Woodstock
Schlabach and junior fullback Caden White — two of several newcomers to an offense littered with athletes in new roles — combined for 110 rushing yards and four of Woodstock’s five first-half touchdowns as the Wasps rolled to their second win in a row, both against VPA Division III opponents.
Gone are the days of Bill Wood, Ezra Astbury and Dan Robinson, all of whom spent the last few years wrecking havoc on opposing defenses. Woodstock’s running corps may not be as experienced, but so far it’s playing like it has something to prove.
Next up is its biggest test yet: BFA-Fairfax on the road next week, a game in which Woodstock’s coaching staff will get a chance to see exactly what this new, young offense is made of.
“Coming to the game, I was like, ‘I need to prove myself. I need to prove myself to everybody,’ ” Schlabach said. “Last year, I didn’t score a touchdown the whole year. This year, I needed to prove myself. The first two games, I didn’t do anything really scoring-wise. I just wanted it. I was going hard the whole time.
“I was kind of nervous for the home game, first home game of the season,” he added. “But I think we came out pretty strong and played our hearts out.”
The Wasps needed only five minutes to score on their opening drive, marching nearly 80 yards down field on 10 plays. White finished it with his first touchdown of the night, a 2-yard dash up the middle. Woodstock scored again on its second possession — five plays, a shade less than three minutes — with junior running back Jed Astbury producing a 25-yard scoring run down the right sideline for his first TD of the season.
Poultney-MSJ managed only one first down in the first quarter, punted on its first two drives and never recovered.
“I’m pleased with the win,” fifth-year Woodstock head coach Ramsey Worrell said. “I think we’re still progressing in some areas. … Probably 85 to 90 percent of this team, if not more, is all first-year players, first-year varsity players. There’s so much to learn from in-game experience — speed, aggression. I still don’t think we’re there yet. But there’s been a noticeable difference from the first game. Every week has been a little bit better.”
Schlabach stole the show in the second quarter.
His first touchdown, an 8-yard drive up the middle, gave Woodstock a commanding 21-6 lead. He scored two plays later on a 22-yard dash down the left sideline, taking advantage of an interception by Woodstock’s Ben Marsicovetere on Poultney/MSJ quarterback Caden Capman.
“There was a vacancy (in Woodstock’s backfield before the season),” Schlabach said. “Last year, I only played on special teams. But this year, I’m playing almost the whole game. That’s helping me out a lot. I’m playing with a lot more confidence in everything I’m doing on the field.
“I think having a young team is a good thing,” he added. “It’s a building year for us this year. But I think we’re going to come out strong. Oh man, I think it’s going to be a great year. We’re just going to have fun.”
Woodstock took a 35-6 lead into halftime thanks to a late touchdown pass to White from sophomore quarterback Trevor White, and Worrell played much of his second team in the final two quarters. Sophomore Daniel Lessard joined the scoring party in the third quarter with 34-yard run up the middle, rounding out Woodstock’s offense for the night. The fourth quarter progressed on a running clock.
Overall, Worrell said he’s been impressed by his new weapons in the backfield, a group that includes Patrick Potter, who was hurt for much of the season last year. Potter finished the game with eight carries and 60 rushing yards.
“The one thing I like about them is no matter who I put in, there doesn’t seem to be any kind of dropoff,” Worrell said. “I’m getting the same thing. Listen, nobody’s going to be Bill Wood. … Nobody is going to touch that kind of speed. But these guys, if you have depth at halfback that you can move guys in and out and you don’t skip a beat, it’s nice.
“Bill, Dan and Ezra were mainstays pretty much from their sophomore years on,” he added. “It’s tough to supplant guys like that and get playing time.”
Woodstock is in somewhat of a bind playing in the same division as defending champion Windsor, which is coming off of an undefeated season last year. The Wasps have an advantage in that many of their skill players are juniors this season, which gives them time to grow.
But athletes like Schlabach are eager to show what this energized squad can accomplish now.
“I think we’re going to be on top,” Schlabach said. “I think we just need to prove ourselves to everybody, because they think we’re soft and I know that we’re not. I know we’re going to come out strong every game, every play, every day.”
Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.