Johnson’s 3 scores continue Bison tear

By Cody Clifton Correspondent
Published: October 17, 2008

FISHERSVILLE — Falling behind by two touchdowns early, coupled with an anemic red zone offense spelled out a 35-9 loss for Wilson Memorial on Friday night against visiting Buffalo Gap.

The Bison started with the ball on their own 27-yard line. Ten straight rushes set the ball up on the 6-yard line of Wilson. Michael Johnson took the handoff off the edge, scoring the first touchdown of the game.

“We wanted to put eight guys in the box,” Wilson coach Derek McDaniel said. “We were going to make them go 80 yards without turning over and if you do that, OK, you’ll beat us.”

On the Hornets’ first play from scrimmage after the Johnson touchdown, Jake Bailey rolled out finding Johnson for a 30-yard interception return for touchdown.

“We’re coming out here focused,” Johnson said. “We’re not going to overlook anybody, just going to play ball.”

Gap’s Johnson struck again in the early minutes of the second quarter. Wilson’s Ben Hopewell booted a punt to Gap’s 48-yard line, but Johnson snagged the punt, returning the kick all the way back to Wilson’s 6-yard line.

Pickle Nuckols punched it in for the three-score Bison lead midway through the second quarter.

Wilson fans had something to cheer for on the following drive. The Hornets marched down the field, picking up five first downs along the way, getting the ball all the way down to the Bison 25-yard line.

After failing to convert on a third-and-3, Hopewell jogged out to kick the 35-yard field goal, his first on the season.

Both teams held defensively in the third quarter, but on the first play of the fourth, all that changed.

On third-and-10, Ryan Sheridan dropped back finding Johnson down the sideline for a 79-yard touchdown reception.

“He was covering the inside so I couldn’t do a quick slant,” Johnson said. “The quarterback and I made an adjustment route and it worked.”

The touchdown pass was Sheridan’s third completion of the night for a total of 99 yards.

“[Johnson] gives us a whole other dimension,” Gap coach Rob Maxwell said. “They keyed on the run game and Pickle. They did a good job preparing and luckily we were able to find another way to get in the end zone.”

After having the ball in the red zone twice in the fourth quarter, coming up empty both times, Wilson had one final chance at a touchdown.

After recovering a Bison fumble on the 14-yard line, Wilson’s Weston Cash ran the ball up the middle for four yards. Torrence Hailstalk picked up three more before Connery Swift finished off the short drive with a seven yard touchdown run up the middle for the Hornets’ first and only touchdown of the game.