Draft wins the Battle

The Stuarts Draft Cougars continued their playoff push Friday night by defeating Waynesboro 34-7 to win the Battle for the Ball for the fourth consecutive year, spoiling the Little Giants senior night in the process.

The Cougars amassed over 360 rushing yards in the win, including 258 from junior tailback D.J. Hines, against a banged- up Little Giant team.

“We are a ground team. We chose to run the football,” Stuarts Draft coach Rod Bowers said. “Running the football is what I know and this team is built for it.”

The Draft running attack was especially effective against a Waynesboro team that is reeling from injuries across the board, scoring on its first four drives of the night.

Draft scored on its first possession after recovering an onside kick, going 48 yards in six plays, the last of which an eight-yard touchdown runs by Hines.

After a Waynesboro punt, the Cougars went on a ten-play 74 yard drive scoring when Darius Woodson took it in from the six. Tyler Knicely found Tyler Bridge in the end zone for the two-point conversion putting Draft up 14-0 with 3:14 to play in the first.

Considering the injuries and his available personnel Waynesboro head coach Steve Issacs went to a new offense, moving the football against a confused Cougar defense.

“We went to the lonesome polecat, it’s really the original run and shoot offense,” Issacs said. “As beat up as we are right now it is really all that we can run.”

The formation gave Stuarts Draft some problems initially, but the Cougars were able to get the stops that they needed.

“You have to give Issacs credit for adapting to what his personnel is,” Bowers said. “Fortunately our defensive coaches were able to make some real good adjustments to something that we had not seen on film.”

Hines and Woodson would both add touchdown runs before the half was over sending the Cougars ahead 27-0 at the break.

Dillion Campbell scored from 12 yards out on Draft’s first possession of the second half making it 34-0.

Waynesboro scored its lone touchdown on a 14-yard run from Sklyer Phillips with 3:07 to play in the game.