Scrappy Highlanders come up just short in game with Fleming

After losing previously scheduled dates with James River, Carroll County and Northside the Glenvar football team found a willing opponent in William Fleming, and the Highlanders scheduled the Colonels for a rare mid-week contest. It proved to be a good match, as the Class 2 Highlanders battled their Class 5 visitors to the end before falling, 32-22, at Highlander Stadium Tuesday.

The game didn’t start out well for Glenvar. The Highlanders tried an onside kick to open the game but the ball didn’t go 10 yards and the Colonels took possession. Fleming promptly drove for a score and a 7-0 lead just under four minutes into the game.

The ensuing kickoff didn’t go any better as Fleming stole the ball from the Glenvar return man at the Highlanders’ 16, leading to a second touchdown with 5:04 left in the first quarter. The conversion was good and the Highlanders found themselves down two touchdowns before they even ran a play from scrimmage.

Once Glenvar put the offense on the field things perked up. Quarterback Aiden Wolk found Colvin Delano for a 49 yard touchdown pass with 2:28 to go in the quarter. The extra point attempt failed but the Highlanders had the lead trimmed to 14-6 at the end of the first period.

The only score of the second quarter was a 21 yard field goal by Fleming, and Glenvar had the ball first to open the second half. That proved to be advantageous when Wolk hit Jackson Swanson on a short pass and the sophomore took it 60 yards to the house. Wolk found Jeb Secrist in the end zone for a two point conversion and all of a sudden it was a 17-14 ballgame.

Fleming answered with a 10 yard TD run by speedy quarterback Dashawn Lewis, but the conversion failed and Glenvar was within nine at 23-14. Then, on the ensuing drive, the Highlanders appeared to be stopped at midfield with the punt team on the field. However, a short snap to Kyle Hanks on a fake gave Glenvar a first down to keep the drive alive.

The Highlanders moved the ball inside the 10, where they faced a fourth and one with just 4.9 seconds remaining in the third period. At that point a Fleming lineman was drawn offsides to give the Highlanders a first down, and on the last play of the quarter Hanks went over for the score. Wolk passed to Dagan Williams for two and Glenvar drew to within a point at 23-22 with a quarter still to go.

Glenvar had great field position when Williams intercepted a Lewis pass at the Fleming 36 just 39 seconds into the quarter. However, Fleming got the ball right back on an interception and was able to kill off some time before punting. Glenvar then was stopped deep their own territory, and on fourth down at the 15 punter Secrist saw the ball snapped well over his head and into the end zone for a safety, making the lead three at 25-22.

That proved to be big, as Fleming got the ball back with 5:39 on the clock and was able keep it on the ground as the clock wound down. The Colonels scored on fourth down from the one with 42 seconds remaining to end the game for all intents and purposes, 32-22.

With the loss Glenvar fell to 0-2 and they only have three days between their next game, a Saturday home contest with Floyd County. That will be Glenvar’s first Three Rivers District game, and it’s set for a 1 pm start at Highlander Stadium.