Poolesville Snaps Streak With Win
The Falcons were able to get the retribution they sought, beating Walter Johnson 21-19 to win their first game of the season
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Senior Ben Hessles had double digit catches on the night and was a threat even without the football.
Photo By: Kevin Nunez / GamedayMD.com | VIEW GALLERY
Senior defensive lineman Patrick Teixeira does a fantastic job for the Wildcats.
Photo By: Kevin Nunez / GamedayMD.com | VIEW GALLERY
Written By: Adam Chasen
BETHESDA, MD - To be invited as Walter Johnson's homecoming guest was motivation enough, but also entering tonight's game in Bethesda, the Poolesville Falcons held the Washington areas second longest losing streak (17 games) the team badly wanted to rid themselves of.
One year ago, Walter Johnson held the areas longest winless streak at 36 games only to break the dubious record emphatically with a 40-15 win against Poolesville. As the pattern has been between these two teams, the Falcons were able to get the retribution they sought, beating Walter Johnson 21-19 to win their first game of the season.
The Wildcat players will enter the homecoming dance tomorrow night winless on the year and winless since the last meeting between the two teams breaking the 36 game streak.
When Poolesville needed to make a play on offense they relied on their outstanding triumvirate of quarterback Tyler Holston, running back RJ King, and wing back/receiver Ben Hessles, as the trio proved to be just enough to beat the Wildcats.
With weapons of their own, WJ nearly erased a 21-6 fourth quarter deficit with a furious comeback, but it was not quite enough turning the ball over on downs deep in Poolesville territory, with less than two minutes to go trailing by two.
Walter Johnson would start fast with quarterback Cole Ahnell completing a pass to wing back Ryan Davis for 38 yards on the first play from scrimmage. They would continue to move the ball, mostly on the ground capitalizing with a powerful ten yard touchdown run by running back Michael Pitsenberger, (9 carries for 84 yards and 2 touchdowns,) bulling his way over a pair of defenders at the goal line.
An errant snap on the extra point would lead to an unsuccessful desperation heave for the two point conversion, leaving the score at 6-0 WJ.
The Falcons would answer right back led by the efficient passing of Tyler Holston and a big 25 yard run by RJ King. King, who would lead all rushers in the game, (23 carries for 199 yards) broke a tackle on an innocent looking dive play up the middle and darted to the right sideline nearly scoring as he was knocked out of bounds inside the 5 yard line to set up first and goal.
On the next play receiver Ben Hessles lined up in the backfield to receive the direct snap, before the Wildcat defense recognized the formation switch, Hessles took off and coasted in to the endzone. Poolesville would have the ensuing extra point blocked keeping the score tied at 6-6.
Walter Johnson continued to move the ball effectively using a mix of the spread offense and a Wing-T playbook to keep the Falcons off balanced, but penalties, fumbles, and errant snaps in shotgun killed drives. Unable to stop the Wildcats from driving down the field, deep in their own zone the Falcons had an answer, as safety Jonah Hessles would intercept a deep pass down the middle.
Ben Hessles saw an opportunity to take the lead and took over the remainder of the first quarter, running, catching, and then throwing for the team's second touchdown. After a series of plays all featuring Hessles, he would again lineup in the shotgun position from the 10 yard line.
Instead of running as he had earlier, he faked the run and lobbed a pass to an open Brian Hammett for the go ahead score. RJ King ran in the two point conversion and the Falcons would never trail again with 14-6 lead.
Quarterback Tyler Holston, (9 -12 for 134 yards and a touchdown,) hit a streaking tight end Ecic Gochenour to push the score to 21-6 to go in at halftime.
The rain started to come down as the halftime homecoming festivities were still underway and the 3rd quarter reflected the sloppiness of the weather.
Poolesville would go three and out to start the second half and punt it over to the WJ. Walter Johnson continued to have many positive plays, but had no way to overcome the big losses. On one sequence the Wildcats crossed midfield only to be called on consecutive penalties setting up a 3rd and very long.
The Wildcats converted the 3rd down attempt on a roughing the passer penalty moving deep into Poolesville territory, only to once again move backwards. Consecutive penalties followed by a pair of snaps over the quarterbacks head led to another 3rd and very long. This time Ben Hessles would go high in the air to pickoff a deep pass by Ahnell at the goaline and return the pick to just outside his own 20 yard line.
As dim as the outcome looked for Walter Johnson to end the third quarter, facing a 4th down and 17 to go from the Poolesville 25, the fourth quarter start would bring hope. Cole Ahnell had three receivers to his right and just wing back Ryan Davis to his left.
Ahnell looked right and then fired a pass to Davis on a sharp slant route. Davis made the grab and got inside the five yard line to setup a first and goal, converting the improbable 4th and 17. Two plays later Michael Pitsenberger would find his way into the endzone on his second rushing score of the night. The extra point made the score 21-13 with 10:55 left in the game.
With the wild Walter Johnson homecoming crowd fully behind them, the defense would come up with the stop the Wildcats needed. Defensive lineman Rich Benjamin was everywhere on the next series coming up with one of his three sacks on the night, as well as, a big stuff in the backfield on the elusive RJ King.
The Wildcats got the ball back with 7:30 left in the game trailing still 21-13 and moved the ball with runs from backs Sean Montgomery and Michael Pitsenberger. On only the fourth play of the drive running back Elad Covaliu broke two tackles at the line of scrimmage and cut to the right sideline, taking the 15 yard run into the endzone for the score, now 21-19 Poolesville.
The two point conversion with only six minutes left would be the deciding factor in the game. Walter Johnson struggling with several players gasping for air, as they tried to complete the dramatic fourth quarter comeback would lineup in a shotgun split back formation.
Pitsenberger would get the ball and head off tackle to the right only to be met by a wall of Poolesville defenders led by tackle Andrew Press and linebacker Kevin Connor. The score remained 21-19 with the big stop by the Falcons.
Poolesville would feed running back RJ King attempting to burn down the clock. King carried the Falcons out to near midfield eating up time, with less than 3:00 remaining. Walter Johnson forced a punt and would get one final shot with 2:46 remaining.
On the first play with the ball back WJ running back Sean Montgomery bounced a counter outside and exploded down the sideline for 35 yards and out of bounds inside the Poolesville 37 yard line. A pair of unsuccessful runs and a 3rd down snap over Ahnell's head that would be recovered and thrown away for a simple incompletion setup a dramatic 4th and 8 yards to go with only 1:18 left to play.
Ahnell took the shotgun snap and rolled right finding an open Alec Stirling just passed the first down marker, but as the ball traveled on a line through the air, Poolesville linebacker Ben Pyser stuck his arm out from a spot hidden in coverage and batted the pass to the ground. Pyser, playing the flats in coverage, mirrored the rollout of Ahnell and beautifully timed the game saving pass deflection.
"This win was very big, we had to win this," Pyser explained after the game. His big play may have been the difference.
With only a minute left Poolesville would handoff once again to RJ King heading up the middle. The Wildcats would chase King for more than 60 yards, as he would put the punctuation mark on the game running all the way inside of the WJ five yardline and running out the clock on the next pair of plays.
As the final seconds ticked off, the complete relief and enjoyment of the teams first victory in 17 games was clearly evident. Ben Hessles, who had an outstanding all around game for Poolesville was moved to tears as he celebrated with his teammates.
"My offensive line was real good, my fullback did good, this was a team effort," RJ King made clear after the game. "We came to win, all week we studied and worked to see their weakness, and use our strengths. They chose us to play their homecoming; we just had to bring it hard."
PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
RJ King, Poolesville
He had the game clinching run of over 60 yards to ice the game, not to mention his 23 carries for 199 yards rushing. King was fed the ball in the second half and produced when the defense was focused on him making his totals even more impressive.
Ben Hassles, Poolesville
What an all-around game Hassles had. He was everywhere scoring on a rushing touchdown, passing for a score, and intercepting a key pass. Hassles had double digit catches on the night and was a threat even without the football, going in motion from the wing or the flank and drawing the defenses attention away from RJ King.
Michael Pitsenberger, Walter Johnson
He averaged over 9 yards per carry on the night, totaling 84 yards and two touchdowns. Without breaking a long run he was consistent as could be, producing an eight to ten yard gain on nearly every touch including a few runs after catches to add to his total yardage numbers.
Rich Benjamin, Walter Johnson
The left guard and defensive tackle played outstanding on both sides of the football. On offense he created holes and was WJ's most consistent pass blocker on the night. Defensively, Benjamin dominated at times, recording three sacks and a pair of tackles for loss, providing the Wildcats with a dynamic force inside.
