WILDCATS END ST. ALBANS' WINLESS YEAR

Publication: CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL
Published: 11/02/2002
Page: 1B
Headline: WILDCATS END ST. ALBANS' WINLESS YEAR
Byline: J.T. SIMMS

DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER

The good news from the "Battle of the Bridge" between Nitro and St. Albans was that, for the first time in weeks, the playing field was in good shape.

Unfortunately for the nearly 600 fans in attendance, the play of both teams was pretty much the opposite - sloppy overall with an occasional bright spot.

"Was that some ugly football or what?" said Wildcat Coach Scott Tinsley, whose team came away with a 49-16 victory Friday at Crawford Field.

Neither team scored in a first quarter that included an interception by Nitro, a lost fumble by Nitro, a St. Albans' fumble the Red Dragons recovered themselves, three penalties and two quarterback sacks.

Too bad neither band had Bachman Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" in its repertoire.

The second quarter began with each team losing a fumble in the first four plays of the period.

The Wildcats (5-5) capitalized on the second one as Chris McGee carried twice to complete a 16-yard scoring drive.

St. Albans (0-10) next series included a run for a yard loss and two incomplete passes before surrendering the ball 47 seconds after receiving it.

That possession was an absolute scrapbook memory compared to the next time the Red Dragons got the ball.

Following a 65-yard, 12-play scoring drive by Nitro, St. Albans got the ball back on its own 35 with just under four minutes to play in the half and down 14-0.

The Red Dragons' first play went for a 2-yard loss, the next lost another four yards, and the third-and-16 reverse ended up losing 21 more yards.

When a St. Albans' player was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after that play, the ball was sitting on the 3-yard line and the Red Dragons were facing a fourth-and-42 situation with 2:11 left in the half.

An incomplete pass on a fake punt attempt followed and McGee carried the ball in two plays later.

Nitro then recovered an onside kick and added one more score before the half for a 28-0 lead.

The second half included a safety on a bad snap in the endzone by Nitro, seven more penalties and four turnovers. St. Albans did put together two solid scoring drives in the fourth quarter, one going 83 yards and the next 68 yards.

Overall the teams combined for six turnovers and 19 penalties totaling 186 yards.

The scoreless first period did have Tinsley a little worried.

"We started slow for the second week in a row," he said. "But the kids responded late in the game and turned it up a notch."

The victory also kept alive the Wildcats' slim playoff hopes. Nitro entered the game tied for 18th in the Class AAA ratings. Beckley and Capital, tied for 16th, both lost Friday, as did Huntington, the team tied with Nitro at No. 18. No. 20 Parkersburg lost as well.

"You had to come into this game with a sense of urgency," Tinsley said. "Because we had to win."

"We're going about it just like we're in," said senior quarterback Derek Midkiff, who was 19-of-27 for 316 yards. "You can't not be prepared and end up playing a top team the first week."

Tinsley agrees.

"We're going to practice three days next week," he said, "until we're officially eliminated."

Chad Pauley had 88 of St. Albans' 148 yards on 19 carries.

Chris McGee took the Mountain State Athletic Conference scoring crown with 134 points as Ripley's Brandon Rogers, who came into the evening two points behind McGee, did not score.

Freshman Chris Fulmer gave the Wildcats their seventh straight receiving yardage leader in the MSAC by pulling down three passes for 53 yards to give him 930 yards on the season to beat out the Vikings' Jeff McCoy who finished with 886.

St. Albans' 0-10 season was the first winless campaign in school history.