Chilhowie defeats Rural Retreat

By SUSAN WHALEN/Correspondent

Orange, black and white were the colors of choice when the Chilhowie Warriors met the Rural Retreat Indians Friday night in RR.
The Warriors took the district contest 49 - 23.
The Indians got the ball rolling when Terry Fields returned the kick from the 14 to the 27.  Adam Evans and Tyler Hash combined for seven yards, before Evans took off for a 64 yard gain.
Rural Retreat quarterback Jake Whalen took it in from the one after two tries. William Wright’s PAT upped RR’s lead to 7. Fields, Daniel Baggerly,Michael Smith and Evans came up for the defense. Fields stopped the return and Smith with the initial hit resulting in a Chilhowie fumble.
Kyle Testerman came up with the ball for RR. RR could not capitalize on the free try and turned the ball over on downs at the Warrior 32. An RR off sides, a pass to Williams, a Russell 25 yard run and PAT was all it took to bring Chilhowie even.
With 5:49 left in the first the teams were tied at 7. Hash churned out a 23 yard return to get the Indians going again.
Evan, Whalen and Hash brought the ball on down the field. With 25 seconds left in the first, Wright booted a 32 yard field goal for RR. The quarter ended with Chilhowie in possession of the ball and RR with a 3 point lead.
Even with Baggerly, Eric Reasor and Tyler Hilton racking up tackles, the Warriors soon put another 7 on the board, going ahead of RR by4. Hash netted a 25 yard kick return.
Hash, Evan and Whalen added yards on the ground and Whalen went to Travis Foster for a gain in the air, but ended up turning the ball back over to the Warriors.
Smith, Evans, Blake Holman and Jeremy Cregger notched tackles in their totals, but could not keep the Warriors out of the end zone. With 4:21 left in the second quarter RR trailed 21-10.
Whalen rushed for 3 and hit Justin Cox for 6 in the next series, before giving the ball back to Chilhowie.
Smith, Baggerly and Cregger stopped Austin on the ground. QB Jackson found Williams for another Warrior TD. Russell’s PAT added another point, bringing the total to Warriors - 28, Indians - 10.
Hylton covered the ball for RR on the short kick. Holman and Whalen combined for 7 yards while Hash racked up 14, before an interception gave Chilhowie the ball near mid-field. Two incomplete passes followed by Reasor netting a TD saving tackle ran the clock to 0. Chilhowie led 28-10 at the half.
The Warriors went to work fast at the start of the third. Holman and Lukas Langston came up big for RR’s defense, but the Warriors would not denied another TD and PAT.
With 8:39 in the third the Warriors led 35-10.
The Indians punted on their next possession. Chilhowie added another 7 to its total on its next series, bringing the total to 42-10.
Josh Kaulfuss netted a 14 yard return for RR. A block in the back bave RR good field position at Chilhowie’s 45. Dowell sacked Whalen for a 12 yard loss. Coach Hensley put Zayne Williams in at QB. The first play ended in a Chilhowie interception.
McMahan took the ball to the 7 yard line where Hash stopped him. Cody Tate came up with a fumble recovery for RR at its own 8. Holman and Hash churned out 12 yards before the Warriors retuned the favor by recovering a fumble. They ended up punting the ball away. Williams and Hash combined for 3 when time ran out in the third.
Hash toted the pigskin to the 39 and an unsportsmanlike penalty set RR up at the Warriors 46. Whalen returned to quarterback at this time.
Holman took it to the 18 and James Marshall covered the remaining 18 yards for an RR TD. Wright’s PAT was good, giving RR 17.  The Warriors scored another 7 on their next possession, despite excellent stops by Smith, Langston, Kaulfuss, Stepp and Testerman. With under eight minutes left in the game, the Warriors led 49-17. Hash handed off to Fields at the 15, Fields took it to the 43.
Williams re-entered as quarterback. Holman forced his way for a short gain.  A Warrior penalty mover RR to the Warrior’s 42. An incomplete pass and a few yards on the ground followed. Re-enter Whalen as QB. Holman rushed to the 20, then the 12. Whalen added 2 more. Marshall to the 5, then the 3.
Whalen took it in for 6. The two-point conversion was no good. With 2:40 left in the game Chilhowie led 49-23.
Kaulfuss, Tate and Foster added experience and tackles to their totals while holding the Warriors in the last minutes of the game.
Rural Retreat travels to Patrick Henry next week for its final game of the season.