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The Parry McCluer High School football team suffered a 57-0 road loss to Altavista on Friday night.
Altavista (8-0) dominated on both sides of the ball, leaving the Fighting Blues (5-3) in an uphill battle from the outset of the nondistrict game.
PM’s offense found it difficult to penetrate Altavista’s defense, which held the Blues scoreless in all four quarters.
Despite a few early attempts to establish a running game, key tackles and turnovers shifted momentum to the opposition. Altavista’s offense kept up a steady barrage of long passes and swift running plays, contributing to the lopsided scoreline.
“We were getting beat up front,” said PM head coach Jeremiah Brockenbrough. “Their defensive and offensive lines were better than ours at times, most of the time. We weren’t really able to get anything going. They were shutting down everything we were doing. That’s what good football teams do. They take away what we’re good at.”
The Blues had just 52 total yards of offense. Jacob Shafer led the Blues with 15 yards on 11 carries. PM junior starting quarterback Nathan Glass was injured early in the game, so senior Jase Barger stepped in for him, completing 6-of-11 passes for 49 yards.
Brockenbrough praised his team’s poise. “The kids kept their composure while losing,” he said. “They kept their attitude in check. We only got four penalties.”
The PM coach said the team will focus on improving their offensive and defensive fronts this week in practice. He reminded his players of their resilience. “We’re a 5-3 team, not a 3-5 team,” said Brockenbrough. “This is a winning program.”
The Blues, who are 1-1 in the Pioneer District, will look to regroup and refocus before taking on another undefeated team, district rival Bath County (7-0 overall, 2-0 district), on Friday at 7 p.m. in Hot Springs.
ABOVE, After receiving the handoff from senior quarterback JaseBarger(6),PMseniorrunning back Jackson Brockenbrough runs with the ball as teammates block for him. AT LEFT, Barger looks for a teammate to pass to. For the game, after stepping in for injured starting quarterback Nathan Glass, Barger completed 6-of-11 passes for 49 yards. BELOW, Barger prepares to hand the ball off to junior running back Jacob Shafer, who led the Blues with 15 yards on 11 carries. (Ronnie Coffey photos)
