Coalfield Shut Out by Gordonsville 21-0

By Terry Futrell

For the second consecutive week, the Coalfield Yellow Jackets faced a tough team in non-regional competition. This week it was the unbeaten Gordonsville Tigers, ranked 5th in TSSAA Class A by MaxPreps and 3rd by CoachT. In three games against much larger top 20 teams in Classes 2A and 3A, the Gordonsville defense held their opponents to a total of 16 points. It was no surprise that the Jackets faced a formidable challenge in a hard-fought battle that they ultimately lost 21-0.

Although in Class A along with Coalfield, Gordonsville has almost twice as many students – 306 compared to 160 for Coalfield. The Tigers’ roster incudes 61 players, while Coalfield lists only 33 players on their roster. Gordonsville appeared much bigger than Coalfield, with 28 players tipping the scales at 200 pounds or greater.

The game can be summarized in this way – Gordonsville’s defense shut down Coalfield’s running game and forced the Jackets out of their comfort zone into an attack that was dominated by passing. Prior to this game, Coalfield had rushed 145 times and attempted only 63 passes. Clearly, the running game has been the Jackets bread-and-butter. Defensive pressure and pursuit applied by Gordonsville forced Coalfield to go to the air, with Coalfield having only 22 rushing attempts compared to 27 attempted passes. Many of the rushing attempts resulted from receivers being tightly covered by Gordonsville defenders.

Going into the game Coalfield quarterbacks had completed roughly two-thirds of their passes. Pressure by the Tigers forced hurried passes, resulting in only one-third of the Jackets 27 pass attempts being successfully completed for a total of 47 yards. Coalfield runners had no better luck, gaining a net 20 yards in 22 attempts.

The first quarter was a defensive battle that ended with no score. Gordonsville scored early in the second quarter when Canaan Musgrove carried the ball in from 17 yards out to cap a 13-play drive that covered 70 yards. Coalfield quickly responded by moving the ball from their own 39-yard line to the Gordonsville 12-yard line in a 9-play drive that covered 49 yards. This was Coalfield’s best drive of the game, and it ended when the Jackets turned the ball over on downs. The Tigers carried a 7-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Gordonsville wasted no time in putting points on the board in the third quarter. Beginning on their own 16-yard line, Matthew Albritton completed a 46-yard pass to Landon Baker at the Coalfield 38-yard line. Baker was fronted by two Coalfield defenders, but somehow pulled off the miraculous catch. Five plays later, the Tigers scored when Albritton carried the ball in on a keeper from 16 yards out, as the Tigers expanded their lead to 14-0.

After Coalfield failed to move the ball, Gordonsville blocked a Jacket punt and took possession at the Coalfield 30-yard line. The Tigers quickly moved to the Coalfield 2-yard line, where Musgrove took the hand-off and scored. After the point after, Gordonsville led 21-0.

Coalfield had four more possession in the game but lost yardage on the first three. The Jackets were able to advance the ball to the Gordonsville 39-yard line on their final possession in the fourth quarter but turned the ball over on downs. Gordonsville then ran out the clock and sealed their 21-0 victory over the Jackets.

The loss to Gordonsville revealed both strengths and weaknesses of the Jackets. The bright spot for Coalfield in the game was the play of the Jackets’ defensive line and linebackers, who held the Tigers to just over three yards per carry in 34 attempts, for a rushing total of 115 yards. The Jackets had a difficult time stopping Gordonsville’s passing attack – the Tigers completed 11 of 16 passes for 151 yards. In total, the Jacket defense held the 5th ranked team in the state to a total of 266 yards offense and 21 points, which was a noteworthy accomplishment. Offensively, Coalfield’s protection failed to provide sufficient time for plays to properly develop.

Next week, Coalfield travels to Midway to face the Greenwave in a regional battle. Midway has a balanced attack that will test Coalfield’s defense. In two weeks, the Jackets face perennial foe Greenback on Rochelle field in a game that typically determines the region champion. Greenback has an open date next week, giving them two weeks to prepare for Coalfield.