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Big plays enough to get Jefferson past Wheeling Park

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Nov 17, 2023

Tay’Shaun Roper breaks a tackle for yardage in Jefferson High School’s first round victory against Wheeling Park High School on Friday night. David Pennock

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION — Three long-yardage plays carried Jefferson High School past visiting Wheeling Park High School and into the quarterfinals of the West Virginia football playoffs.

Tay’Shaun Roper provided the Cougars with much of their additional playoff life with his 90-yard TD run and 46-yard interception return score, as Jefferson won a first-round playoff game for the third consecutive season.

The intense defensive drama finally landed in Jefferson’s win column at 21-14 when Wheeling Park’s last-seconds onside kick following its second TD took a high hop over the Cougar first wave of receivers and was secured by Dylan Harich.

In staving off the Patriots, Jefferson moves to tonight’s quarterfinal game at 7:30 p.m. at Martinsburg (a 55-7 first-round winner over Parkersburg South) at David Walker Stadium.

Wheeling Park, the No. 11 seed, didn’t go quietly. But Jefferson had enough “home run” touchdowns to keep the Patriots from winning and advancing.

Nolan Meehleib makes a secure tackle on Jameson Maynard in Jefferson High School’s first round win against visiting Wheeling Park High School on Friday. David Pennock

Roper’s first TD contribution came on his 90-yard, tackles-shedding run early in the first period. It turned out to be Jefferson’s only points of a stalemated first half.

Wheeling Park drove to within field goal range but missed a 31-yard attempt.

In the second quarter, the Patriots controlled the ball for about nine minutes before getting the game-tying points.

With the score even at 7-7, Jefferson’s Jackson Rockwell took the ensuing kickoff and fled 56 yards all the way to the Patriot 10.

But Jefferson could not score . . . and at halftime it was still a 7-7 game.

There were no points in the third quarter.

A totally botched pass coverage by the Patriots to open the final period saw Harich throw to an uncovered Demarius Walker for a 36-yard TD as the Cougars grabbed another short lead at 14-7.

Then came Roper’s second hugely significant play. He intercepted an Aiden Davis pass and returned it 46 yards, giving the hard-pressed Cougars a 21-7 lead with just over three minutes to play.

Very little time remained when Amare Johnson scored on a two-yard run that brought the Patriot deficit back to 21-14.

Harich secured the subsequent onside kick and Jefferson was through to the quarterfinals.

Jefferson’s 99 yards of total offense and nine first downs had somehow been enough because its defense had withstood quarterback Davis and his 24-of-35 showing and 208 yards.

The Cougars had Roper’s pair of long-range TDs and Rockwell’s scoring catch. And they could hand out game balls to the defense that had carried the cool night and taken them back to neighboring Martinsburg High School tonight.