The W. T. Woodson Cavaliers opened the 2013 football season against crosstown rival Fairfax on Thursday night at home on the new field turf at Pat Cunningham Stadium. Unfortunately for Woodson, despite putting on a solid, hard-hitting performance in front of the energetic home crowd the Cavs fell to the Rebels 14 – 7 in the inaugural Chick-fil-A Cup game.
The game was a defensive affair throughout, with most offensive series for both teams ending with a punt or turnover. After a scoreless first quarter, Fairfax gained the upper hand with touchdowns in the second and third quarters to move ahead of the Cavaliers 14 – 0 at the midway point of the third quarter. The Cavaliers responded with a touchdown later in the third period to close the gap to seven points. Although Woodson had several possessions in the fourth quarter, they failed to move into scoring position as the clock wound down, allowing the Rebels to claim victory in the first contest played on Woodson’s new field.
The Cavaliers played particularly well on defense most of the evening, holding the Rebels’ star running back Nick Scott in check most of the game. Scott, however, managed to break two big scoring plays--a 50 yard touchdown reception and a 31 yard run--to give Fairfax the points needed to win. On defense for the Cavs, Zach Bosco, China Moon, Anders Bright (field goal block), and Jimmy McLaughlin (interception/fumble recovery) all had standout games.
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On offense the Cavs showed flashes of potential against the Rebels. Woodson features a number of new skill position players on offense this year. First year starter, junior QB Patrick Riley played well against Fairfax, effectively managing the Cavs’ power dive running game. In the air, Riley connected with Jimmy McLaughlin on a 33 yard touchdown pass for Woodson’s lone score. The running game generated several first downs, but failed to consistently move the chains. And, the passing game nearly clicked on several possible big plays. In sum, the ingredients seem in place for an effective, balanced Cavs offense in 2013.
Next up for the Cavaliers are the Rams of Robinson on Friday September 6th at Robinson. Woodson and Robinson have not met in a regular season match in recent memory. The Cavs and Rams both enter the game 0 - 1, and the contest will be a good gauge of what lays ahead for each team in 2013.
