Wolves unable to withstand Wingate comeback

NEWBERRY – Newberry used a pair of trick plays to gain the lead, but 21 a stingy defensive effort and 21 unanswered points over the final 15:07 gave Wingate a 31-17 win, its second consecutive win over the Wolves.

Wingate (6-3, 3-2 SAC) marched down the field methodically on its first drive, using a 17-yard rush by Nijere Peoples to take a 7-0 lead. The defense forced a Newberry punt five plays later and was poised to take over in good field position following a 42-yard Shea Rodgers punt.

But a muffed punt and Baylen English’s recovery at the 29 gave the offense new life from the 29-yard line. Three straight rushes moved the ball to 15 before Newberry reached deep into its bag of tricks. Darius Clark ended up with the ball on a reverse play, then twirled a touchdown pass to Markell Castle in the corner of the end zone to tie the game at seven apiece.

Both teams struggled to gain separation throughout the rest of the quarter and into the second before the Wolves marched into Wingate territory late in the first half with the score still knotted. Newberry lined up to take a snap on 4th and a yard from the Wingate 29, but a false start moved the ball back five yards.

Unfazed, Newberry again sent its offense onto the field and ran a nearly identical play to its previous touchdown. This time, Castle threw a touchdown to Austin Gordon as he tumbled to the turf in the end zone to give the Wolves the lead.

Wingate, however, asserted its dominance after the break. With Newberry ahead 14-10 after a Wingate field goal, Anthony Blue picked off a Shaw Crocker pass at the Wingate 42 and returned 34 yards to the 8. The ensuing drive picked up no yards on six plays, even after a targeting penalty on star defensive lineman Cardell Rawlings gave the offense another first down, and Newberry was forced to settle for a short field goal with 4:42 remaining in the third quarter.

From that point, the Bulldogs were nigh unstoppable. The visitors picked up 215 yards on 30 offensive snaps while holding Newberry to 11 yards on 15 plays. The Bulldogs’ secondary picked off two Nick Jones passes. Wingate picked up each of its final six third downs. And Wingate held the ball for 13:53 compared to Newberry’s 5:43, wearing down the Wolves’ typically impenetrable defense.

Wingate was limited to 353 yards, 48 below its season average, but Newberry was held to a season-low 181 yards of total offense. Newberry had five different players throw passes, went 8-for-17 through the air with a pair of interceptions, and rushed 41 times for 81 yards.

Joe Blue had an incredible day for the Wolves defensively. The senior standout finished with 13 tackles, a pair of tackles for loss, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry. He moved into 10th place in school history in tackles with 279, two shy of former linebacker and current assistant coach Jeremiah Jones for ninth.

Jamarcus Henderson was second with eight tackles and led the team with three quarterback hurries. Darryl Foster and Jawanza Adams each had seven stops.

Markell Castle rushed for four yards, passed for 34 and a score, and caught three passes for 24 yards and another touchdown. He moved into second place in career receptions, giving him the runner-up position in every major receiving category in school history (149 receptions, 2,320 yards, 23 touchdowns).

Newberry returns to Setzler Field for the final time in 2018 against Catawba Saturday at 1:00 p.m.