Western surge

CROZET — Western Albemarle started its season off with a bang on Friday night against Waynesboro.

The Warriors scored 35 first-quarter points en route to a 49-0 win over the Little Giants.

“I don’t think we did anything poorly tonight,” said Western coach Ed Pierce. “Offensively we were balanced. We moved the ball and did pretty much what we wanted to do.”

Western senior quarterback Stephen Schuler did pretty much what he wanted to do, using all his options in the 35-point first quarter. He led the Warriors down field with ease connecting with Tyler Ward for an 18-yard pickup before giving the ball off to senior running back Cody Davis.

After a 14-yard scramble by Davis, that found him one-yard short of the season’s first points, he took the next handoff in. The Warriors added the extra point and took an early 7-0 lead.

The Little Giants went four-and-out on their first possession, giving the ball right back to the Warriors and once again Schuler led the offense down the field for another touchdown hitting Dom Losco from five-yards out.

Schuler picked up another throwing touchdown, for his second of the game, connecting again with Losco, this time on a 16-yard strike.

“Stephen [Schuler] is such a great athlete and a smart kid and a competitor,” Pierce said. “He makes things happen for us and makes it look so easy. It’s a very tough job to be a quarterback.”

With a 21-0 lead, the defense chipped in with their own score on a 35-yard fumble recovery taken to the house by Hunter Mitchell. The quarter was not finished for the Warriors as Davis rushed for his second TD, giving the Warriors a commanding 35-0 lead.

Schuler added a rushing TD in the second and another throwing in the fourth giving him four total touchdowns for the game. He was 9-for-13 for 110 yards and three touchdowns and he also rushed four times for 50 yards with a score.

The Little Giants were not to be put to rest easily. A young Waynesboro team in a new offensive scheme pushed the ball down field, but a fumble and two interceptions in the second quarter diminished any opportunities to score.

“We got to work on a little bit of everything,” said Waynesboro coach Steve Isaacs after the loss. “We have to get better on both sided of the ball.”

Waynesboro came out in the second half with a whole new attitude. The Little Giants continued to run their offense with some successful plays and with the help of a few penalties were able to keep pushing the ball down field, but once again the Warriors defense proved to be too much.

“We didn’t quit all night,” Isaacs said. “We did not quit and we are going to be a team to be reckoned with before it is all over with.”

Waynesboro (0-1, 0-0 Southern Valley) will return to action on Sept. 11, hosting Turner Ashby.