Chargers blank Wooddale in Class 3A playoff opener
For Martin-Westview, it was business as usual
The second-ranked Chargers locked down their fourth shutout of the season by subduing Memphis-Woodale 53-0 during the Class 3A playoff opening round at UT-Martin’s H.K. Grantham Field Friday night.
The Chargers, 11-0, will face a familiar foe in the second round when 8-3 Dyersburg visits UTM Friday night. The Trojans beat host Bolton 52-15. Westview beat Dyersburg 58-22 on Oct. 4.
Westview quarterback Graham Simpson had his usual great effort, completing 9 of 11 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns. The Chargers managed only 82 yards on the ground, but they didn’t need a ground game. For the game, Westview had 314 total yards.
The Chargers got things early, jumping on the Cardinals 20-0 in the first quarter. Asa Barnes got things started after Westview took over at the 4. From there, Barnes rambled in from the 4 with 9:32 to play. The try for two failed. With 4:00 to play in the first, Simpson dashed 9 yards for the TD. Donteze Joy hit Tyler Belew for the deuce. The Chargers intercepted a pass and late in the first, Simpson discovered CD Damron in the end zone for a 16-yard scoring pass. The Chargers led 20-0.
The second frame wasn’t much different.
Simpson located Joy for a 31-yard touchdown pass at the 10:39 mark. Joy ran in the two-pointer for a 28-0 lead. With 6:40 to play, Meeks dashed 18 yards for six points and the Chargers led 34-0. Fewer than two minutes later Barnes scampered in from the 4 for a 40-0 lead, followed by Simpson’s 27- yard pass to Joy at the :34 mark. Westview led 47-0 at the half.
With the clock running and the teams playing eight-minute quarters in the second half, the third quarter ended in a scoreless deadlock. But the Chargers did tack on one more TD when Ke’shun Frame skipped to paydirt from the 4 with 2:02 remaining. That’s how it ended.
Wooddale concludes its season a 3-8.
