slideshow

RED JACKET, W.Va. – It was a one way “Street” for the West Virginia all-stars in Saturday’s 17th annual Hatfield & McCoy Senior Bowl game.

West Virginia rolled over the Kentucky squad 37-12, as Logan graduate Joe Street rushed for four touchdowns and was named the Mountain State’s offensive MVP.

The 5-foot-11, 230 pound running back bulled his way into the end zone behind the huge offensive line head coach Joey Fields had on his roster. Street rushed for 83 yards and a bowl record four touchdowns.

“Joe Street couldn’t be stopped tonight. He ran the ball like a Division 1 running back. He deserved the record,” Fields said. “John Bailey (River View) had never played outside linebacker, but you wouldn’t have noticed that tonight.”

Street hit pay-dirt at the 4:47 mark of the first quarter from one yard out. The kick was no good, wide right. A long pass from a pair of Mingo Central grads, Ashton Cline to Jacob Staton, to the one yard line set up the first score. Staton had three big catches for 29 yards for his team.

Street bulled his way in again from two yards out at the 9:15 mark of the second quarter. Zack Ellis booted the extra point to give the Mountain State a 13-0 lead. The TD was set up on another long pass from Cline to Corey Daniels, another Miner football connection.

With 1:57 remaining in the first half, Street scored his third touchdown on a 5-yard rush. The extra point kick was blocked, but W.Va. took a 19-0 lead into the dressing room at the half.

With 2:53 left in the third quarter, Street took it to the house one more time from five yards out. The conversion pass fell incomplete, but W.Va. increased the lead to 25-0.

The Bluegrass State scored with 11:10 left in the game as Pikeville’s Randy Maynard got loose on the outside for a 41 yard TD run. The conversion run was stopped, but that made it 25-6 and Kentucky continued to fight back.

Kentucky got on the board again with 6:58 left in the game, when Belfry grad Nick Turner hauled in a TD pass from Maynard.

Maynard, the former Pikeville High quarterback, led Kentucky with 101 yards rushing and he also rushed for a score. He also had a passing TD. Maynard was the Kentucky offensive MVP.

Belfry’s Nick Turner hauled in three passes for 65 yards. Turner also had a good kickoff return into W.Va. territory, but Ky. was unable to capitalize.

The Mountain State squad got two more scores to add some icing to their lead. Cline hit Daniels on a TD pass and a 19-yard run by Westside’s’ Thomas Ferron.

Belfry’s Runyon had a fumble recovery. Josh Dixon, another ex-Pirate player, intercepted a pass in the end zone to halt a W.Va. drive. Robbie Hopkins of Pike Central also had an interception for Ky.

Bryant and Alex Daniels both had interceptions for W.Va.

“What an amazing night. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” Fields said after the game. “Coming together in just a short week and playing the way they did was unbelievable. I really enjoyed coaching and getting to know these young men.”

“These players have a passion for this game and it showed tonight. Our defense played phenomenal all four quarters. Allen Bryant (Wayne) absolutely played his heart out on both sides of the ball,” Fields said. Bryant was the defensive MVP for West Virginia.

“John Toler, with the rest of the Chapmanville boys, played like it was their last game together,” he added. “Ashton Cline, Austin Reed, Jacob Staton, Corey Daniels, and Matt Wellman represented Miner Nation well.”

“I could not say more about the heart these guys played with. I know Coach (John) Fry was looking down on them as he was all of us. I want to thank all of my coaches Josh Sammons, Chase Moore, Hady Ford, and David Ledger along with many more who worked hard all week and it paid off. As soon as the clock struck zero my mind went straight to the Miners. What a great game to kick-off the 2012 football season,” Fields said.

The defensive MVP for the Bluegrass State was Gary Runyon. Runyon is a Belfry Pirate product. The John Fry Offensive Linemen awards went to Clay Haddix of Wayne High School and Justin Runyon a Pike Central graduate. Two $500 scholarships were awarded to Brad Hardy of River View and Zack Norman of Sheldon Clark. They were presented by game director Yogi Kinder and Cliffs Natural Resources public relations representative Ryan Thorn.

At halftime the 2012 Senior Bowl Queen was crowned. It was Savannah Cline, a graduate of Mingo Central High School.