Woodward, DeHoet spark Rockets’ win at Burgettstown
BURGETTSTOWN — It wasn’t pretty but style points don’t win football games, outscoring the opponent does.
After putting up 57 points in last week’s win over Waynesburg Central, Jefferson-Morgan scraped out a 26-10 victory against Burgettstown in a non-conference game Friday night at Hill Memorial Stadium.
John Woodruff rushed for 205 yards and scored three touchdowns, and Deakyn DeHoet reeled in six receptions for 150 yards and a highlight reel TD to help the Rockets improve to 3-0.
Jefferson-Morgan has won 18 of its last 19 regular-season games, including 14 in a row.
“I’m happy we won,” said J-M head coach Shane Ziats, “but there are things we can improve on. We had holding calls, blocking in the back. What will fix them? Practice.”
Woodward returned an interception 53 yards for a back-breaking touchdown midway through the third quarter that turned a precarious 7-3 J-M lead into a 13-3 advantage.
It was the first of three third-quarter touchdowns scored by Woodward.
The game was delayed with players sent to the locker rooms and the stands cleared because of lightning with 6:33 left in the third quarter.
After play resumed, Woodruff ran for a 5-yard TD to make it 20-3 but the Blue Devils’ Michael Carrozza returned the ensuing kickoff for a 73-yard touchdown to pull the hosts within 20-10.
Woodward answered that in spectacular fashion with an 84-yard touchdown run later in the quarter.
Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.
“Last year, they had six touchdowns against us,” said Burgettstown head coach Mark Druga. “This year, we were in it. We just made too many mistakes.”
DeHoet made the play of the first half when he reached for a Triton Farabee pass on a crossing route from J-M’s 10-yard line. DeHoet bobbled the football before securing it and outraced everyone to the end zone for a 90-yard touchdown to give J-M a 7-0 lead as Logan Yeck’s extra-point try was good.
Burgettstown got on the board with just over two minutes left in the half when Colton County booted a 30-yard field goal to cut Jefferson-Morgan’s lead to 7-3.
That’s the way it stood as the first half ended.
Farabee threw for 183 yards. Liam Rogers had five receptions for the Rockets.
(Rob Burchianti contributed to this story.)