Lions Beat Poets 12 – 7, Advance to State Finals for Second Straight Year

by Emma Lochner for Walkersville High School Lion’s Pride

Walkersville Lions faced off against Dunbar Poets. A 12-0 team vs a 9-3 team. The Lions were clad in blue jerseys and white pants while the Poets wore their white jerseys and burgundy pants. Walkersville won 12-7 and advances to the state final game for the second year in a row.

Both teams warmed up on their own sides to the riveting music played. Before the game started principal Tracey Franklin acknowledged the firefighters, athletic boosters and the blue and gold crew. The student section prepared for the chalk throw, making sure every person had a handful of blue and gold chalk along with the junior student section with the middle schoolers. This game they even got the parents to join in with the chant and throwing of the chalk.

Lions started with the kick off. The Poets are stopped before the 50 by Patrick Pope. The Poets carried the ball but there’s a flag against the them. The Poets carried again after being pushed back five yards. But they were stopped by Jeremiah Sweet. Poets attempt a pass, but it was incomplete, followed by another incomplete pass. The Poets punted and that resulted in a turn over. Fumble on the play but it was recovered by Walkersville. Jacob Wetzel ran the ball about three yards afterwards in the next play. Lions punted the ball and the Poets caught it, and Jake Parson tackled.

Poets carried but were stopped at the 39 by Ty Littleton. The Poets tried to pass but it was incompleted. Lions almost sacked the quarterback but he threw it and the pass was completed and was then ran and made to a first down on the Lions 25 yard line. The Poets carried but were stopped early by Christian Policelli. The Poets pass but it was incompleted. Jacob Wetzel and Josh Polce defended for the Lions. The Poets passed but the receiver fumbled the ball and was then tackled by Aaron Jahnke and was incomplete. The Poets passed again, it was completed. However this resulted in a turn over to the Lions on downs.

Wetzel carried the ball all the way to a first down on the other side of the field, making the crowd roar. Lions attempted to carry again with Tyler Gleason but was stopped short. The Lions carried again but there was a dead ball penalty. This resulted in an offsides against Dunbar. The Lions pushed forward with Chad Gleason on the carry but were stopped short again. The Lions then scored the first touchdown of the game, Chad Gleason made the carry. The Lions extra point was blocked, making the score 6-0.
The Lions kicked the ball to the Poets. It was caught and then they were stopped early by Patrick Pope. Poets attempted a carry but there was a flag on the play. The Poets carried but do not get very far because Josh Polce stopped the ball carrier. The Poets carried but are stopped short once again by Christian Policelli. The Poets passed and it was completed but they were stopped right there by Policelli. Poets carried and got a first down. The Poets carried and was stopped by Chad Gleason. Poet’s attempted to pass it was incomplete. The Poets passed and it was incomplete again.

The Poets punt to turn it over, giving the Lions a first and ten. The first quarter ends there. The Lions have 6 and the Poets 0. The Lions started the next quarter with a carry by Chad Gleason, with a first down for Walkersville. Policelli attempted a carry but was blocked and pushed back by the Poets. Lions carried again, Wetzel was on the carry this time, gaining a couple yards. Lions attempt a pass with Billy Gant throwing. Wetzel nearly caught it but it was incomplete. Next play there was a dead ball penalty.

The Lions punted it to turn over but the Poets didn’t communicate and almost didn’t catch it as two of them ran into each other but it is caught and they are stopped at their 26 yard line. The Poets were stopped short again by Tyler Gleason. The Poets threw a complete pass but were eventually stopped. The Poets pass again but this time it was incomplete, Jake Parson defending. The Poets passed again but it was uncompleted, yet nearly intercepted by Policelli.

Chad Gleason caught the punt return. The next play Chad Gleason attempted a carry but was stopped short. Wetzel on the carry but only got a couple yards. Wetzel on the carry again and gets 58 yards resulting in a first down. Chad Gleason carried it next and got a first down, he carried again and got a couple yards. Gant passed it to Wetzel in the end zone and that was another touchdown for Walkersville. The Lions attempted for a two point conversion but it was no good making the score 12-0 Lions.

Policelli kicks for the return. The Poets caught it and were stopped at the 20. The Poets passed and were stopped short. The Poets carried and are stopped short once again by Policelli. Poets got a first down. Wetzel brutally tackled the Poets after they pass. The quarterback for the Poets missed his chance and runs but was stopped. Next they passed and it was stopped by Aaron Jahnke. Wetzel stopped the carrier but there is a flag on the next play. Dunbar got moved back 15 yards. Dunbar then called a timeout. Resuming the game, Dunbar carried with a long run and was stopped by Wetzel. The Poets passed but it was incomplete in the end zone. The Poets faked a pass and then carried it but are stopped short. The Poets attempt a pass to the endzone but it was incomplete. One more small play occurred before halftime, ending the first half with the Lions 12 and the Poets 0. The cheerleaders perform on the sideline before the band performs.

Senior Chad Gleason said, “we played outstanding. We came out here wanting to stop their big plays and that’s what helped us.”

Starting the second half the Poets kicked off to the Lions. Chad Gleason caught it and ran almost to the end zone. The Lions run two plays but did not make it anywhere far. The next play the Lions quarterback ran the ball about four yards. Wetzel was on the next carry but doesn’t make it very far. There was an official time out in the field with a Dunbar injury.

The ball was then turned over. Dunbar was unable to throw the ball so the quarterback ran it and was stopped just inside their 15 yard line. Policelli made a tackle to stop the advancement of Dunbar. Next play Jeremiah Sweet stopped it with a tackle. Poets gave a complete pass but was tackled by Chad Gleason. The Poets threw a pass but was tackled and the ball was fumbled but recovered by Dunbar. The Lions tackled the Poets for the next two plays. Dunbar got a first down. Dunbar got several yards with two plays next. Policelli made the tackle on the next play. Wetzel intercepted a beautiful pass and ran to the 33 yard line.

A time out followed this play, the ball now in the possession of the Lions. Next two plays were small runs by the Lions. Lions quarterback was sacked before running very far, gaining 4 yards. Lions punt. Dunbars ball. Poets were stopped by Jake Parson on their run which concludes the third quarter of the game, Lions still ahead 12-0.

The Poets started with the ball, running some small plays. Dunbar throws an incomplete pass. After two more plays the quarterback was sacked by Joe Goline. Followed by a first down and then an incomplete pass. A complete pass follows that with a couple yards in the next play. Two tackles follow those plays. Right after that there was an incomplete pass on Dunbar’s part. Dunbar attempts to pass into the endzone but it was incomplete. Another incomplete pass to the endzone by the Poets. Dunbars quarterback was sacked but he passed it to his teammate before going down, Lions tackle that player a couple yards later. Lions ball. Two plays later and no progress. Wetzel on the carry didn’’t get very far. A flag on the play while the ball passed.

Lions punt and it was recovered by the Poets. The Poets made a long run before being tackled but there was a penalty on the play. Flag against Walkersville resulted in the Poets getting a first and goal. Walkersville stops Dunbar short of the goal. Next play there was a touchdown for Dunbar, and their extra point was good making the score 12 -7.

Dunbar kicked for the return but there was a flag on the play. This resulted in Dunbar having to redo the kick. Another flag on the play, offsides on Dunbar. The penalty was a dead ball penalty. This moved the teams back and then they redid the kick one last time. Wetzel caught the ball and ran it for a first down. C. Gleason ran it next, only getting a few yards. Same thing happened in the next play. A time out followed. The clock was reset to 2:35. C. Gleason runs it again and got only a few yards. Dunbar got a penalty giving Walkersville a first down.

The Lions let the clock run out. Walkersville Lions win 12-7 against Dunbar Poets. Senior Cameron Sloan said, “it was an emotional rollercoaster, I’m just glad we came out on top.” Very excitedly the Lions student section waits for the teams to shake hands before joining them on the field in congratulations. Senior Kyle Daggett said, “we did alright. They are a really good team and over time we had some good plays. Wetzel is a beast. We gotta bend not break — that’s just how it is.”