On a night filled with emotion and excitement, the Woodland Wolverines hosted the Burke Bulldogs for a key region matchup on Friday night. Fresh off their win against Andrews, the Wolverines were fired up and ready to celebrate Senior Night with another victory. The home crowd was treated to an impressive 42-18 win, as the Wolverines continued their strong season.
The game kicked off with both teams battling defensively, typical of how Woodland’s games have started this year. The Bulldogs, with 3:30 left in the first quarter, saw their drive come to an abrupt end when #72, David Hall Jr., sacked the quarterback, forcing a turnover on downs. Despite this momentum, the Wolverines quickly turned the ball over with an interception, allowing Burke to capitalize and score the game's first touchdown. However, Woodland’s special teams came up big, blocking the PAT, keeping the Bulldogs’ lead to 6-0 with 2:19 left in the first.
Woodland quickly responded. On the ensuing kickoff, #20 Lakye' White electrified the crowd with a massive run into the red zone, setting up #14 Kamron Howell to punch it into the end zone. The PAT was blocked by Burke, leaving the game tied 6-6 with just one minute remaining in the first quarter.
The Wolverines began to find their rhythm in the second quarter. #12 Zishawn Majette powered his way into the end zone for six points and followed it up by converting a two-point attempt, giving Woodland a 14-6 lead with 7:31 left in the half. Later in the quarter, #14 Kamron Howell added to the Wolverines' lead with another touchdown, but a missed PAT left the score at 20-6. The Wolverines’ defense then made a crucial play when #55 Donovan Miles recovered a fumble, giving the offense another chance to score before halftime. Woodland took full advantage as Quarterback #2 Jervaze Salley connected on a deep pass to #1 Travon Tate for another touchdown. Salley then converted a quarterback sneak for two points, extending the Wolverines' lead to 28-6 at the half.
During halftime, Woodland honored its senior football players, cheerleaders, cross country runners, band members, and JROTC cadets in a heartfelt ceremony with their families.
The Wolverines continued their strong performance in the second half, though penalties, particularly holding calls, slowed their progress. With 9:08 left in the third quarter, Ja'Kease Salley ran in a touchdown that was called back due to a holding flag. However, that setback didn't last long, as Jervaze Salley found Ja'Kease for a touchdown a minute later, and Kepley added the PAT, making the score 36-6 with 8:33 left in the third.
Coach Ford seized the opportunity to rotate younger players into the game, giving them valuable experience. With 6:56 remaining in the third, Salley connected with Lakye' White for another touchdown, and Kepley’s PAT extended the lead to 42-6.
Burke fought back, returning the next kickoff for a touchdown, though they failed to convert the two-point attempt, making the score 42-12 with 43 seconds left in the third quarter. The Bulldogs added another touchdown later in the game, bringing the final score to 42-18, but it was too late to stop Woodland's march to victory.
With this win, the Wolverines are riding high and look to carry that momentum into next week when they take on the Academic Magnet Raptors on Friday at 7:30 p.m.