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Boice’s big effort helps Parkersburg Catholic handle Gilmer County

Parkersburg Catholic’s Jalen Brunny sacks Gilmer County quarterback Ean Hamrick during Saturday’s game.

 

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — For any team opposing Parkersburg Catholic, the game plan centers around slowing down Jeb Boice.

Boice, an explosive senior tailback, plays a prominent role in just about everything the Crusaders do. He did so Saturday with a hand in all five of his team’s first-half touchdowns to lead the Crusaders over Gilmer County, 60-14, at Parkersburg High’s Stadium Field.

“I always tell people, Jeb is a very confident kid. He’s very confident in what he can do,” PC head coach Lance Binegar said. “I ask him to do all kinds of stuff and he can do it. He thrives off that. The more I ask of him, the more he’s excited, because that means he’s more invovled. He loves it.”

Before being overwhelmed by Boice, the Titans (1-3) got off to the start they desired. Gilmer County covered 59 yards in six plays and struck first on a 3-yard pass from Ean Hamrick to Kyle Moss for a 7-0 lead at the 10-minute mark of the opening quarter.

Fifteen seconds later, however, the game was tied at 7 when Boice raced to the end zone for a 58-yard run on the Crusaders’ first play from scrimmage.

Boice’s 4-yard touchdown run with 6:29 to play in the first quarter gave Parkersburg Catholic (3-2) a 14-7 lead and put the Crusaders on top for good.

With the Titans punting deep in their own territory in the late stages of the first quarter, Boice delivered another score on a 43-yard return that upped the Crusaders’ lead to 21-7 just 22 seconds before the start of the second.

“He’s a nice football player. The kid plays hard and with great effort,” Gilmer County head coach Thomas Cogar said. “He’s a pretty darn good athlete on top of it.”

The Crusaders forced a turnover on downs when Hamrick was stopped inches short on a fourth-and-1 run from the PC 38-yard line with 8:36 to play in the opening half.

“We’re struggling to keep it together,” Cogar said. “We’ll have a big play, but then we’ll have a negative play and miss an assignment.”

PC then put together a seven play scoring drive that ended with Boice’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Lang, leaving the Crusaders with a 27-7 lead 5:18 before halftime.

Wade Smiltey’s recovery of an Isaac Poole fumble gave the Crusaders the ball back with 3:22 remaining in the half, and after Boice connected with Nick Stricker for 47 yards on a halfback toss pass, he accounted for his third rushing TD of the half at the 1:43 mark.

“The kids started out very sluggish and it was 80-something (degrees). The kids definitely responded, because Gilmer showed up on the opening drive,” Binegar said. “That opened our eyes and we started playing.”

The Crusaders settled for a 34-7 halftime lead, but added to it soon after the second half began.

Lang took a reverse 65 yards to the end zone 1:09 into the third quarter and Boice reached pay dirt again at the 6:19 mark of the third on a 31-yard run.

The Titans got a 10-yard TD run from Hamrick with 2:04 left in the third to close their deficit to 46-14, but Jalen Brunny answered with a 1-yard touchdown run just before the start of the fourth quarter.

PC got a 3-yard TD run from Eli Gardner in the fourth quarter to provide the final margin.





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