Fort gets its first win

Robert Sisk / News Virginian
Published: October 19, 2007

FORT DEFIANCE - After starting the season with seven losses, Fort Defiance knocked the goose egg off its win column Friday.

Last season Waynesboro hosted the Indians for its homecoming and won its first and only game of the year. The Indians returned the favor on a wet and soggy homecoming at the Reservation, hammering the downtrodden Giants 38-8.

"We were long overdue," said Indian quarterback Daniel "Lefty" Wright. "No team in Fort's history has gone o'fer and we didn't want to be the first."

Lefty did his job to make sure that the Indians secured at least one win this season, rushing for 116 yards and passing for 59 yards with two touchdowns in the air.

"They called my number a lot," he said.

After the game Lefty admitted that he thought about last year's loss during the game.

"It was payback, a little," he smiled.

  The Little Giants held on in the first half but were shutdown in the second only rushing for 5 yards and never reached the end zone.

"Their size and this quagmire just got to us," Waynesboro coach Steve Isaacs said. "They just got the ball and we couldn't get it back."

The lone Waynesboro touchdown came late in the first quarter when Terrell Thompson broke free for a 58-yard score. The Giants botched the snap on the field goal but holder Eric Craig made a last ditch effort, passing to Thompson for the two points.

Lefty's counterpart, fullback Daniel "Righty" Wright completed the Indians offensive tandem.

"Two Wrights don't make a wrong," veteran Fort coach Dale Spitzer said.

Righty scored two touchdowns including one early in the second half. Righty had the Giants' Craig guarding him when Lefty launched a pass from the 27-yard line. Craig got a hand on the ball tipping it up but Righty was able to get a hand on it and bring it down for the score.

Even though the Indians have only won one game this season, Spitzer is still impressed with their attitude off the field.

"This is one of the greatest groups of kids I've coached," he said. "They don't get down in practice or worry about having seven losses."

Both teams had to contend with a wet and muddy field after rain soaked the stadium for most of the first quarter. Righty said he would always remember this game because of the rainy weather.

"These are the games we remember," he said