It took Four Days but Panthers Secure Season-Opening Victory

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun.com Editor

Sterling - Potomac Falls High School football coach Scott Woodlief thought his team was ready to play its season opener last Friday. After it was postponed to Saturday, he thought his team was really ready to play. Then the game was delayed deep into the first half with PF ahead 14-0 against Jefferson, W.V.

Would the Panthers be ready to finish the game off on Monday night?

"How do you get a team up for the same team, three different days?," wondered Woodlief.

No worries for Woodlief as his young team -- just 10 seniors after graduating a group of 20 last year that took the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time in school history -- took care of business on a glorious late summer evening, pounding the visitors for a decisive 42-0 non-district win.

Some new starters for PF made a great first impression with sophomore running back Tyler Caldwell stepping in for the graduated Michael Baker and scoring twice.

"There were a lot of jitters, the first time coming out here," said Caldwell who had to wait four days total to finish his first varsity start. "Waiting to finish this game off was exciting but also stressful because you had to get ready every day, but it was worth it."

Junior Zach Hobby started at quarterback, replacing 3-year starter and coaches son, Greg Woodlief. Hobby ran the ball well out of some option sets and showed an ability to get the ball into the hands of senior playmaker Tarrell Owens, who had a 18-yard touchdown catch, a 48-yard reception and a 92-yard punt return for a score called back by a penalty that didn't really affect the return.

"He's a safety valve, every quarterback would love to have him," said Hobby.

Owens, however, didn't outscore fellow senior, lineman Mason Mehalic, who recovered a fumble for a score early in the contest on Saturday night and then picked up a fumble in the fourth quarter and rumbled 30 yards for a touchdown.

PF had scored Saturday on Mehalic's fumble recover and a Caldwell rushing score. On Monday they took over with 4:48 to go in the first half and the ball on the Panther 40. PF went right to work with Hobby breaking off an 8-yard run followed by Caldwell for a first down at midfield.

Hobby hit junior Eric Davis for seven yards and then kept the ball for five after a 5-yard penalty against PF. Hobby completed an 18-yard pass to Owens to move the ball to the 25 and Caldwell, a tough runner to bring down despite being listed at 5-foot-5, 143-pounds in the program, went for seven yards.

Hobby then put the ball up for Ownes on the fade route in the corner of the end zone and the athletic 6-foot-2 receiver went up and caught the ball for the score to make it 21-0.

In the second half, Hobby's 27-yard keeper on the option set up a Caldwell score from the 1. At one point in the game, Hobby and Caldwell were so deceptive on the option that the officials blew a play dead with Caldwell gang-tackled at the line of scrimmage ... only Hobby had the ball and was turning the corner near the PF bench when the whistles blew.

Mehalic's return made it 35-0 and the PF second offensive unit got into the act with back-up quarterback sophomore Kyle Bulger hitting senior Harrison Kee for a 15-yard score with less than a minute left in the contest.

Potomac Falls 42, Jefferson WV 0
Jefferson 0 0   0  0   - 0
PF          7 14 7 14 - 42
PF - Mehalic fumble recovery
PF - Caldwell run
PF - Owens 18 pass from Hobby
PF - Caldwell 1 run
PF - Mehalic 30 fumble return
PF - Kee 15 pass from Bulger