WHITE HOUSE The White House High football team entered Friday night’s Region 5-4A match-up against visiting Pearl-Cohn looking to avenge a playoff loss from last season that cost the Blue Devils a trip to the state semifinals.
However, it was the visiting Firebirds that used a 27-point second quarter to roll past White House, 41-3, at Dewey H. Whitson Stadium.
White House (4-4 overall, 1-3 in 5-4A) started the game with an defensive stand to keep the Firebirds out of the end zone despite a first-and-goal situation on their own 6 yard line.
White House High senior Luke Hopkins carries the football upfield during a game earlier this season.
The Blue Devil defense was able to turn the ball over twice on downs in the first quarter as Pearl-Cohn only led 7-0 at the end of the opening period.
Despite the spirited play on defense by the Blue Devils in the first quarter, the White House offense was never able to get going as the host squad was held without a first down in the opening quarter.
Pearl-Cohn (4-4, 4-0) showed how quickly it could change the game as they were able to score 20 points in less than five minutes, using big plays to build a 34-0 lead by halftime.
“We competed well in the first quarter, and I thought our intensity was good at the start of the game,” Blue Devil head coach Jeff Porter said. “There’s just no way in practice to simulate what you’re going to see out here (against the Firebirds), and that was a huge adjustment for us.”
White House was able to cut the deficit late in the game as sophomore linebacker Jordan Schaffer was able to intercept a Firebird pass.
From there White House moved the ball into field-goal range, and senior placekicker Logan Trimmer was able to get them on the board with a 52-yard field goal. The field goal is the second-longest in Blue Devil history and only missed setting the all-time mark by one yard.
“We have to put this one past us and move forward from here,” Porter said. “We are down to a two-game season, and we have to be ready next week.”
Pearl-Cohn senior quarterback Jimmy Ferrell passed for 313 yards and five touchdowns, completing 15 of 20 passes, and classmate Rontavious Groves caught seven passes for 135 yards (including touchdowns of 58, 24 and 7 yards).
White House was limited to 54 yards of total offense, rushing for 10 yards on 30 carries.
The Blue Devils will host Page on Friday for a non-region contest before playing at Maplewood to conclude the regular-season in a game that will have a playoff berth on the line.
Pearl Cohn
7
27
7
0
—
41
White House
0
0
0
3
—
3
PC – Rontavious Groves 24 pass from Jimmy Ferrell. Patrick Clippringer kick. PC – Ke’yuan Vaughn 14 run. Clippringer kick. PC – Darius Hunter 31 pass from Ferrell. Clippringer kick. PC – Groves 58 pass from Ferrell. PC – Jimmyrious Parker 71 pass from Ferrell. Clippriinger kick. PC – Groves 7 pass from Ferrell. Clippringer kick. WH – Logan Trimmer 52 field goal.
PC
WH
First Downs
22
6
Rushes-Yards
33-179
30-10
Comp-Att-Int
17-23-1
5-17-0
Passing Yards
339
44
Fumbles-Lost
1-0
2-0
Punts-Avg.
0-0
8-33
Penalties-Yards
6-41
4-40
RUSHING
Pearl Cohn – Ke’juan Vaughn 15-81, Jeremiah Montgomery 6-44, Jimmy Ferrell 7-28, Jimmyrious Parker 2-14, Xavier Shepherd 1-13, Rontavious Groves 1-7, Kenneth Brown 1-(-8).
White House – Preston Long 17-24, Austin Grissom 1-(-2), Steven Rankin 1-(-12).
PASSING
Pearl Cohn – Jimmy Ferrell 15-20-0-313, Xavier Shepherd 2-3-1-26.
White House – Steven Rankin 5-17-0-44.
RECEIVING
Pearl Cohn – Rontavious Groves 7-135, Jimmyrious Parker 3-95, Darius Hunter 3-61, Jermaine Simmons 1-16, Jayden Harrison 1-15, Kenneth Brown 1-11, Ke’juan Vaughn 1-6.
White House – Logan Trimmer 3-26, Luke Hopkins 2-18.