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 On The Sports Page |
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Saturday, November 14
Wolverines the county's only first-round victors
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by Emily Horos
Cherokee Tribune Sports Writer
Special teams proved vital once again as Woodstock outlasted Dacula, 24-7, on Friday in a first-round Class AAAAA state playoff game at the Wolverine Den.
Wolverine quarterback Kevin Bolak completed eight of his nine passing attempts for 92 yards, and the special teams added two more scores, to put Woodstock in the second round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs for the second straight year. The Wolverines (10-1) will travel to North Gwinnett, which beat Centennial in its first-round game, next week.
Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien said it felt great to be headed back to the second round and credited his assistants and players with much of the work.
"We practice all that with the punt return, punt block and everything," O'Brien said. "Special teams is always big - especially in the playoffs. We screwed up early in the game, on both offense and defense, but we got it back together."
It was actually the punt-coverage team that jump-started Woodstock's productivity. The Wolverines' defense pushed Dacula (7-4) back for a 7-yard loss and forced the Falcons to punt from their own 34 on fourth-and-17.
Woodstock further capitalized on the play by blocking the punt attempt by Dacula's Morgan Loyd. Alex Kops recovered the ball for the Wolverines and returned it 24 yards for the game's opening score with 4:07 left in the first quarter. The point-after by Jonathan Weiner made it 7-0.
After forcing Dacula to punt on its next series, the Wolverines' offense took its turn with the ball. On a series that spanned the first and second quarters, Woodstock moved the ball 78 yards on 11 plays. The drive nearly stalled on the Dacula 35, but the Wolverines elected to go for it on fourth-and-2.
Not only did Tanner Skogen come through with a 6-yard run to extend the drive, but the Falcons were penalized for a personal foul on the play, moving the ball up to the 20.
Two plays later, the Wolverines were in the end zone again as Michael Seymour caught a 17-yard pass from Bolak. Weiner's kick was good, giving Woodstock a 14-0 lead.
Dacula used the remaining 7 minutes of the first half to assemble its only scoring drive of the night. Quarterback Anderson Agudelo connected with Jack Brown for a 23-yard pass on the 14-play drive, which was sustained by a pass interference call against the Wolverines.
Brown's 21-yard touchdown scamper on a third-and-20 capped the drive before Chase Loyd's extra point made it 14-7 before Woodstock ran one final play to expire the first-half clock.
Near the end of the scoreless third quarter, Woodstock's offense got moving again. After taking possession on the 50, the Wolverines needed just six plays to double their lead.
Alternating runs by Carlos Davis and Tanner Skogen moved the ball up to the Falcon 20. From there, it was Bolak connecting with Evan Wilson for the 20-yard score. Weiner's kick with 10:36 remaining in the game made it 21-7.
Weiner added a 25-yard field goal with 2:02 left after Cory Santiago intercepted a Agudelo pass near midfield and returned it to the Falcons' 42.
Skogen led Woodstock with 46 yards on 12 carries, while Trevor Bagwell caught two passes for 37 yards. Bolak, who connected with five different receivers, said the win was a team effort.
"The line protected me all night," he said. "I just made my reads and my throws and my receivers caught it."
Thursday, November 12
Dacula offers a familiar image to Woodstock
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by Emily Horos
ehoros@cherokeetribune.com
A multiple-formation offense can be hard to defend.
With players lining up at different positions, it's easy to disguise plays. A pass can look like a run and, on a run, it can be hard to tell who is carrying the ball. For those reasons, Mike O'Brien likes what his team does at Woodstock.
But for those same reasons, the veteran coach's defense will have a challenge ahead as the Region 5AAAAA runner-up Wolverines (9-1) host Dacula (7-3), the third seed from 8AAAAA, in the first round of the state playoffs Friday at 7:30 p.m.
"They sort of remind me of us," said O'Brien of the Falcons. "They run multiple formations and do a lot of different things on offense. They do a lot of different things on defense. They are a sound, well-coached football team. And they are very physical."
While it's true that both teams use a variety of offensive weapons, Woodstock sticks with one quarterback - Kevin Bolak - while Dacula alternates between Anderson Agudelo and Rocky Capaianco. The Falcons' duo split time equally, though Agudelo does the bulk of the passing. Both players are capable runners, accounting for touchdown runs in excess of 30 yards over the past two weeks.
Where Woodstock looks primarily to running backs Tanner Skogen and Carlos Davis, Dacula looks to Aashad Holloway, Darien Lane and Kinard Thomas.
In the Falcons' final two regular-season games against Berkmar and Meadowcreek - which went a combined 1-19 on the season - Lane and Holloway each ran for two touchdowns, while Agudelo ran for a score and passed for one.
"We know that we have to play each down as hard as we can," O'Brien said. "You don't get in the playoffs, especially in Region 8(AAAAA) without being a good football team."
Where Woodstock and Dacula diverge is in their kicking unit.
Woodstock's Jonathan Weiner has been practically automatic on extra points and field goals.
Meanwhile, the Falcons' kicker, Chase Loyd, has struggled. In Dacula's last two games, Loyd was a combined 2-for-4 on extra points and missed a 29-yard field goal.
If O'Brien feels his team has one asset at the end of the season, it's depth. At least a dozen players on the roster have scored touchdowns. The Wolverines have consistently used four running backs and five receivers. In addition to Bolak, underclassman Jonathan Weiner has also seen time behind center.
"We think we've gotten a lot of kids ready to play," O'Brien said. "We feel comfortable with the ones that we are going to use and the ones we can put in if we need to use them."
As the each week of the season passed, the Wolverines' offense evolved from run-heavy to balanced. O'Brien saw that as a necessity.
"Teams are not going to let you do what you are the best at," he said.
In other words, running teams will be forced to pass more and passing teams will have to move the ball on the ground. In the playoffs, the key is to be able to do both well. In other words, O'Brien is turning to his secondary weapons.
"We told the kids (Monday), there are only 32 AAAAA schools that are practicing (now)," O'Brien said. "Realistically, the difference between a No. 1 (seed) and a No. 4 is very minute. It doesn't matter. Everybody can beat everybody, so you have to play hard on every snap."
Woodstock knows that the favored team is hardly a lock. The fourth-seeded Wolverines upset top-seeded Walton last year on their way to the state quarterfinals.
O'Brien added that he is anxious to see what the weather will bring this week as rain is in the forecast. Moving practice indoors would set the Wolverines back, but could do even more to harm playing conditions.
"Our field is still soaked from the rain last week," he said.
Thursday, November 12
Importance of special teams key for O'Brien
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by Emily Horos
ehoros@cherokeetribune.com
It doesn't make much sense to Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien, but he's heard that some coaches rarely practice what he considers one of the most vital aspects of the game. And from the results so far, the Wolverines' dedication, and their opponents' apathy, have paid off quite nicely for O'Brien's squad, which considers special teams vital to success.
"We have an understanding of how important the special teams are," O'Brien said. "On special teams, that's the quickest way to score. A punt return or a kick return - those have immediate impact on a football game. On coverage, when we pin them deep, either with a punt or stopping a kickoff deep where they have to go 80 yards or more, that has a big impact on a ball game."
At Woodstock, the punt coverage and punt return teams practice their tasks daily, as do the extra point and field goal units. The kickoff coverage and kickoff return teams workout Tuesdays and Thursdays.
"We really emphasize those points when we are practicing them," O'Brien said. "All of the coaches are coaching and trying to get everything ironed out."
O'Brien pointed out that his team has greatly benefited from strong kickoff and punt return units. The punt coverage team has also dealt opponents poor field position on numerous occasions - even pinning one team on its own 1-yard line when Alex Kops downed the ball there.
"Our coverage has been tremendous trying to pin people deep," O'Brien said. "This year, we've had some good punt returns and a couple good kickoff returns to really ignite the team. Then, we've had some great defensive efforts by the coverage teams to push (opponents) deep."
As not to leave any of the specialty units out, the coach added that his extra point and field goal units have been accurate all season.
"The coaches have worked extremely hard, and the kids have worked and focused on trying to do those things properly," he said.
O'Brien said a big part of the success is having the right players in the right positions.
Throughout the regular season, junior Justin Toliver handled the punting duties after serving part-time as a sophomore. Jonathan Weiner and Brad Sullivan split kicking duties early in the season before Weiner did most of the extra points, field goals and kickoffs.
According to O'Brien, Weiner has the stronger leg, while Sullivan does more directional kicking when the need arises.
The kickoff and punt returners include Tanner Skogen, Drew Yeargin and Toliver. Skogen has found the most success returning punts. The junior, who also sees time at running back and defensive back, returned three punts for touchdowns this season - including the game-winner against Etowah.
However, Skogen shares the credit with his teammates.
"I can't do it without them," he said after the win over Etowah. "(My teammates) set up a wall, and I just ran behind it. I may score the touchdown, but we all do the work."
Not only does a solid punt or kickoff leave opponents with a long field, but it can also be energizing when the defense takes the field. The Woodstock defense gets an emotional boost knowing that a stop in opponents' territory will transfer to good field position for the Wolverines' offense.
"It really fires the defense up and gets the defense moving, too," said O'Brien. "That's why it's so important to us."
Saturday, November 7
Wolverines grab a record-breaking triumph
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by Robert Haddocks
Tribune Sports Correspondent
Having already wrapped up a No. 2 seed in the postseason, Woodstock entered Friday's regular-season finale against East Paulding with little to gain.
You couldn't tell that from the Wolverines' play.
Woodstock pounded East Paulding, 34-13, to post its eighth consecutive win and finish the season with a 9-1 record, the best in school history.
The recipe remained the same - a grueling ground game and a punishing defense. The Wolverines, who finished with an 8-1 record in Region 5AAAAA play, ran for 324 yards and, after allowing an early score, the defense shut down the Raiders.
Woodstock will now prepare to host Region 8AAAAA No. 3 seed Dacula in next week's first-round playoff game.
"It's been a fun run this year," Wolverines coach Mike O'Brien said. "Coming off of last year's playoff run, (the players have) come back with the attitude that we can do it. They've played that way the whole year through. We're putting our kids in a position to win, and the kids have gone out there and done it."
Up, 14-7, at halftime, the Wolverines broke open the game with their explosive ground game. Carlos Davis and Kevin Bolak each scored on 21-yard runs, and Jonathan Weiner snuck in from the 1, and the score suddently was 34-7 late in the third quarter.
Tanner Skogen, whose 40-yard touchdown gave Woodstock a 7-0 lead, tallied 134 yards on just eight carries. The Wolverines had seven runs of over 20 yards.
"They were selling out defensively with blitzes, bringing everybody to certain areas," O'Brien said of East Paulding. When they guessed wrong, we gashed them pretty good on some big, long runs."
That was more than enough for Woodstock's stingy defense. Led by senior linebacker Corey Carmichael, the defense finished the season allowing fewer than 100 points.
"The key was stopping the run of defense," said Carmichael, who had a sack and a blocked punt Friday.
A four-year starter, Carmichael said this year's group of players is different from last year's squad, which surprised everybody, including themselves, by advancing to the third round of the state playoffs before losing to Camden County.
Still, many observers from across the state have overlooked Woodstock in '09, Carmichael said.
"We haven't gotten the respect yet," he said, "but we've got to earn it. We're starting to get a little bit of respect, but not enough."
Linebackers coach Davis Harvey said this year's team walked into camp believing that it could compete with anybody, and they've gone out and proven that.
"We went toe-to-toe with the best," Harvey said. "Coach O'Brien's plan is as good as anybody's, and we realize that, if we do what we're supposed to do, we're the only ones that can stop us."
East Paulding (5-5, 4-5) was led by Kamani Thomas, who had 126 yards rushing.
Thursday, November 5
Wolverines aim for record
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by Carlton D. White
cwhite@cherokeetribune.com
The writing is on the wall for the Woodstock football team.
The Wolverines, who are 8-1 overall and 7-1 in Region 5AAAAA, have equaled their win total from a year ago, locked up back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in school history and will host a first-round playoff game for only the second time.
Woodstock has lived up to the expectations it set for itself following an emotional season that saw the Wolverines advance to the quarterfinals of the 2008 state playoffs. It all began in the wee hours of Aug. 1 with a "midnight madness" celebration to begin fall practice, and will continue Friday with the team's final regular-season home game against region foe East Paulding.
"This season has been pretty special," Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien said. "Our coaches have just done a great job getting these players ready week after week, and the kids have responded to what we've been trying to teach them. That makes this year so much fun because of that."
East Paulding (5-4, 4-4) needs a victory and losses from both Cherokee and Harrison to make the playoffs. Woodstock, win or lose, will be the No. 2 seed out of the region.
The scenarios are the reverse of when the two teams played each other in last year's regular-season finale. To clinch its postseason berth, Woodstock needed to win at East Paulding, which it did.
Of all the historical milestones reached this season, the Wolverines can nab one more with a win Friday. A victory would give Woodstock nine wins for the first time in school history.
"Nine wins hasn't been done before here," O'Brien said. "We've reached eight a few times, including last year, but never nine. That's the thing I've been trying to get this team to understand. Nine wins is just a stepping stone to even bigger things.
"'How do you want to be remembered?' 'How do you want to leave your mark at Woodstock?' The kids have taken to that and are trying to get as many wins as possible this season. They've been very focused, and they've practiced hard each day to reach their goals."
O'Brien added that reaching nine wins would add a lot of excitement to the community. With it also being the final game of the regular season, the veteran coach is hoping his team can head into next week's first-round playoff game with Dacula carrying a lot of momentum.
"It would be great for the community (to get nine wins)," O'Brien said. "It shows that the program is advancing and is on its way to becoming a consistent playoff contender."
Much of the credit to the team's success has come from its defense, which is the stingiest in the region.
The Wolverines have allowed an average of only nine points per game this season. The next-closest squad, Towne Lake rival Etowah, has given up twice as many points - 18 - on average this season. Woodstock also has four shutouts to its credit and has allowed more than 15 points in a game only once, its 37-31 loss to McEachern in Week 3.
"Our defensive coaches just keep putting together great game plans for these kids every week," O'Brien said. "The players understand it, and they execute it. We've been good offensively, but sometimes, the offense can slow down a bit and we aren't able to get as much production as we'd like, but when they do slow down, our defense really steps it up even more."
Saturday, October 31
Wolverines content with controlling possession
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by Chris Whitfield
Tribune Sports Correspondent
It wasn't exactly a masterpiece, but on the eve of Halloween, all Woodstock wanted was treats and no tricks.
The Wolverines took few chances on a mudpit of a field at Clay Stadium, and assured themselves of a home playoff game and the No. 2 seed from Region 5AAAAA with a 10-0 win Friday at South Cobb.
Using a grind-it-out style on offense, and a defense that yielded less than 100 yards of total offense, Woodstock (8-1, 7-1) controlled the clock, and the field position, throughout its school-record seventh straight victory.
South Cobb (1-8, 1-7) had opportunities thanks to a lackluster offensive performance from the Wolverines, but the Woodstock defense never let the Eagles take advantage of those opportunities.
"I didn't think that we played very good offensively, but our defense played really well," Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien said. "And to South Cobb's credit, they played a great game themselves on the defensive side of the ball."
With a steady mist throughout the game, and a field that looked less green and more brown, neither offense was able to muster much of an output, but Woodstock did just enough.
Behind the bruising running of fullback Carlos Davis, the Wolverines finally cracked the scoreboard late in the first half. Davis had three runs for 28 yards in a 70-yard drive that was capped by Kevin Bolak's 13-yard corner route to Trevor Bagwell.
As well as the Wolverines' defense was playing, that was all the scoring Woodstock would need. South Cobb managed just two first downs on the night and ran only 35 offensive plays in the entire game.
Woodstock countered by holding onto the ball as often as possible, controlling the time of possession. The defense aided its own cause in the third quarter on a bobbled snap during a South Cobb punt. Three plays later, Jonathan Weiner connected on a 22-yard field goal for the game's capping points.
"It was tough for our offense to get going in the mud," O'Brien said of his misdirection/option running attack. "We knew we had to play hard on defense because they are so athletic. The defense did a great job of shutting them down."
The Wolverines held the Eagles to a mere 66 yards of total offense and picked off two passes. Take away two trap plays by the Eagles that went for 20 and 25 yards, respectively, and the numbers would have grown even more lopsided in the Wolverines' favor.
"Our kids played an extremely good football team, and they played them pretty darn well," South Cobb coach Ed Koester said on his squad's senior night. "I love every single one of them and I have no regrets about a thing they did. They played a very good team."
Woodstock will end its regular season against East Paulding.
Friday, October 30
Wolverines aiming to win home-field
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by Greg Oshust
Cherokee Tribune Sports Writer
Woodstock is all but assured of a state playoff spot. South Cobb has long since been eliminated from postseason contention.
The two Region 5AAAAA rivals will still have plenty to play for, however, when they meet at Austell's Clay Stadium tonight at 7:30 p.m.
While Woodstock (7-1, 6-1) claimed a spot in the state playoffs with its defeat of Cherokee last week, the Wolverines are still aiming to clinch the second seed from Region 5AAAAA, and a guaranteed home game in the first round. They would do it with a win tonight.
The Wolverines even have an outside shot of claiming the top seed if they beat South Cobb tonight and East Paulding in next week's regular-season finale last week. Current region leader McEachern would have to lose its final two games to Kennesaw Mountain and Cherokee.
"This is a very important game for us," Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien said of tonight's battle with the Eagles. "A lot of things can still happen."
For South Cobb (1-7, 1-6) it's simply a matter of ending the season on a positive note.
The Eagles have lost their last six games and are tied with Kennesaw Mountain in the region cellar, so coach Ed Koester is looking to finish things up with a winning streak.
"We want to finish up strong," said Koester, whose team will close with longtime county rival North Cobb next week. "The kids are still playing hard and still have a positive attitude."
As South Cobb holds its senior night in its final home game of the season, Koester said his team will come in with extra motivation.
"I think any football team is going to be motivated to play on senior night," Koester said. "Anybody who isn't shouldn't be playing high school football."
Woodstock will be heading into the final two games of the season with a full head of steam, both offensively and defensively.
The Wolverines are averaging 29.3 points on offense, including a combined 83 points in their last two games. Woodstock racked up 353 yards of total offense in its 43-14 victory over Cherokee, with Charles Davis, Tanner Skogen and Kevin Bolak combining for 173 yards on the ground.
The defense has held opponents to just 10.4 points per game, with three shutouts to their credit. Only an overtime loss to McEachern separates Woodstock from an undefeated season.
"Our offense has played extremely well," O'Brien said. "Our defense has helped our offense a lot, creating turnovers and good field position. Both our offense and defense are beginning to peak at the right time."
While South Cobb has averaged only 11 points a game, the Eagles showed some offensive punch in their 31-19 loss to Etowah last week, compiling 271 yards of total offense. Demarcus Adkins and Cordell Wilson combined to rush for 124 yards, while quarterback Marlon Patterson threw for 171 yards.
O'Brien said South Cobb's athleticism and big-play capability will be an area of concern.
"South Cobb is not playing well, but they're capable of making big plays," O'Brien said. "They're very, very athletic, and they can go the distance on any play, and that's got us concerned."
Saturday, October 24
O'Brien beloved in Woodstock after Valdosta let him go
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By Todd Holcomb
For the AJC
Mike O’Brien knew he wasn’t in Valdosta any more when he lost a game and didn’t come home to find a “for sale” sign in his yard, he once said.
Jokes aside, O’Brien insists he takes no satisfaction in Valdosta’s latest turmoil, the ousting of Rick Tomberlin, Valdosta’s third coach in seven seasons.
Fired in 2002 despite a 70-20-1 record and a state championship in 1998, O’Brien was hundreds of miles removed from his own Valdosta ordeal Friday night, thriving in Cherokee County, where his Woodstock team is 8-1 and ranked No. 10 in Class AAAAA.
‘’We were just ecstatic to get a coach of his stature at the school, with all he’d accomplished,’’ said Rich Brocker, who was filming Woodstock’s victory over Cherokee from in front of the press box Friday. Blocker was the booster club president in 2002, when O’Brien was hired.
Valdosta has lost more games than Woodstock since O’Brien moved north -- 34 to 33. That’s astounding, funny really, considering that Valdosta has won a record 23 state titles, and O’Brien inherited a team on a 24-game losing streak that had never won a playoff game.
“When I left Valdosta, I felt like we’d done a good job,” O’Brien said. “A lot of people might’ve had different opinions. We felt like we’d got the most out of our kids, and the whole staff loved all those kids as much as anybody could have. We thought we were successful in doing that, but some people thought that we hadn’t, so they chose for me to leave, and that was their decision.”
At Woodstock, O’Brien arrived in a fast-growing community that was hungry to win. Woodstock’s victory in O’Brien’s third game in overtime against Lassiter, ending a 26-game losing streak, was celebrated like a championship. For a change, O’Brien had higher expectations than even the craziest fan.
“He came in here talking about winning state championships and not just winning a game or having a winning record or going to the playoffs,” said Brent Budde, O’Brien’s defensive coordinator. “He has high expectations for this team, and I believe that it has rubbed off onto our players. They believe now that we can win every game.”
O’Brien’s final game at Valdosta was a 15-14 loss to Camden County. It came in the second round. For Valdosta, that wasn’t good enough. A year ago in the quarterfinals, O’Brien traveled to Camden County with Woodstock. Again, he lost by a point, 18-17.
But at Woodstock, that’s a turning point. Camden County went on to win the state title, and Woodstock came home impatient for another chance.
In the weight room last summer, there was a steamy day when everybody was hot and sweaty, fogging up the windows. After the players had left, the coaches discovered the players had written things with their fingers on mirrors: “15-0, state champions.”
“There were quite a few on there,” O’Brien said. “Those thoughts had not been around this place much before. … [The Camden County game] sort of made kids understand that anything is possible, that if you play well and play hard and do what you’re supposed to do, you have a chance to win no matter who you’re playing. Coming off that season, we began to see that we could win a state championship here.”
Saturday, October 24
Wolverines humble Warriors for playoff spot
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by Emily Horos
Cherokee Tribune Sports Writer
Woodstock punched its ticket to the postseason Friday night with a 43-14 victory over Cherokee at Tommy Baker Field.
After a slow start, the Wolverines dominated the field - rolling up more than 350 yards off offense. The first-team defense held Cherokee to a single touchdown late in the second quarter before the reserves gave up a second score with just over a minute left in the game.
Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien said it was nice to see a total team effort on the field as five different players reached the end zone and the special teams recorded a safety.
"That's what we want to do. We're a team," O'Brien said. "Cherokee played well. Once we feel like we've got a chance to win the game, we try to get most of our kids in the game. We want to get them a little taste of it. We always tell them they need to be ready when their time comes. We threw a lot of kids out there and some of them responded and some of them didn't."
Woodstock used 10 different ball-carriers and two quarterbacks, while three receivers caught passes.
"We want to keep building for the future," O'Brien said. "We are only a game away from someone getting injured and someone else needing to step in there."
The Wolverines broke onto the scoreboard with 3:33 left in the first quarter when Tanner Skogen caught a short pass from Kevin Bolak along the left sideline and skirted past two defenders for a 40-yard touchdown. Jonathan Weiner's extra point made it 7-0.
Midway through the second quarter, Skogen scored again, this time on a 4-yard run up the middle. A safety, which was recorded when the snap on a punt sailed out of the end zone, made the score 16-0 before Bolak teamed up with Trevor Bagwell for a 40-yard strike.
Cherokee finally found its legs on its final drive of the quarter. The Warriors picked up first downs on consecutive runs by Kenny Foster and Dylan Haynes to move the ball into Woodstock territory.
Foster's 14-yard carry then moved the ball to the 6-yard line. After a short gain by Jonathan Manous, Haynes carried the ball inside the 1-yard line. From there, Foster completed the six-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown.
With the 23-7 score, the Cherokee fans who packed the stadium for homecoming, had hopes for a second-half comeback, but Woodstock quickly erased that idea.
Skogen, who finished the game with 11 carries for 54 yards, carried the ball 25 yards for his second touchdown of the night.
After a short Cherokee series was cut short when Haynes' pass was intercepted by Chas Pierce, Woodstock needed just three plays to reach the end zone once more. This time, it was Michael Seymour on the receiving end of Bolak's 25-yard pass, which made the score 36-7.
Bolak finished the night 5-for-8 for 126 yards and three touchdowns. He also picked up 53 yards on eight carries.
The Wolverines' second-team offense tacked on a score with just under 8 minutes left in the game. Jonathon Weiner, quarterbacking for Woodstock, took a keeper for 13 yards. Brad Sullivan added the extra point for a 43-7 advantage.
Late in the game, Woodstock's offense took a knee on third and fourth downs to turn the ball over to Cherokee on the Warrior 19 with 2 minutes left in the game. After the game, O'Brien said the move allowed him to play reserves that had seen little time on the field.
Cherokee's offense quickly took advantage of the opportunity as running back Andrew Blaylock took a handoff on the first snap and ran 81 yards for a touchdown. Aaron Carrasquillo's second point-after capped the scoring for the night.
Cherokee coach Brian Dameron said his team was simply overwhelmed.
"I think we played well at times, but we got knocked down and reverted to things that we were doing earlier in the season," he said. "I think sometimes when you are fragile with confidence you revert to old habits."
Friday, October 16
Woodstock routs Mustangs
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by Steve Ruthsatz
MDJ Sports Correspondent
WOODSTOCK - As Woodstock celebrated its homecoming Friday night, Tanner Skogen rushed 14 times for 217 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Wolverines to their fifth straight win, a 40-0 rout of Kennesaw Mountain in a Region 5AAAAA contest at the Wolverine Den.
"Skogen has been our main man in a sense," Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien said. "He has been very consistent and, hopefully, he'll continue to be.
"The effort and aggressiveness is there with our kids. The defense played tremendous."
Skogen started fast for the Wolverines (6-1, 5-1), gaining all of team's 78 yards on four carries during the opening drive of the game. His 6-yard touchdown run, and the first of Brad Sullivan's two extra points, gave Woodstock a 7-0 lead just 93 seconds into the contest.
The Mustangs' first drive ended with an interception by the Wolverines' Drew Yeargin, who returned it 56 yards to Kennesaw Mountain's 16-yard line.
Three plays later, however, the Mustangs (1-6, 1-5) got the ball back when Edgar Ortiz recovered a Woodstock fumble.
After a Kennesaw Mountain punt, the Wolverines had a seven-play, 54-yard scoring drive end with Skogen crossing the goal line on a 3-yard burst, making the score 14-0 with 1:17 left in the opening quarter.
The teams traded punts before the Mustangs suffered another turnover. This time, Woodstock's Corey Santiago intercepted a pass, setting up another scoring drive.
The Wolverines moved 41 yards on three plays with Skogen rambling the final 23 for a touchdown. The point-after sailed wide, but Woodstock still had a 20-0 second-quarter advantage.
On the ensuing possession, Kennesaw Mountain ran nine plays before giving the ball up on downs at the Woodstock 34-yard line.
The Mustangs forced the Wolverines to punt and got off one snap before heading into halftime trailing by the 20-point margin.
Kennesaw Mountain punted to start the second half and Woodstock quickly capitalized. On the first play from scrimmage, Corey Carmichael busted through the middle of the line and raced 86 yards for a touchdown, putting the Wolverines ahead, 26-0, with 8:36 remaining in the third period.
The Mustangs punted again, but this time Woodstock fumbled the return and Kennesaw Mountain's Jos Oria recovered the loose ball.
Starting at the Wolverines' 37, Kennesaw Mountain gave the ball up on downs at the 30.
Two snaps later, Woodstock lost another fumble, which the Mustangs' Julius Peacock pounced on.
With excellent field position, Kennesaw Mountain began at the Wolverines' 19-yard line before giving the ball back on downs at the 1.
From there, it took Woodstock just four plays to get into the end zone. An 85-yard touchdown run from Skogen, and an extra point by Jonathan Weiner, put the Wolverines up, 33-0, with 10:09 left in the final quarter.
Three possessions later, the Mustangs went from their own 21-yard line to Woodstock's 41 but fumbled and the Wolverines' Drew Yeargin recovering the ball.
It took Woodstock only three plays to cover 53 yards for another score. Weiner ran 46 yards for a touchdown and added the point-after, making it a 40-0 game with 3:17 to go.
The Wolverines put the finishing touches on their win when Josh Modjeski came up with Woodstock's third interception of the night.
"We really got whipped up front," Kennesaw Mountain coach Scott Jones said. "There are a lot of things we can work on to get better."
The Wolverines' Kevin Bolak finished 5-of-5 passing for 57 yards.
Friday, October 16
Wolverines not taking last four games lightly
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by Emily Horos
Cherokee Tribune Sports Writer
If 14 years as a head coach has taught Mike O'Brien anything, it's that anything can happen.
The Woodstock coach is midway through his seventh season with the program and the Wolverines are off to there best start to date. But that doesn't mean O'Brien is counting his playoff berth before it is clinched.
"We're just trying to be as good as we can and take it one game at a time," he said. "Hopefully, each game will take care of itself."
The Wolverines (5-1, 4-1) defeated Harrison a week ago to take sole possession of second place in Region 5AAAAA, one game behind McEachern. The victory did little to solidify Woodstock's position with four games remaining, but O'Brien said he is breathing a bit easier as his team prepares to face Kennesaw Mountain (1-5, 1-4) tonight.
"We helped our case (in the region) by beating Harrison, who we were tied with," O'Brien said. "But there is still a lot of football left to play."
Kennesaw Mountain - which earned its lone victory by beating Harrison - isn't a team to take lightly. In each of the past three weeks, the Mustangs have scored an increasing number of points and coach Scott Jones is just waiting for his defense to step up and stun another team.
"We prepare hard against every opponent we play," Jones said. "Woodstock's got a heck of a football team and they really get after it. It's hard to simulate what Woodstock does, but we are doing the best we can. Hopefully, (tonight) we're ready."
Woodstock's assets include the strength of its line and the speed of its running backs. That makes the Wolverines a particular challenge for the undersized Mustangs.
"We might be a little outmatched in certain areas," Jones said. "But we just keep working hard. The kids are believing in one another and that's just kind of the approach we are taking."
After playing Harrison, O'Brien said he has an idea of the talent that must be present at Kennesaw Mountain, if the team was able to steal a victory.
"It scares us to death, because we don't know what team we are going to get," O'Brien said. "(Kennesaw Mountain) had been just floundering around, but then they stepped up and beat Harrison. You don't do that without having talent, so we are concerned with how they are going to play. We feel like we have to play our best to be able to compete with them."
In the victory over Harrison, the Wolverines showcased a few more players on the field, showing that they aren't dependent on a few players. Zach Hitt and Corey Carmichael joined Tanner Skogen in the backfield for several series. Meanwhile, quarterback Kevin Bolak was on target with five competitions for 53 yards on eight attempts.
A year ago, Woodstock slipped into the playoffs as the fourth seed from Region 5AAAAA after beating East Paulding in the regular-season finale. O'Brien said it may come down to that again this year, but he is trying to position his team as well as he can.
"(East Paulding) is going to be in the mix, so hopefully we can get some wins before then to kind of solidify our chances of being in the playoffs," he said. "We hope it doesn't come down to the last ball game, but if it does, it does. We are just going to do the best we can."
Monday, October 12
Wolverines still in good position
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by Adam Carrington
Cherokee Tribune Sports Writer
Woodstock is alone at second place in Region 5AAAAA and appears to be in a good situation.
The Wolverines (5-1, 4-1) have a favorable schedule ahead and could qualify for the playoffs as soon as next week if they can beat last-place Kennesaw Mountain and if Harrison falls to East Paulding.
If Woodstock beats the Mustangs (1-5, 1-4) next week, Harrison falls to East Paulding and Etowah loses to Marietta, it would give both Etowah and Harrison three region losses.
Woodstock has three games in a row against teams with losing records - Kennesaw Mountain, Cherokee and South Cobb - before closing the regular season by hosting East Paulding.
Most of the bumps may already be behind Woodstock. The Wolverines are coming off a 27-15 win over Harrison last Friday and defeated Etowah, 17-10, two weeks ago.
At the same time, Woodstock knows it still needs to take care of business.
"Right now, being at No. 2, we have a good chance to be in the playoffs, but if we lose those four games, we probably won't be in playoffs," Wolverines coach Mike O'Brien said. "We still have to maintain our composure and intensity to get there. However the schedule falls, if other teams lose and we can win, that helps us out. But we can't just sit back because we can destroy the whole thing ourselves."
Saturday, October 10
TWO LEGIT TO QUIT
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by Emily Horos
Cherokee Tribune Sports Writer
KENNESAW - Woodstock made big plays when it counted the most Friday night as it came away with a 27-15 victory over Harrison in a pivotal Region 5AAAAA game at Cobleigh Stadium.
The Wolverines (5-1, 4-1) solidified their spot as the No. 2 team in the region, one game behind McEachern and ahead of a host of teams, including Harrison, tied with 3-2 region records.
The game was characterized by big plays, including two touchdown runs of more than 50 yards, a 45-yard touchdown pass and a punt returned 51 yards for a touchdown. Both teams left their marks on the field, but in the end, the Wolverines did a bit more on defense and halted the Hoyas' final charge with an interception.
"Big plays are execution that come to fruition," Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien said. "Our coaches came in with a good plan and our kids executed it."
After a slow first half, in which Woodstock scored on a 25-yard run by Kevin Bolak and Harrison answered with a 40-yard field goal by Darren Parkinson, the action heated up in the second half.
Woodstock running back Tanner Skogen proved to be the spark that started the fire with his 51-yard punt return for a touchdown with 5:04 left in the fourth. An extra point by Brad Sullivan gave the Wolverines a 14-3 lead.
"That's (Skogen). He's a good player," said O'Brien. "He's like a lot of (our players). He can make plays and that's what it takes."
Harrison responded on its first drive of the fourth quarter with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Austin Cain to Sean Hamilton. The Hoyas attempted a 2-point conversion, but the pass was intercepted near the goal line and the team settled for a 14-9 score.
A minute later, the Wolverines responded. Set up on the 35-yard line after Harrison's kickoff sailed out of bounds, Woodstock put the ball in the end zone two plays later on a 55-yard run by Zach Hitt. The point-after was blocked, holding Woodstock to a 20-9 lead.
After the ensuing kickoff, Harrison needed just one play to respond. Christian Turnipseed took the handoff on a reverse and ran 66 yards unimpeded for the score. Once more electing to go for the 2-point conversion, Harrison failed when Cain was sacked.
Trailing, 20-15, with 9:09 left in the game, the Hoyas' defense needed to get a stop. That didn't happen, however, as Woodstock picked up first downs on consecutive runs by Bolak and Skogen. A 16-yard carry by Skogen then set up the 1-yard touchdown by Bolak.
With 6:18 remaining, Harrison made another push toward the end zone, but the drive sputtered at midfield and the Hoyas turned the ball over on fourth down. A three-and-out by Woodstock gave Harrison one last shot at the end zone with a little more than a minute remaining, but an interception sealed the Hoyas' fate.
"Every time we did something, (Harrison) responded," O'Brien said. "That is a sign of a good football team. The only thing I can say about ours is we kept answering back. That's what made me feel good about our football team. We kept answering back, answering back. That's a sign of a winner, and I think our kids are winners."
Hitt led Woodstock with 85 yards on five carries. In addition to his 55-yard punt return, Skogen carried the ball 12 times for 66 yards and caught three passes for 35 yards. Bolak was 5-for-8 passing for 53 yards and ran for 62 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.
The Wolverines also overcame a pair of lost fumbles, while Justin Toliver intercepted two passes.
O'Brien said it felt good to get the win, but his team won't be dwelling on it as the Wolverines prepare for next week's game Kennesaw Mountain.
"This one's over after (Friday night)," he said. "Then it's back to work."
Friday, October 9
NO LOOKIN' BACK
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by Emily Horos
Cherokee Tribune Sports Writer
Midway through the regular season, Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien can't help but smile a bit.
His Wolverines are 4-1 overall and 3-1 in Region 5AAAAA. The offense seems to be clicking and the defense has allowed more than 10 points in a game just once this season.
Woodstock also has some of the region's top teams behind it after losing to McEachern and beating Etowah. The Wolverines travel to Harrison (3-2, 3-1) tonight before facing three of the region's struggling teams - Kennesaw Mountain, Cherokee and South Cobb - down the stretch.
"We both (Woodstock and Harrison) have the same region records," O'Brien said. "It's still early in the season, but any time you are playing someone who's got the same record you do, it's tough. Harrison has always had a tough football team, and they've got another one this year. Our kids are aware of the importance of it and how good they are."
O'Brien said he isn't placing too much attention on which teams Woodstock has beaten, and which teams are yet to come. He is instead keeping his players focused on winning each game, no matter who the opponent is.
The Hoyas are coming off their bye week, which can go a long way toward putting a team back on track. That is exactly what Harrison coach David Hines would like to see tonight when his team takes the field.
The Hoyas dropped their last game two weeks ago to a previously winless Kennesaw Mountain team. Suffering their first region loss of the season put the Hoyas below undefeated McEachern and tied with Woodstock for second place in the region standings.
Hines says the week off allowed his team to heal many of its wounds and regroup for what could be a season altering game.
"All of (the games) are big in the region, because all the teams are fairly equal, except maybe McEachern," Hines said. "This is, obviously, a game we need to win, because we are both going to be 3-1 coming into it. If you keep winning, you control your destiny. If you keep losing, you are going to have to get some help down the road, so you have to try to control it as much as you can."
O'Brien doesn't feel his team has a disadvantage after having played without a break since the first week of the season. Rather, he sees the constant play as a blessing.
"Different people are different ways," he said. "I just don't like bye weeks myself. For us, it's about staying in a routine and, as long as you stay in a routine, things usually work out."
A run-oriented team, Woodstock will be a challenge for the Hoyas' defensive line. But like Harrison, the Wolverines don't have many standout players, but succeed through a total team effort.
"They're a lot like us," Hines said. "They are solid and they've got quality kids who play extremely hard. I think that is probably their biggest asset."
O'Brien said Harrison will be challenging for the same reasons.
"They don't have any one thing you can focus on," he said. "They'll utilize all their weapons. For us, we need to just keep our intensity level where it has been. We need to stay on that high to keep playing."
Sunday, October 4
Wolverines growing into defensive force
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by Adam Carrington
Cherokee Tribune Sports Writer
October 03, 2009
Woodstock's football team has gotten stubborn since making a surprise run to last year's Class AAAAA state quarterfinals - at least on the defensive side of the ball.
The Wolverines (5-1, 4-1 in Region 5AAAAA) are giving up just 10.8 points a game and that number would've been significantly lower had McEachern not scored 37 points on them in their only loss. Woodstock recorded shutouts over Kell and Marietta and yielded a combined 17 points against Etowah and North Cobb.
Wolverines coach Mike O'Brien said his 5-2 defensive scheme is designed to stop both the run and pass, and its strength is stopping whatever opposing teams do best.
In Woodstock's 21-7 win Friday over North Cobb, the Wolverines held North Cobb running back C.J. Best to just 32 yards, forcing the Warriors to throw the ball. In a 17-10 victory at Etowah, Woodstock prevented quarterback Braden Nolan from being a major factor and he was held to just 55 yards running and 52 yards passing.
"We're trying to take away what (other teams) do best," O'Brien said. "We're at least making it harder for teams to do what they want to do, and we're not going to let them do what they want to do.
Defense has been essential in all four of Woodstock's wins this season. Quarterback Kevin Bolak and running backs Carlos Davis and Tanner Skogen can score, but Woodstock isn't known for scoring an abundance of points.
"We just have to be more consistent overall," O'Brien said. "We do a great job on defense, but, sometimes, we give up the big play. We can throw it and run it (on offense), but sometimes we turn the ball over. Consistency on offense and defense is something we need to improve on."
Sunday, October 4
Wolverines grind out win to stay in second place
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by Robert Haddocks
Tribune Sports Correspondent
October 02, 2009
Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien knows his running game isn't all that pretty. There's no flashy, superstar back, but the group just grinds it out and makes the plays it has to.
They did plenty of grinding Friday night.
Quarterback Kevin Bolak and running backs Carlos Davis and Tanner Skogen each ran for more than 100 yards as the Wolverines racked up more than 350 rushing yards in a 21-7 win over North Cobb in a Region 5AAAAA win at the Wolverine Den.
It was a pivotal win for Woodstock (4-1, 3-1), which maintained a tie with Harrison for second place in the region, a week before the two teams will play each other in Kennesaw.
Woodstock's defense was just as impressive as it held North Cobb's talented running back, C.J. Best, to just 32 yards and less than 2 yards per carry. The game plan was to contain Best and North Cobb's explosive offense, according to O'Brien. And, like the Wolverines' offense, the defense isn't flashy, but they get the job done.
"We had everybody heading for (Best)," O'Brien said. "He's a great back, and a tremendous player, so we wanted to keep the ball away from him as much as we could. But I was holding my breath every time he touched the ball."
Running the option to perfection, the crafty Bolak repeatedly gouged the Warriors' defense, darting upfield for significant gains. Davis, who scored two touchdowns, and Skogen took turns battering the Warriors.
"We went with the old adage, 'Take what the defense gives you,'" O'Brien said. "We tried to play team offense, move the ball and do the best with what we've got. We weren't making big yardage, but we were able to move the chains."
Woodstock scored touchdowns on two of its first three possessions and took a 14-0 lead early in the second period.
The Wolverines ran the ball eight consecutive plays on their first drive, capped by Davis scoring from 7 yards out. Their second scoring drive consisted of six plays - all runs - with Davis again plowing in for a 7-yard touchdown.
After Davis busted up the gut for a 44-yard run, Skogen scored the Wolverines' final touchdown on a 3-yard run midway through the third period.
With Best bottled up most of the night, North Cobb had only one serious scoring threat, but turned it over on downs inside the 5-yard line early in the second quarter. The Warriors (2-4, 2-3) managed to avert the shutout when quarterback Travis Hawkins scrambled for a 12-yard touchdown in the final seconds.
"We went down inside the 5, but we didn't punch it in," North Cobb coach Shane Queen said. "We couldn't get any sustained drives. Their kids came ready to play."
In addition to the game, the Warriors also lost Best late in the fourth quarter with an apparent knee injury after he was tackled in the open field. Queen didn't know the severity of the injury.
Saturday, September 26
Paint the towne
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by Emily Horos
Cherokee Tribune Sports Writer
Entering the game between Town Lake rivals Etowah and Woodstock, Eagles coach Bill Stewart said it would be the type of game that could be decided by one play.
He was right.
But, much to Stewart's dismay, it was Woodstock that made the game-changing play in the fourth quarter on its way to a 17-10 win in the battle of neighborhood and Region 5AAAAA rivals.
"It was a typical Woodstock-Etowah game that came down to making a play here and there," Stewart said. "I think we played hard. We had some mental breakdowns, and so did they. We had our opportunities and didn't capitalize, and they did."
Woodstock's opportunity came late in the fourth quarter when a series of penalties, and a fumble, pinned Etowah on its own 4-yard line. Eagle punter Joey Gilkey, who had earlier pinned Woodstock (3-1, 2-1) on its own 2, got off his longest punt of the night, which the Wolverines' Tanner Skogen caught at the Etowah 46.
Skogen charged up the left sideline before making a cut inside near the 5. He scored virtually unimpeded and gave Woodstock a 14-10 lead with 2:59 remaining.
"I just wanted to make sure I caught the ball first because we already had good field position," Skogen said. "Once I caught it, I looked up and my team had set up a great wall. I knew I just had to get to the wall. I was telling myself, 'Just get to the wall and it will be good.' I got to the wall, broke a tackle and it was wide-open. The team set it up great for me. I was just the one to catch it and score."
Sullivan sealed the rivalry for another year by adding a 30-yard field goal with 38 seconds on the clock.
Etowah (3-2, 2-2) tried in vain to get the ball in the air on its final two snaps, but Nolan was taken down for short gains on both occasions.
Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien praised the performance of his special teams, which helped the Wolverines overcome three interceptions and two lost fumbles.
"Special teams has done a great job for us all year, and that's one of the things we emphasize," he said as the Wolverines evened the series with Etowah at five games apiece. "It paid off for us (Friday)."
Before the final 3 minutes of the game, there were few fireworks - aside from the ones Woodstock set off each time it scored.
After a scoreless first quarter, in which each team lost a fumble, Etowah got on the board with a 23-yard field goal by Kyle Riordan with 8:22 left in the first half.
Relying heavily on quarterback Kevin Bolak and running back Skogen, Woodstock responded with 4:20 on the clock. The drive included an 11-yard run by Bolak, 38-yard completion from Bolak to Michael Seymour and, finally, a 23-yard pass to Trevor Bagwell.
After a short gain by Skogen, Bolak took the keeper into the end zone from the 1-yard line.
Neither team scored again until the third when Etowah regained the lead on the first drive of the half. The drive, which began at the Etowah 19, included double-digit pickups on the ground by Ryan Wilborn and Jason Holdway.
On first down from the Woodstock 23, Wilborn broke way for the Eagles' only touchdown of the night. The 10-7 Etowah advantage held until Skogen made his strike.
Skogen finished the game with 53 rushing yards on 14 carries. Bolak led the team with 54 yards on 10 carries and was 7-of-16 passing for 100 yards, while Bagwell led the receivers with four catches for 50 yards.
"I think our kids played their hearts out, and I think our kids have a lot of heart," Stewart said. "We are looking to rebound from this in a big game (next week) against East Paulding."
Etowah quarterback Braden Nolan led the team in rushing with 18 carries for 55 yards. He also was 8-for-18 passing and 52 yards with an interception. Wilborn added 48 yards on seven carries and Holdway picked up 44 yards on nine carries.
As Woodstock continues its region schedule next week against North Cobb, O'Brien said the importance of Friday night's win would remain.
"It puts (Etowah) behind us in the region," he said. "We have the tiebreaker head-to-head, so it's big. I t's real big. We made mistakes early, but we played well enough in the end."
Friday, September 25
As Big As Ever
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by Emily Horos
Cherokee Tribune Sports Writer
When Georgia and Florida meet Oct. 31 in Jacksonville, Fla., there's no doubt the stands will be filled and the players will be fired up.
In many of the series' 86 editions, the games have been close contests between two of the top teams in the Southeastern Conference.
Etowah coach Bill Stewart equates his team's game tonight against Towne Lake rival Woodstock with the former World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
"Anytime you have Etowah-Woodstock it's big," said Stewart, who has won two of his three battles with the Wolverines since coming to Etowah in 2006. "It's like a Florida-Georgia matchup, where you've got to come out and you never know which down is going to make the difference - which down is the one that wins the game for you and which loses the game. We've had some very close outings every year and I expect the same this year."
Much like the Georgia-Florida in the SEC, Woodstock-Etowah has risen to become a matchup between two of the top teams in Region 5AAAAA, both of which earned playoff berths a season ago. And with both teams having region losses to McEachern on their records, a victory tonight could go a long way toward securing another spot in the postseason.
As with any rivalry, emotions are sure to run high, but Stewart and Woodstock counterpart Mike O'Brien agree it will take a combination of heart and skill to come away with the victory tonight.
"For both teams, we are going to be expecting every player to contribute," Stewart said. "In a game like this, a big region game (like) Woodstock-Etowah, you've got to be clicking on all cylinders. It's not going to be a deal where one kid takes over a game. They are all going to have to play their best."
For Woodstock (2-1, 1-1), a solid performance requires a consistency, which has been hard for the Wolverines to find at times.
"We'll make a stop sometimes and then (sometimes) we don't," said O'Brien, who has split his six meetings with Etowah. "It's the same thing every game. We just need to get more consistent on offense and on defense."
Woodstock's 37-31 overtime loss to McEachern to weeks ago was a prime example of inconsistency. The Wolverines dominated the first half before mistakes caught up late in the game. During the overtime period, Woodstock was unable to stop the McEachern offense and, for the first time all night, couldn't manage a first down on offense.
After the loss, the Wolverines rebounded to dominated Marietta, 38-0, last week. O'Brien hopes that game, and the week of practice that followed, will have his team in shape for Etowah.
"We just have to handle (Etowah's) big line," O'Brien said. "If we play good, then we have a chance. If we don't play good, then we don't have a chance."
Since suffering a 49-10 loss to McEachern in Week 2, the Eagles (3-1) have posted victories over Kennesaw Mountain and Cherokee and now sit 2-1 in region play. Stewart said he has seen improvement each week, and his team is ready for the next challenge.
"I think every week is pressure for us," Stewart said. "We aren't in a position where we can take anyone lightly. To be honest, I don't feel like that from week to week. I feel like we need to come out hard every game. We aren't taking anyone lightly."
While the fifth week of the season is hardly a must-win time, both coaches would like to earn the tiebreaker that could come in the event of a logjam in the region standings.
"As far as this being a must-win (game) where you don't have any hope after this, it's not," Stewart said. "But it is a region game and you don't want to drop a region game. We have already dropped a region game."
O'Brien recognized the importance of game for a similar reason.
"It's important, but mostly because it's our next game," he said. "It does have implications in the region and that makes it a big ball game. Whoever wins this one is going to have a chance to go to the playoffs, hopefully. This game has those kinds of implications.
"You put a team behind you, if you can, and whoever wins this game does that because then you have the head-to-head (advantage) in the event of a tie."
Sunday, September 20
Wolverines pummel Devils
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by Carten Cordell
Cherokee Tribune Sports Writer
MARIETTA - Woodstock drove deep into Marietta on its first two drives, only to be stymied by the Blue Devils' defense on fourth down.
But the levy broke - and broke big - as the Wolverines went on to maul Marietta, 38-0.
The game marked Woodstock's largest margin of victory since Nov. 6, 1998 - a 55-14 win over Cherokee.
"The defense played a great game," Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien said. "To hold (Marietta running back) Greg Franklin like they did is tremendous."
Tanner Skogen torched the field for 141 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Wolverines. The Blue Devils' Franklin had some impressive bursts, but found no luck against Woodstock's defense, rushing for 74 yards.
"They were just hungry and they wanted it, and ours didn't," Marietta coach James "Friday" Richards said. "We just didn't show up to play."
Woodstock's offense got it done in the ground and in the air, gaining 395 yards on offense and capitalizing on the Blue Devils' mistakes.
"The offense, I thought, took advantage with what they were given," O'Brien said. "(Offensive coordinator Roy) Clayton did a great job with what he had coming in. (Defensive coordinator Brent) Budde did a great job with what they were doing and our kids just executed it."
Woodstock got on the move quickly Friday, driving as far as Marietta's 24- and 10-yard lines, but couldn't convert on fourth down. Likewise, Marietta couldn't get the ground game going with two three-and-outs and a short punt to give the Wolverines the ball at midfield.
Woodstock made good as a seven-play, 45-yard drive was capped by Carlos Davis scoring from 3 yards out. The point-after failed, leaving the score 6-0.
After stopping the Blue Devils at the Wolverine 45, Davis busted an 18-yard run and quarterback Kevin Bolak found Michael Seymour on a 35-yard touchdown toss. Bolak then hit Evan Wilson for the 2-point conversion, giving Woodstock a 14-0 lead in the second.
"Kevin Bolak threw the ball well (Friday). A lot of people don't think we can throw the ball - we can," O'Brien said. "We think we can run it, we think we can throw it, we think we can do whatever we have to do."
Things didn't get better for Marietta as a blocked punt led to a 21-yard Woodstock field goal just before halftime.
The Wolverines pulled some trickery to kick off the third, recovering an onside kick that turned into a five-play scoring drive. Skogen rushed for 34 yards on four plays, scoring from 3 yards out to put Woodstock ahead, 24-0.
The Wolverines put up two more quick scoring drives, capitalizing a botched fake punt and another solid return from Skogen to midfield. Marietta couldn't stem the tide as its longest drive of the night only reached the Wolverines' 45.
"We have address everything we do (next week)," Richards said, "because we didn't do anything right (Friday)."
Thursday, May 21
Wolverines rebuilding from an improbable '08
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By Adam Carrington
Cherokee Tribune
The Woodstock football program set new heights in 2008 and now must find a way to sustain it with many of their key players lost to graduation.
The Wolverines' 8-5 record and appearance in the Class AAAAA state quarterfinals - where they lost by one point to eventual champion Camden County - came as a surprise to many after the team lost three of its first four games. Now, they want to show they're legit when the 2009 season gets under way.
Duplicating '08 won't come easy with openings at quarterback, running back, the secondary and both the offensive and defensive lines, but veteran coach Mike O'Brien was nothing but positive when asked about this year's spring practice.
"I've been pleased with our work ethic, I've been pleased with our attitudes and I've been pleased with what's going on," the seventh-year Woodstock coach said. "If we can translate that into a bunch of wins, everything will be wonderful. We have people in mind that played backup roles last year that are going to be there. Everyone is getting a good look."
When looking ahead toward the 2009 season, O'Brien said it will be tough to match last year's accomplishments with a revamped roster, but getting off to a quick start instead of going 1-3 will be essential.
"If we start slow, and finish the way we did (in 2008), I'll be happy," O'Brien said. "I think it's imperative that we get out of the chute early. Once we started making plays (last year), we started winning."
Woodstock's linebacking unit appears to be intact with rising seniors Corey Carmichael and Jonathan Bermudez returning for the Wolverines, who end spring practice Friday, but the same can't be said for other key positions.
A new quarterback will lead the huddle in place of Taylor Trotter, with rising junior Kevin Bolak and rising sophomore Jonathan Weiner competing for the job. Whoever gets the nod will have experienced senior receiver Michael Seymour coming back, while Trevor Bagwell is also battling to be a starting receiver.
Woodstock will be more experienced at running back with rising junior Tanner Skogen returning, but Justin Thompson will have to be replaced. Skogen and Corey Santiago may be a 1-2 punch in the backfield.
Woodstock is more experienced on the offensive line. They have two experienced players back in rising seniors Aaron Palomares, Sean Wheeler and Ian Wolfe.
The defensive line, however, is an entirely different matter.
Duran Christophe, who will begin a collegiate career at North Carolina State in the fall, will be difficult to replace, but rising senior Adam Burke and sophomore David Brown are one of many upcoming linemen battling to take over.
Saturday, August 29
Wolverines pitch a shutout
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By Chris Whitfield
Cherokee Tribune Sports Correspondent
Now Woodstock can focus on this season.
After an entire offseason of talk centered on last year's run through the state playoffs, the Wolverines did the best thing to build off of that momentum by playing one of their most complete defensive games in years.
The Woodstock defense held Kell to fewer than 70 yards of total offense and held the Longhorns the entire game to take a 17-0 win Friday at the Wolverine Den.
"This is big," Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien said. "We tried to come into this year with different things to keep the excitement from last year's team alive. We played hard and got that first win, and now we have the students behind us and the fans excited, and it is a good thing."
With an offense that was handing the mantle at quarterback from Taylor Trotter to junior Kevin Bolak, O'Brien knew that his defense would have to give his offense time to grow. The offense shouldn't consider itself rushed to grow up in a hurry after a dominating defensive performance against Kell.
The Longhorns' spread attack sorely lacked its big-play receivers from last year, and the Wolverines dominated the line of scrimmage. Kell had just two first downs the entire game, and the passing attack never got on track with the Longhorns gaining just 26 yards through the air.
"You have to give them credit," Kell coach Derek Cook said. "That is a great Woodstock defense over there. Their defensive front controlled the line of scrimmage. I thought that our defense played well, but Woodstock took control of the line when we had the ball."
O'Brien called this year's defensive unit perhaps the best that he has fielded since he came to Woodstock in 2003.
"We had a lot of confidence and knew that this defense could be a good one if you get kids that make the play," O'Brien said. "The way both defenses were playing early, you were just sort of waiting for someone to make a mistake." Fortunately for Woodstock, Kell made the mistakes and the Wolverines were ready to take advantage.
A 26-yard punt return by Tanner Skogen midway through the second quarter set up a 24-yard field goal from Brad Sullivan, and it looked at times as if that would be the final score. Woodstock's longest drive of the night managed just 32 yards, but it went for a score with Bolak diving over the goal line from the 1. The big play on the scoring series came when Bolak hit Skogen in the flat for an 18-yard completion, the longest of the night.
Woodstock scored again in the fourth when a bad snap on a punt gave the Wolverines the ball at the Longhorn 7. Three plays later, Skogen scored from 5 yards out.
"The offense didn't play a great game, but I thought (Bolak) managed the game very well," O'Brien said. "He missed a few throws, but those will come. He was a little nervous, but he did a fine job."
Besides, the offense didn't have to be stellar. The 17 points were more than enough with the way the Wolverine defense was playing. Kell crossed midfield just once in the second half and never mounted an offensive threat after missing a field goal early in the second quarter.
Saturday, August 29
Woodstock clamps down on Longhorns
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by Chris Whitfield
MDJ Correspondent
WOODSTOCK - Losing so much talent from one of the county's most potent offenses can take away a lot. Add an opposing team that played light's out defense, and the formula wasn't a good one for Kell.
The Woodstock defense held the Longhorns to less than 70 yards of total offense and controlled the line of scrimmage the entire game to take a 17-0 win Friday at the Wolverine Den.
"That is a quality, quality football team over there," said Kell coach Derek Cook. "We have to go back to work. I told the kids that if they didn't want to come to work on Monday, then they didn't need to show up."
"This is big," said Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien. "We tried to come into this year with different things to keep the excitement from last year's team alive. We played hard and got that first win, and now we have the students behind us and the fans excited and it is a good thing."
With an offense that was handing the mantle off to junior Kevin Bolak from Taylor Trotter, O'Brien knew that his defense would have to give his offense time to grow. The offense shouldn't consider itself rushed to grow up in a hurry after a dominating defensive performance against Kell.
The spread attack for the Longhorns sorely lacked its big-play receivers from last year, and the Wolverines dominated the line of scrimmage. Kell had just two first downs the entire game, and the passing attack never got on track with the Longhorns gaining just 26 yards through the air.
"You have to give them credit," said Cook. "That is a great Woodstock defense over there. Their defensive front controlled the line of scrimmage. I thought that our defense played well, but Woodstock took control of the line when we had the ball."
If there was a bright spot for the Longhorns, it was on defense. Woodstock's offense never managed a long drive on Kell, and the Wolverines were held to less than 150 yards of total offense.
O'Brien calls this perhaps the best defense that he has fielded since coming to Woodstock.
"We had a lot of confidence and knew that this defense could be a good one if you get kids that make the play," said O'Brien. "The way both defenses were playing early, you were just sort of waiting for someone to make a mistake."
Fortunately for Woodstock, Kell made the mistakes and the Wolverines were ready to take advantage.
A 26-yard punt return by Tanner Skogen midway through the second quarter set up a 24-yard field goal from Brad Sullivan, and it looked at times as if that would be the final score. Woodstock's longest drive of the night managed just 32 yards, but it went for a score with Bolak diving over from the 1. The big play on the scoring series came when Bolak hit Skogen in the flat for an 18-yard completion which was the longest of the night.
Woodstock would score again in the fourth when a bad snap on a punt gave the Wolverines the ball at the Longhorn 7. Three plays later, Skogen scored from five yards out.
"The offense didn't play a great game, but I thought (Bolak) managed the game very well," O'Brien said. "He missed a few throws, but those will come. He was a little nervous, but he did a fine job."
Besides, the offense didn't have to be stellar. The 17 points were more than enough with the way the Wolverine defense was playing. Kell crossed midfield just once in the second half and never mounted an offensive threat after missing a field goal early in the second quarter.
Saturday, September 12
Indians storm back to stun Wolverines
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by Emily Horos
ehoros@cherokeetribune.com
Woodstock surrendered 21 unanswered points to end the game as McEachern came back to beat the host Wolverines, 37-31, in overtime Friday night at the Wolverine Den.
The 10th-ranked Wolverines led, 16-0, at halftime and maintained a 31-16 advantage until McEachern scored with just over 8 minutes remaining in the game.
"We didn't give up," Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien said. "We just gave it to (McEachern). You've got to give it to them. They are a great football team, but we just gave them too many things. And you can do that to a team of their caliber."
The Indians (3-0, 2-0 Region 5AAAAA) punted the ball away on their first possession of the fourth quarter, but Marquis Robertson quickly got it back by stripping the Wolverine ball carrier. Robertson returned the ball 41 yards to close the gap to 31-23.
On the ensuing kickoff, Woodstock (1-1, 0-1) received the ball on McEachern's 38 but couldn't manage a first down as the Wolverines were twice set back by penalties. Faced with a fourth-and-21, Woodstock punted the ball away and the Indians took possession on the 19-yard line.
A 27-yard run by quarterback Dondre Purnell gave the Indians a first down near midfield. McEachern then began to pick its way down field with Trent Thompson completing passes to Tra Fletcher and Rory Anderson for first downs. Trailing by eight, the Indians sat on the 9-yard line after a pass-interference call against Woodstock gave McEachern a first down with 22 seconds remaining.
On his third attempt at the end zone after the penalty - and his sixth consecutive pass to the same area - Thompson finally connected with Amba Etta-Tawo for the 9-yard score. The Indians, who had earlier failed on a 2-point conversion attempt, converted this time as Purnell's jump-shot pass over the line of scrimmage landed in the arms of Etta-Tawo to tie the game at 31-all with 4 seconds on the clock.
Woodstock took one final play - a pitch to Tanner Skogen that picked up 18 yards -before time expired.
Early in the game, every thing seemed to be working in favor of the Wolverines. Woodstock opened the game with Skogen returning the pickoff 55 yards and march to its first touchdown on a 5-yard run by Carlos Davis. However, the snap on the extra-point attempt was low and the pass attempt failed to keep the score 6-0.
After holding McEachern to a short possession, the Wolverines scored once more with quarterback Kevin Bolak finishing the drive with a 3-yard run. Brad Sullivan's kick was good.
The lead grew to 16-0 with Brad Sullivan's 22-yard field goal with 4:04 left in the first half. Woodstock had a chance to add another field goal before the half wrapped up, but Sullivan's attempt fell short.
McEachern stormed back in the third quarter. Scoring first on a 42-yard run by Bennett, the Indians cut the lead to 16-6. The 2-point conversion failed.
Kicker Troy Postell added a field goal to make it 16-9 with 5:28 left in the third.
The teams then traded scores with Bolak and Bennett each scoring from a yard out to make it 24-16 entering the fourth.
Skogen stretched Woodstock's lead to 31-16 with a 2-yard touchdown before McEachern mounted its comeback.
Skogen led the Wolverines with 185 yards on 13 carries, while Davis picked up 148 yards on 26 carries. Kevin Bolak, who didn't attempt a pass until just 34 seconds remained in the first half, finished 0-for-4 passing, but ran for 45 yards on 17 carries.
No other Woodstock player touched the ball on offense.
Woodstock's Jonathan Bermudez also blocked two McEachern punts.
Sunday, September 20
Blue Devils can't gain momentum
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by Carten Cordell
MDJ Sports Writer
MARIETTA - Woodstock drove deep into Marietta territory on its first two drives, only to be stymied by the Blue Devils' defense on fourth down.
But the levy broke - and broke big - as the Wolverines went on to maul Marietta, 38-0.
The game marked Woodstock's largest margin of victory since Nov. 6, 1998 - a 55-14 win over Cherokee - and its first shutout in two years. (NOT A TRUE STATEMENT)
"The defense played a great game," Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien said. "To hold (Marietta running back) Greg Franklin like they did is tremendous."
Tanner Skogen torched the field for 141 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Wolverines. The Blue Devils' Franklin had some impressive bursts, but found no luck against Woodstock's defense, rushing for 74 yards.
"They were just hungry and they wanted it, and ours didn't," Marietta coach James "Friday" Richards said. "We just didn't show up to play."
Woodstock's offense got it done in the ground and in the air, gaining 395 yards on offense and capitalizing on the Blue Devils' mistakes.
"The offense, I thought, took advantage with what they were given," O'Brien said. "(Offensive coordinator Roy) Clayton did a great job with what he had coming in. (Defensive coordinator Brent) Budde did a great job with what they were doing and our kids just executed it."
Woodstock got on the move quickly Friday, driving as far as Marietta's 24- and 10-yard lines, but couldn't convert on fourth down. Likewise, Marietta couldn't get the ground game going with two three-and-outs and a short punt to give the Wolverines the ball at midfield.
Woodstock made good as a seven-play, 45-yard drive was capped by Carlos Davis scoring from 3 yards out. The point-after failed, leaving the score 6-0.
After stopping the Blue Devils at the Wolverine 45, Davis busted an 18-yard run and quarterback Kevin Bolak found Michael Seymour on a 35-yard touchdown toss. Bolak then hit Evan Wilson for the 2-point conversion, giving Woodstock a 14-0 lead in the second.
"Kevin Bolak threw the ball well (Friday). A lot of people don't think we can throw the ball - we can," O'Brien said. "We think we can run it, we think we can throw it, we think we can do whatever we have to do."
Things didn't get better for Marietta as a blocked punt led to a 21-yard Woodstock field goal just before halftime.
The Wolverines pulled some trickery to kick off the third, recovering an onside kick that turned into a five-play scoring drive. Skogen rushed for 34 yards on four plays, scoring from 3 yards out to put Woodstock ahead, 24-0.
The Wolverines put up two more quick scoring drives, capitalizing a botched fake punt and another solid return from Skogen to midfield. Marietta couldn't stem the tide as its longest drive of the night only reached the Wolverines' 45.
"We have address everything we do (next week)," Richards said, "because we didn't do anything right (Friday)."
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