor Jacob Messer at jacobmesser@coalvalleynews.com or 369-1165.
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