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Article published Nov 22, 2008 Oneida again too much for Greenback
By Christopher James of The Daily Times Staff
ONEIDA -- As he fielded the second half kickoff, Sam Woodard was thrown violently to the ground, the ball popping loose before Oneida fortuitously recovered the fumble at the bottom of a scrum.
After torching Greenback in the second half three weeks ago, the Indians sophomore had now fumbled three times in Friday's TSSAA Class 1A quarterfinal. Lucky for Woodard, it didn't matter much as Jonathon Lewallen picked up the slack, exploding for 122 yards and three touchdowns in a 50-21 demolition of the Cherokees (11-2).
"He's a punisher," Onieda coach Tony Lambert said of Lewallen. "Again, he pounded the rock. That's what he does best ... When it's cold and wet, he's a great guy to have on your team."That certainly was true Friday at Dr. M.E. Thompson Field as temperatures dipped into the low-20s. Even with 10 or 11 defenders stacking on the line on every play, Lewallen just ran straight ahead and over the Greenback defense.
Following that Woodard fumble, Lewallen keyed a 92-yard drive, ending in a 5-yard run by the tailback. It started a third quarter where the unbeaten Indians (13-0) scored three times, stretching a manageable 10-point halftime lead to an insurmountable 29.
The Cherokees snapped just three plays in that period. Quarterback Bunkie Vanskiver, held to just 22 yards rushing and 141 through the air, punted on a 4-and-32 from his end zone, setting Oneida up at the Greenback 15. Again it was Lewallen, this time busting a move on Vanskiver to find the corner of the end zone for a 13-yard score.
"We just didn't have the ball," 'Kees coach Brent Kilpatrick said. "It was big. It looked like we were going to get a turnover at the start of the half and maybe make it 24-21."
Instead, Greenback found itself in a deep hole and forced to throw the ball. After a Daniel Willis 45-yard touchdown run around the corner in the first quarter, the Cherokees struggled to find any offensive rhythm. Vanskiver was forced into four interceptions, two of which led to 14 first half points for Oneida.
Trailing big, Greenback started forcing plays, with disastrous results. On the kickoff after Lewallen's second third quarter score, Chase Vogt fumbled the ball while clawing for extra yardage. The third lost fumble for the Cherokees led to another easy Indians touchdown, this time a two yard run by Houston Hood.
"That put us in a bad situation," Kilpatrick said. "Maybe making us do things we didn't want to do. We'd rather be able to just take our time and drive down the field."
Added Vanskiver: "We're down trying to make stuff happen. I was, Chase was on the kickoff. When you're down and it could be your last game, you're just trying to make something happen."
Vogt and Vanskiver were able to hook up at times down the middle, leading to a 31-yard touchdown strike in the second. With seven turnovers and Greenback's defensive struggles, it wasn't nearly enough. Willis would add a second rushing score in the fourth, as he finished with 75 yards.
Oneida now moves on to host Trousdale County next Friday with a berth in the BlueCross bowl on the line.
With his career over, Vanskiver will be wearing a different shade of orange.
"Oneida's a great ball team," Vanskiver said, having seen them firsthand twice now. "I hope they whoop whoever they play. I'll be here cheering them on."