Test passed: How Garaway survived at West Muskingum to preserve its gaudy win streak

FALLS TOWNSHIP — As measuring sticks go, West Muskingum got a big one last week in an overtime win at Licking Valley.

That 26-20 conquest, after Braxton Brownrigg's fourth-down pass breakup gave the Tornadoes' offense a chance in the extra session, was widely considered one of the best wins in program history.

Then Week 3 arrived. That meant an even stiffer test, with perennial Inter-Valley Conference power Garaway and its 32-game regular-season winning streak invading The Hill.

This time it was the Pirates who found a way to win a tough road game, 20-13, in comeback fashion after West failed to secure a seven-point lead with five minutes left.

Garaway passed its test — but it was close

It was a far cry from blowout wins against also rans River View (56-0) and Applecreek Waynedale (41-0), whom it defeated by a combined 97-0.

This one came against a Tornadoes squad that was anything but a pushover, as evidenced by three straight trips to the Division V, Region 19 playoffs and a monumental win last week.

Down 13-6 with six minutes left, Garaway was forced to punt from its own 26-yard line after Carter Winland's tackle-for-loss of Dillon Soehnlen two ensuing penalties.

But a 54-yard punt, aided greatly by the Tornadoes' failure to catch the punt, flipped field position and gave the Pirates a chance. Four plays later, following two negative running plays and a penalty, Garaway was sitting on the West M 1 after bad snap forced Wes Houston to cover the ball up in the end zone.

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Tornadoes coach Nathan Brownrigg argued for the safety. Officials on the play deemed Houston's progress was stopped outside the goal-line, however, allowing the Pirates to tie the game a few plays later on Brady Geibel's quarterback sneak with 4:50 left.

The extra point tied the game at 13.

"That was a game changer," Pirates coach Jason Wallick said of the punt.

Sophomore Carter Smith returned the ensuing kickoff to the 50, and West reached the Pirate 28 after Jake Anton tossed 11-yard completions to Tavin Bennett and Conner Hill. But West got no farther, as two Winland runs netted minus-4 yards and two incompletions forced a turnover on downs.

The 5-6, 140-pound Soehnlen then delivered his second big play of the half — a 50-yard run in which he bounced away from a roadblock in the middle of the defense, found daylight and sprinted to West M 8. It set up his 3-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left, and a sack from Wyatt Miller sealed it.

Soehnlen shined when it counted

The veteran Soehnlen also had a 60-yard run on the Pirates' first drive of the third quarter set up a score. He was bottled up for much of the night, but the big plays helped him finish with 159 yards on 17 carries.

This, despite an offensive line he called a "mash unit" after left tackle Brady Miller was lost in the first half to an injury and forced a switcheroo among starters. He lauded their play late, in addition to a defense that allowed seven consecutive plays off no yards or negative yardage on West's final two possessions.

With eight new starters on defense and a host of others on offense, particularly at wide receiver, Wallick was proud of how his team overcame its problems.

"This is what we were hoping for," Wallick said. "Now, we weren't hoping for a naiIbiter like this, but even if we come down and lose, our kids have worked their tails off. I don't want to jinx ourselves, but obviously we are on a little bit of a run the last 3 1/2 years. These kids don't want to be the first group to lose a game."

Brownrigg said his program is "past the point of moral victories" after years of struggles and said it's now about winning games like this one. They get another chance against unbeaten New Lexington in Week 4.

"Bottom line is this is a program in Garaway that expects to win," Brownrigg said. "They know how to win. When you give them some opportunities, typically they are going to capitalize. And they did."

West M shows its mettle again

Brownrigg's team controlled the game for long stretches behind an aggressive, blitzing defense that made life difficult on the 6-4, 200-pound Geibel throughout. Most of his damage came on screen passes, as a Cale McGreevy-led front applied consistent pressure.

Meanwhile, the offense struck for a pair of big plays that netted scores. Both came on reverses — a 30-yarder from the slippery Brownrigg with 3:20 left in the first quarter, and Smith's 37-yarder with 1:24 showing in the third. West had four plays of at least 30 yards.

But it was a big missed chance that loomed large. Anton's interception return and Winland's 45-yard run had West at the Garaway 2 trying to add to its 7-0 lead late in the second quarter. But a critical motion penalty and third-down sack led to a field goal attempt that was blocked at the line.

It was an example of the sort of mistakes that ultimately led to their demise.

"In reality, it was similar to last week," Brownrigg said. "Last week we were able to overcome certain things. We haven't played a super clean game yet. We talk all the time about preparation and practicing the right way, and we had a couple of days this week that weren't very good. Unfortunately, this is what stems from that."

Neither team has much time to regroup. The Pirates face perennial parochial power Youngstown Mooney, now 0-3 against its usual arduous schedule, in another nonleague clash before Inter-Valley Conference play. West jumps into the MVL gauntlet.

"We needed to be tested and we didn't those first two games," Wallick said. "We needed this. There is going to be a long road ahead of us. We've got some difficult teams and this was a big victory for us."

sblackbu@gannett.com; X: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Test passed: How Garaway survived at West Muskingum to preserve its gaudy win streak