No. 4 Frankfort uses team effort to pound Moorefield, 35-8

Aug. 26—MOOREFIELD, W.Va. — An improved Moorefield gave Frankfort a better game to open the season Friday, but the Falcons were still on another level.

Frankfort pounded the ball on the ground 31 times for 308 yards, and Tyrique Powell and Blake Jacobs each scored two touchdowns running behind a seasoned offensive line comprised of Matt Jackson, Daniel Marley, Caden Whitacre, Lane Lease and Bryer Michaels.

It wasn't a perfect performance for Kevin Whiteman's Falcons, but the 35-8 triumph was an impressive showing against a Moorefield squad that returned 19 starters.

"It's nice to get a win to start the season," said Whiteman, coaching in his 14th season opener. "I was a little concerned the month of August when we weren't always crisp, a lot of ups and downs, but I thought the kids came out and executed well on both sides of the ball."

The eight points scored by Moorefield were its most against Frankfort in six games — the Yellow Jackets had scored just 10 combined over the previous five meetings.

The Falcons now lead the all-time series 27-7 and have won six straight in the matchup and 17 of 20.

While Moorefield wasn't close to being able to challenge Frankfort on the scoreboard yet, it was much improved from the team that was crushed 51-0 in Short Gap, West Virginia, last season with largely the same roster.

"They're a physical, tough football team," Moorefield head coach Matt Altobello said. "Looking last year to this year, they haven't lost a step. Physical across the front. They're very sound in what they do schematically. They're very locked in as far as overall program.

"We knew that coming in, we knew that we had to take care of our opportunities, and we squandered a couple. We've got to get off the field on third down defensively."

Frankfort, which finished 11-2 and played in a Class AA state semifinal game a season ago, had hoped that senior Landen Kinser — who suffered an injury late last year — would be healthy enough to start under center Friday.

However, the Falcons elected to put him in the backfield and handed the reigns to Jacobs, a sophomore.

Jacobs did well to direct the offense, and a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that ate up 7:12 to begin the night set the tone. Powell capped the drive with a one-yard TD rush — his first of two touchdowns (he scored his second on an eight-yard rush during the third quarter).

The sophomore quarterback completed his only pass, a deep one that found Kinser for a 45-yard touchdown to cap the Falcons' second drive.

Jacobs also punched in a 10-yard rushing touchdown for Frankfort's final tally to up the lead to 35-0 with 2:31 to play in the third quarter.

"It's tough as a sophomore to come in and run an offense like that, there's a lot of pressure," Whiteman said. "I thought he did a good job. His teammates that surrounded him did a good job blocking."

While Powell, starting at fullback this season, provided the muscle along the interior, Rocky Fontenot used his blistering speed on the outside to rush for a game-high 107 yards on four carries.

One of Fontenot's carries went 66 yards to the house, which made it 21-0 after three series.

Frankfort was expected to use a stable of backs this season, and that came to fruition against Moorefield: eight different backs toted the ball, seven of which rushed for at least 19 yards.

Cam Layton tallied 71 yards on four carries, Kinser rushed for 26 on two touches, Jacobs for 25 on five totes, Josh Small for 24 on two rushes and Carter Shanholtz for 19 on four runs.

"I was proud of all of them," Whiteman said. "Our line opened up holes. It's a team effort. We're trying to really get these kids to buy into the team."

Frankfort did have two fumbles in the fourth quarter and lost both. Moorefield had three, losing one. Kinser intercepted a pass during the second period.

Moorefield's leading ball carrier was Adam Landes, who toted the ball 18 times for 75 yards.

Landes also accounted for Moorefield's lone points, punching in a four-yard run to cap a nine-play, 70-yard drive with 6:40 to play in the fourth quarter.

Moorefield converted the two-point conversion, a pass from Tyson Arnold to Ben Watts, for the final points of the 35-8 result.

The turning point Friday arguably came with Moorefield driving midway through the second quarter trailing 14-0.

The Yellow Jackets, who were slated to receive the second-half kick-off, drove to the Frankfort 38-yard line. Facing a fourth-and-six, Altobello elected to punt to try and pin Frankfort back.

Instead, the punt traveled just eight yards, and two plays later, Frankfort had driven 70 yards after Fontenot's long touchdown to go up by three scores.

"Our thought process was, if we kick a punt and it comes up short and we stop it, then we keep them deep," the Moorefield head coach said.

Arnold completed 7 of 16 passes for 66 yards and an interception. Diego Taylor was his top target, catching three balls for 41 yards.

Arnold also rushed for 37 yards on five carries, and fullback Axton Runions tallied 25 yards on eight runs.

Frankfort's interior defensive line, anchored by big Hayden Nestor (6-foot-3, 325 pouhds), prevented Moorefield from getting much between the tackles.

Moorefield (0-1) will look to bounce back on the road next week at Pocahontas County, which was routed by Tucker County, 57-8, in its opener.

"We're getting to where we need to be, but we're not there yet," Altobello said. "There is still so much work left to do as far as understanding what we're looking to do on each individual play."

Frankfort (1-0) will try to make it two in a row when it hosts Hampshire in its home opener next Friday. The Trojans won a 34-33 thriller over Preston Friday.

"We have to keep improving every week," Whiteman said. "We've come a long way just in the past week."

Alex Rychwalski is a sports reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @arychwal.