Mustang block party
Westfall beats Logan Elm in OT on deflected PAT

By BRAD MORRIS
SPORTS EDITOR
Published: Saturday, September 4, 2010 9:06 AM EDT

CIRCLEVILLE — With Westfall needing to block an extra point to beat Logan Elm on Friday, sophomore Luke Cline had only one agenda.

“As soon as I saw the center snap the ball I knew I was going to block the kick,” Cline said. “We had played with so much heart that I wanted to do my part for the team.”

Cline came off the left edge to block an extra point in overtime to seal a comeback 22-21 non-league win over host Logan Elm.
The Mustangs overcame a 12-0 deficit by relying on their running game. After gaining 63 yards in its opening week loss to Teays Valley, Westfall used 40 carries to pickup 200 yards and three touchdowns.

“We talked to our football team that running the ball successfully comes down to nothing more than playing with attitude,” Westfall head coach Scott Keller said. “I thought we were starting to doubt our ability to run the football after the Teays Valley game, but our kids, especially the offensive line, bought into playing with attitude and it paid off.”

Logan Elm (0-2) sent the game into overtime on a 26-yard field goal by Austin Davis as time expired to tie the score at 15-15.

Westfall answered back on its next possession with a nine-yard touchdown run from Dustin Barnes to go ahead 22-15.

“I saw the whole play pretty well and had my cutback lane open down the middle,” Barnes said. “Our offensive line did a good job on that play and for the whole night.”

Logan Elm converted a fourth-and-13 on a 22-yard pass from Anthony Vagnier to Tanner Smith to setup a one-yard sneak from Vagnier to cut the Westfall lead to one.

Following the Cline extra point block, the Mustangs rushed the field and lifted Cline in celebration.

The Mustangs (1-1) started their comeback with a eight-yard touchdown run by quarterback Trent Williamson to end the third quarter and a one-yard sneak by Williamson on fourth-and-goal with 1:14 left in regulation.

The Mustangs went ahead 15-12 on a Williamson jump pass to tight end Alek Stonerock for a two-point conversion.

“I drew up that (Tim) Tebow type play during the break,” Keller said. “We had never practiced that before, but I figured with us running a lot of quarterback isolation plays that it’d work.”

The Braves battled injuries before and during the game. Tanner Smith played quarterback for most of the game after Vagnier hurt his shoulder in practice and backup Chris Cline was hurt in last week’s junior varsity game.

Smith completed 6 of 9 passes for 61 yards, including a 16-yard fade route to Blake Riffle for a touchdown to put the Braves ahead 6-0 at halftime.

“Tanner came in and handled himself like a senior should,” Logan Elm head coach Scott Bartholomew said. “We put in a package for him this week in practice and he executed it with some big plays.

“Even when Tanner went to wide receiver, he had some big catches for us.”

Vagnier came into the game on the Braves’ second series in the second half after Riffle left the contest with an injury to handle punting duties and take most of the snaps under center.

Anthony Harr doubled the Logan Elm lead to 12-0 with a eight-yard touchdown run in the first series of the second half.

The Mustangs close their trip through the county next week at Circleville (1-1), while the Braves travel to Zane Trace (1-1).

“We have to come out and play a more disciplined game,” Bartholomew said. “We need to No. 1 cover our assignments and No. 2 play with an attitude.”