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Jefferson defense continues improvement

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Sep 24, 2021

Cougars receiver Spencer Powell (23) pulls in a perfectly thrown pass from quarterback Sammy Roberts for Jefferson’s first touchdown of Friday night’s winning game. The Cougars beat the Cardinals, 34-7. David Pennock

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION — It’s four games into the high school football season. All the scheduled games have been played. And after Jefferson all but silenced invading Spring Mills last week, the Cougars are 4-0 and rapidly rising in the state of West Virginia ratings.

In the past three games — all wins coming over Sherando, Musselman and the Cardinals — the Cougars have ceded only five TDs to the teams chasing them.

With running back Evan Tewell doing the most damage to Spring Mills with his churning legs, it was the Jefferson defense that allowed only one score in a 34-7 win on the bright new artificial turf field in Shenandoah Junction.

Spring Mills is now 2-2 overall.

Joey Slaughter, Keyshawn Robinson, Caysen Lanza and defensive company claimed their share of the limelight in stopping the Cardinals.

Lee Forshee upends Spring Mills quarterback Bernard Newman on Friday night. David Pennock

After first appearing in the West Virginia Metro News top 10 football ratings last week, the Cougars remained among the dwindling number of unbeaten teams in the Class AAA ranks.

Tewell, who is Jefferson’s leading ground gainer through four games, was at the forefront of the offense last week after quarterback Sammy Roberts and receivers Spencer Powell, Caleb Shelton and Lanza had mostly helped dismantle Millbrook, Sherando and Musselman to begin the 2021 season.

Spring Mills couldn’t generate much offense and managed little consistency in the loss to the opportunistic Cougars.

Scheduled to be back on the road this evening for a 6 p.m. game at North Hagerstown at Mike Callas Stadium, the Cougars now seek to keep pace with state powers Martinsburg, Huntington and Bridgeport — all unbeaten teams after four weeks.

The Cougars are scheduled to return home on Friday, Oct. 1, to play South Hagerstown.

Spencer Powell stretches out for a pass thrown just beyond his grasp, during Friday night’s game against the Cardinals. David Pennock

This week’s game at the brick stadium on Pennsylvania Ave. against the Hubs, who were slated to play winless Tuscarora on Monday, Sept. 20, will be on artificial turf, a surface the Cougars are quickly finding to their liking after stopping Millbrook and Spring Mills at home.

Defense, especially one that has moved forward in the past three weeks, could be the deciding factor in any postseason games played on cold nights in November.

And the Jefferson defense has quietly made positive strides as the Cougars still stampeded opponents with their offensive numbers.