Kemp Leads Patriots Over Big Reds 19-13 In Double Overtime

Game Statistics / Game Photos

The 50th "Battle of the Burg" will be remembered as one of the best.

For the first time in history the two teams battled through two overtimes to determine the winner in a wild game that saw PHS dominate the first half, South the second and then came some plays to remember in the extra periods.

J.T. Kemp was without a doubt the hero for South as the 6-foot-2, 230 poound junior ran over and through the PHS defense in the second half and overtime periods for 151 yards on 22 carries and a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winner in the second OT.

The win enabled South to finish 5-5 while PHS ended 4-6. Losses by Hedgesville and Elkins probably means the Patriots will not advance to the playoffs.

Kemp, who was bigger than virtually anyone PHS had on defense, was held to just eight yards rushing on four attempts in the first half as South was totally dominated through the first 24 minutes. The Big Reds held South to just two first downs and only 18 yards rushing in the first half. The Patriots completed just one pass (for 28 yards on a screen play) and PHS enjoyed a whopping 17:39 to 6:12 advantage in time of possession. The Big Reds had 182 yards in the first half.

Despite the one-sidedness of the first half in their favor, the Big Reds could produce just one touchdown and that didn't come until the final 1:18 of the second quarter. They were held to two field goal tries, 32 and 37 yards, and both were missed.

On the first series of the game, PHS drove to the South six yard line but a dropped snap from center lost nine yards and Christian Axman came on to try a 32 yard field goal which was wide right.

On their second series the Big Reds again moved the ball deep into South territory, going to the 13 before the team was hit with a holding penalty and on third down a South blitz sacked Bradley Craig for a 14 yard loss. The big play on that drive ws a 21 yard gain on a hook-and-ladder pass and lateral to Brenton Strange and then Easton Martin.

While stopping South on virtually every play, PHS could not capitalize offensively. The Big Res' third series went to the South 14 but a penalty and two incomplete passes (one to Strange in the end zone which he almost caught for a score) forced another field goal try with the same results as the first.

With just over five minutes left in the half, PHS started its next possession on its own 31 and on the first play Craig scrambled right, then reversed his field and went all the way for a touchdown, only to have it called back by a personal foul penalty which came very late and 15 yards behind the play. That put the ball back to the South 29 and although it took eight plays, the Big Reds scored when Martin went over left guard from two yards out.

Axman then barely missed the extra point attempt for a 6-0 lead.

It was not until the last five minutes of the third quarter that South realized it had a runaway freight train in Kemp and all the Patriots had to do was give him the ball and get out of the way. Starting at the South 40, Kemp led the way with six rushes for 48 yards for the touchdown on a run which saw him carry defenders into the end zone.

The Nick Yoho's extra point kick was blocked by Karson Snyder and the score stood 6-6 with 11:53 left in regulation.

The Big Reds got one first down on their ensuing series but had to punt and South took over on its own 25. Seven carries by Kemp for 42 yards moved the ball to the 22 but on fourth and two, Davey McNemar broke through to stop Kemp for no gain.

Neither team threatened the rest of the way and on came overtime for only the second time in the PHS-South series (1984 being the other).

South took possession first and scored on third down from the one when quarterback Brandon Hall tried to sneak it over with a helping push from behind by Kemp but he lost the ball. However, Kyle Shreeves picked it up from between the legs of a Big Red lineman like a rugby scrum and stepped into the end zone.

Yoho's kick made it 13-6.

PHS answered despite a couple of penalties when Craig found Karson Snyder in the end zone from the 25. On the play before Snyder had been bumped in the end zone on an incompletion with no flag being thrown.

Axman's kick tied the game at 13-all.

PHS self-destructed on the first possession of the second overtime with a fumble, two incomplete passes and a bad snap sack.

South then rode Kemp to the victory by giving him the ball four times for the required 20 yards and a touchdown as he ran over two would-be tacklers and then plowed into the end zone for the victory.

While Kemp had 159 of his team's 235 yards, PHS got 171 of its 231 yards through the air as Craig completed 16 of 25 with one interception. Strange caught a record-tying 10 passes for 92 yards while Snyder's touchdown was the 20th of his career, tying the school record set by Jeremy Bell and was the 12th of the season to set a new all-time record.

In the second half, South a 16:34 to 7:26 margin in time of possession.

Park. South Patriots vs Parkersburg Big Reds (Nov 4, 2016 at Parkersburg)
Score by Quarters                    1 2 3 4 OT -        Total
Park. South Patriots             0 0 0 6 7 6 -        19
Parkersburg Big Reds            0 6 0 0 7 0  -        13
Qtr Time Scoring play
2nd 01:18 PHS - Easton Martin 2 yd run (Christian Axman kick failed), 9-69 3:39
4th 11:53 SP - J.T. Kemp 7 yd run (Nick Yoho kick failed), 11-60 5:09
OT 12:00 SP - Kyle Shreeves 1 yd run (Nick Yoho kick), 10-0 0:00
12:00 PHS - Karson Snyder 25 yd pass from Bradley Craig (Christian Axman kick), 10-0 0:00
12:00 SP - J.T. Kemp 1 yd run, 5-20 0:00