It was oooh so close for the Patrick Henry Patriots Friday night at Merrill Gainer Field.
Matching the visiting Jefferson Forest Cavaliers touchdown for touchdown through 3 1/2 quarters, PH came up just short before falling 40-35 in an offensive showcase that was a thriller in front of a diehard crowd that weathered lightning, downpours and a 35 minute kickoff delay.
Few were complaining.
“That was a heck of a football game between two good teams,” Patriot head coach Alan Fiddler said afterward. “It was fun to be part of it. We just needed one more play before we ran out of time. I’m proud of these guys and feel good about our team.”
For the second week in a row, PH quarterback Quishon Calfee put the team on his shoulders, passing for 181 yards to go with 172 yards on 17 scrambling keepers.
Unlike the previous Friday’s lopsided win over Hidden Valley, Jefferson Forest brought some firepower of their own. None was more prevalent than senior running back Navy Jones, who rushed for 193 yards, scored four touchdowns and stuck a dagger in some PH momentum when he returned a punt 66 yards for a TD with 4:40 left in the third quarter to put the Cavaliers up 28-21.
But, Calfee answered with a 12-yard touchdown that knotted things at 28 heading into the fourth quarter.
Again, Jones countered with a 13-yard TD run with just over nine minutes left and Jefferson Forest left the door open when the ensuing point-after was swarmed under by the Patriot defensive front.
Calfee again rose to the occasion, scoring on a 32-yard run with 6:18 left. Avery Fulton split the uprights on the extra point, giving PH its first lead of the game at 35-34.
Thirty eight seconds later, Jefferson Forest running back Cam Miller-Trent went 54 yards for the winning score. Miller-Trent finished with 112 rushing yards on the night. PH had one last chance, but a fourth-down pass along the Patriot sideline fell incomplete and the Cavaliers ran out the clock
It was Jefferson Forest’s second win in as many weeks over a “Big-11” team. Week-one saw the Cavs down William Fleming 64-14.
“Patrick Henry is a very good team,” JF head coach Bob Christmas noted at midfield after praising his team for their perseverance. “Calfee is a great athlete and their team is so well coached. We were fortunate to come out on top.”
Christmas credited playing a pair a tough preseason games, including a Gainesville, Georgia powerhouse and the Salem Spartans, as keys to winning.
“The Gainesville team had a very elusive quarterback,” Christmas noted. “I’ve always believed if you play good people, you get better. We have 25 seniors on this team and the kids were confident tonight.”
The offensive prowess of the game was no better evident than the first two minutes of the second quarter when the teams combined for four touchdowns. Jefferson Forest fumbled on the first play after PH had tied things at 21, but the Patriots couldn’t cash in, a factor noted by Fiddler.
“They lost three fumbles,” Fiddler pointed out. “I wish we could have gotten some more points out of that.”
PH must now regroup for their cross-city matchup with rival William Fleming set for this Friday night at Fleming Stadium.
Bill Turner
