Keyser manhandles Frankfort

November 01, 2008 01:22 am

— SHORT GAP, W.Va. — The unbeaten Keyser Golden Tornado made Halloween a night of horror for the Frankfort Falcons and used some tricks to treat itself to a 61-8 victory on a perfect fall Friday night for football at Frankfort Stadium in the 33th annual Mineral County Bowl.
The Golden Tornado entered the game ranked No. 1 in the West Virginia Class AA Ratings and Cumberland Times-News Area Poll and will be going back to the playoffs with a 9-0 regular-season record. Frankfort slips to 5-4, but can keep its playoff hopes alive with a win in its regular-season finale Friday at Hampshire.
It was Keyser’s fifth straight win over Frankfort to break the Falcons’ record of four for consecutive wins in the series. The Golden Tornado leads the overall series 21-13 with one playoff win. The winning margin was the largest since Frankfort won 62-0 in 1989.
“I never expected anything like this,” said Keyser coach Sean Biser, who will be taking the Golden Tornado to the playoffs for the fourth time in his five years at the helm. “I was the most nervous I had ever been as a coach before this game. Our kids really worked hard getting ready and played well in all three phases of the game. No matter what happens in the playoffs this season has been something special in going unbeaten in nine games.”
Matt Wilmer rushed for 147 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns on runs of 47 and 20 yards to lead a Keyser rushing attack that piled up 352 yards on 45 runs.
Preston Hartman completed 4-of-6 passes for 108 yards and had scoring strikes of 37 yards to John Purdy and 48 yards to Brandon Barnett. The senior quarterback also rushed for 49 yards on seven carries and scored on a one-yard sneak that he set up with a 29-yard run.
Jeremy Green scored Keyser’s first points on a 13-yard run and finished with 68 yards on 10 carries. Scott Kittrell went 19 yards for the final touchdown and kicked his seventh extra point to conclude the Golden Tornado scoring.
Chris Brown and Jarell Ross returned interceptions for touchdowns and Ross had a pair of interceptions. The Golden Tornado held Frankfort to only 215 yards in total offense and only 82 in the first half. Taige Redman was credited with being in on 13 tackles and Joey Amtower had nine.
Daniel McCormick put Frankfort on the board a 39-yard run with 9:17 left. James Jones passed to Joey Luciw for the two points. McCormick gained 60 yards on six carries.
A Frankfort fumble on Wilmer’s only punt set up the first Keyser touchdown on the Falcons’ 13-yard line. Green got outside for the 13 yards and Kittrell kicked the extra point at the 9:21 mark.
On the next Keyser possession Hartman went deep to Purdy on the first play for the 37-yard touchdown at the 5:34 mark. Hartman’s sneak capped a 14-play 70 yard drive that made it 21-0 with 10 minutes left in the half.
A Ross interception and 18-yard run led to Hartman’s 48-yard screen pass to Barnett at the 7:31 mark. The Brown interception and 13-yard return to the end zone made it 27-0 a 5:07 mark.
Wilmer’s first touchdown came on a 20-yard run with 1:41 remaining the half after he broke loose on a 58-yard sprint to the 27. Keyser led 34-0 at the break.
Wilmer scored on his 47-yard run at the 2:36 mark in the third quarter. Just 13 seconds later, Ross was in the end zone after a 17-yard return with his second pick.
Kittrell scored with 11:30 left on his 19-yard run.

Photos

Keyser running back Matt Wilmer drags three Frankfort tacklers for extra yardage during the first half of their Friday night battle at Frankfort. Wilmer ran for 147 yards and scored twice as the top-ranked Golden Tornado remained unbeaten with a 61-8 romp.