WAYNESBORO – After all is said and done, it’s only a game, an extra-curricular activity to round out the educational process.
But another loss to a team that was also 1-3 entering Friday’s high school football game adds more salt to the wounds, as Waynesboro lost a gut-wrenching 9-7 contest to Palmyra at Buchanan Automotive Stadium.
The Cougars, whose previous two possessions ended in a punt and a turnover on downs, forged enough yards on their third offensive series to give placekicker Korbin Bashore an easy 23-yard field goal attempt. Bashore kicked it through the uprights to give Palmyra a 3-0 lead with 5:57 to play in the first half.
Waynesboro was without starting quarterback Rayshawn Fraser-Hewitt (injury). And, by game’s end, the Indians (1-4) used three quarterbacks. Austin Willequer started and played until halftime, and he returned late in the game to help during a touchdown drive. Grahm Pratt was under center for two possessions. Brayden Heimbuch played one series before Willequer returned.
The senior signal caller came back into the game on a second-and-10 from the Cougars’ 30-yard line. Before his return, Heimbuch started the 73-yard, eight-play drive with a 1-yard pass to Steven Howard. On the next play, Heimbuch tossed to Christian Munday, who pitched back to Dwayne Robinson, who finished off a 37-yard play for a first down at the Palmyra 20.
Willequer ran nine yards and then completed a pass to Ryan Martin. The Cougars were assessed a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, which put the ball at the Palmyra one-yard line. Willequer rifled a short pass to Howard, who tucked it in for a touchdown. Nick Carbaugh’s extra point made it 9-7 with 2:34 to play in the game.
But the 9-0 deficit proved too much to overcome in a short amount of time.
The damage was done midway through the fourth quarter when Palmyra (2-3) marched 30 yards on eight plays for a knock-out punch as quarterback Roman Russek ran the last three yards to make it 9-0. The extra point kick was no good.
The Tribe took the ensuing kickoff and moved down the field. Palmyra held on to the ball until there were about 20 seconds left, when Waynesboro took over at its 7.
The Indians moved the ball from the Palmyra 49 to the 26, but the Cougars intercepted a second-down pass. On its next possession, another Waynesboro possession ended with an interception, with the Indians set up at the Palmyra 39 and third down.
Perhaps the toughest blow was late in the second quarter when Waynesboro was driving. Willequer threw a 42-yard pass to Munday that gave the Indians a first down at the Palmyra 25. A 14-yard pass from Willequer to Munday got the ball even closer – at the 14.
On the very next play, Palmyra snared a pass for its first pick of the game. It came with 13 seconds remaining in the game.
Waynesboro’s defense was stout. Martin dragged down Palmyra’s Travis McDannell for an 11-yard loss, and Shawn Smith sacked Russek for another eight yards, bringing up third and a mile. After an incomplete pass, the Cougars punted.
Gavin Starkey took down McDannell for a 4-yard loss on the first play of Palmyra’s next possession. The play short-circuited another drive.
On their next possession, the Cougars drove al the way from their 28 to the Waynesboro 8. Palmyra went for it on fourth down, as a field goal wouldn’t help if Waynesboro scored a touchdown. McDannell was tackled four yards behind the line of scrimmage, and the drive ended.
Waynesboro, which is 1-9 after going 4-1 to start the 2024 season, will hope to get a win when the Indians travel to play Northern in Dillsburg, Friday, September 26.
Photos by Toya McCleary:
