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Kenny Fey

Seneca High School’s Kyle Edwards dives across the goal line as West-Oak’s Ethan Partee and Devin Justice, top, defend during the third quarter Friday night at Warrior Field in Westminster. Seneca won the game 14-6.

WESTMINSTER — For 34 minutes and 41 seconds, West-Oak and Seneca high schools gave no reason for anyone to believe that either team would ever turn the zeroes on the scoreboard into positive numbers.

In fact, with the way the game had played up that point, negative numbers might have seemed more likely.

Over the next three minutes and 31 seconds, though, the two teams combined for 20 points, and ultimately Seneca managed to hold on late for a 14-6 victory.

“(The) defense was unbelievable,” Seneca head coach Ron Duncan said. “Three turnovers in the first half, some of them down (near) the end zone, and the defense bowed their head and played extremely hard. I’m very proud of them.”

That defense turned the tide of the game and helped the Bobcats get on the board first and stay there.

With West-Oak on its own 8-yard line, quarterback Evan Small was intercepted by Adrian Mayes. After a strong return and an illegal block in the back penalty on West-Oak, the Bobcats were in business at the 7-yard line.

Three plays later, Kyle Edwards scampered into the end zone from four yards out to end the scoring drought.

“We killed ourselves,” West-Oak head coach Jay Brannon said. “Too many mistakes, too many penalties, too many turnovers.”

The Warriors lost a fumble on the night, threw two interceptions and committed nine penalties.

On the ensuing kickoff, though, they did everything right, and Ethan Partee went 91 yards for a touchdown.

Ryan Holdren missed the extra point, leaving the Bobcats up 7-6.

And to make sure it stayed that way, Seneca went ahead and pulled out some special teams magic of its own.

Kenny Watt took the kickoff 78 yards down to West-Oak’s 10-yard line. After settling for a 25-yard field goal, a personal foul penalty was called against West-Oak. Seneca accepted the penalty and took the points off the board.

With a new set of downs, Edwards again found the end zone, this time from 1 yard out to give the Bobcats an eight-point lead.

Despite the win, it wasn’t all pretty for Seneca. It lost four fumbles total, with the fourth coming with 2:40 remaining in the game. That gave West-Oak the ball on its own 43-yard line, but the Warriors were only able to advance the ball 15 yards before turning it over on downs.

And that drive was the culmination of what was a struggle all night offensively for the Warriors. They lost running back Austin Doyle on the fifth play of the game with a sprained MCL and were unable to establish any type of consistent running attack in his absence.

It was West-Oak, though, that had the first opportunity to get on the scoreboard.

Edwards fumbled a snap on the Bobcats’ 23-yard line, giving the ball to the Warriors in prime position.

But West-Oak lost 3 yards on the drive, before turning failing to convert a fourth-and-13.

Yet, the Warriors were handed another golden opportunity before the half.

Darrell Nelson fumbled on Seneca’s 19-yard line, and the Warriors recovered with 1:17 left in the half.

Then with four seconds remaining in the half, Adrien Bibb plowed ahead from the 2-yard line, but he was stopped short of the goal line and the clock expired, leaving West-Oak — and the game, scoreless at the half.

“With the weather conditions and everything else, our O-line said we could get it so I’ve got to trust my kids and they just made a play,” Brannon said. “Seneca’s got a good front four.”

With Greenville defeating J.L. Mann 30-11, Seneca will travel to J.L Mann for a first-round playoff game next week, while West-Oak will open its postseason at Greenville.

Seneca 14, West-Oak 6

SHS 0 0 7 7 — 14

WOW 0 0 6 0 — 6

SCORING SUMMARY

Third Quarter

S — Edwards 4 run (Rothell kick), 1:19

W — Partee 91 kickoff return (kick failed), :57

Fourth Quarter

S — Edwards 1 run (Rothell kick), 9:49

TEAM STATISTICS

SHS WOW

First downs 3 9

Rushes-yards 34-101 44-148

Com-Att-Int 0-6-0 4-19-2

Passing Yards 0 44

Fumbles-lost 5-4 2-1

Penalties-yards 4-35 9-54

Punts-Avg. 6-40.2 4-33

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing — Seneca, Beitz 12-59, Nelson 6-25, Edwards 6-8, Blassingame 3-4, Haymond 2-3, Land 1-1, Boyd 4-1. West-Oak, Bibb 22-100, Maness 10-27, Doyle 2-8, Jenkins 4-7, Wheeler 2-4, Partee 1-3, Small 3 – (-)1.

Passing — Seneca, Edward 0-6-0 0. West-Oak, Small 4-18-2 44, Bibb 0-1-0 0.

Receiving — West-Oak, Bibb 2-18, Goss 1-16, Des Marias 1-10.