Caleb Wright carries the mail against Auburn Friday night. (Tina Quesenberry photo)
By RODNEY YOUNG
Patriot Publishing
Playing their home opener on Friday, the Fort Chiswell Pioneers fell behind early and couldn’t recover as they lost to the visiting Eagles of Auburn, 29-13.
Auburn was led by junior running back Isayah Hamann as he carried the pigskin 23 times for 162 yards, scored two touchdowns and also had a two-point conversion run. Sophomore Ethan Brunk had 28 tough yards on eight carries. Quarterback Cameron Branch threw for 32 yards . He tossed one touchdown and was intercepted twice.
Hamann scored the Eagles’ first touchdown with 9:37 showing in the opening quarter as he scored on a five-yard run, with Eli Olinger’s point after putting the Eagles up 7-0.
All this happened after the Pioneers had fumbled the ball at their own 40-yard line.
Auburn (2-1) scored again with 2:09 left in the opening quarter with Brunk scoring on a seven-yard run off tackle, but their point after kick was blocked leaving them up, 13-0.
They would then intercept a Fort Chiswell pass and two plays later Caiden Clark caught a 12-yard pass in the corner of the endzone. Brunk would run in the two-point conversion to go up 21-0 with 11:13 left in the first half.
Fort Chiswell would finally get on the scoreboard at the 2:38 mark in the half with Aiden Rooney catching a six-yard pass over the middle from QB Chase Hetherington and Dakota Bailey’s kick had the scor,e 21-7 and that was the halftime score.
The Pioneers would then cut the deficit to eight, 21-13 in the third quarter with Garrett Stone hauling in a 10-yard pass from Hetherington. Bailey’s kick, however, would be wide left as the score remained 21-13 with 6:12 showing in the third.
The two teams would exchange possessions, and Fort Chiswell would be forced to punt late in the quarter. Their snap back to the punter was fumbled and the Eagles would recover at the Fort Chiswell 20 yard line.
On their second play Hamann would go around left end and break a couple of arm tackles for a 16-yard touchdown. He would then take the snap from center and go right up the gut on a two-point conversion to put the game away, 29-13.
Pioneer head coach Cory Mabry in a very solemn locker room remarked, “We dug ourselves an early hole and we didn’t find our way out of it.” He addedd, “We made too many mistakes and missed too many tackles. We arm tackled and Hamann ( Isayah) is too good to be arm tackled.”
Fort Chiswell was led in rushing by Caleb Wright with 78 yards on 20 rushes, with Hetherington finishing with 56 yards on 17 carries. Three of the Pioneers turnovers lead to 23 Auburn points.
Auburn 13 8 0 8 – 29
Fort Chiswell 0 7 6 0 -13
Rushing– Auburn – Hamann 23-162, Brunk 8-28, Branch 4-7, Calhoun 2-5, Fort Chiswell – Wright 20-78, Hetherington 17-56, Maxwell 1-1, Stone 3-10
Passing – Auburn – Branch – 4-12- 2 Ints.- 1 TD.- 32 yds., Fort Chiswell – Hetherington – 7-13- 3 Ints.- 2 TDs- 32 yds.
Receptions – Auburn – King 1-9, Clark 2-20- TD., Axline 1-3, Fort Chiswell – Maxwell 2-10, Stone 1-10-TD., Rooney 1-6-TD., Bailey 1-7, Martin 1-2, Eversole 1- ( minus 3)
First Downs – Auburn 13, Fort Chiswell 10
Fumb. / Lost – Auburn 2 /1, Fort Chiswell 3 / 2
Penalties – Auburn 11 – 100 yds., Fort Chiswell 9-43 yds.
Total yds. – Auburn 234, Fort Chiswell 177
Turnovers – Auburn 3, Fort Chiswell 5
Punts / Avg. – Auburn 4 / 31-8, Fort Chiswell 2 / 34.5
