SHORT GAP, W.Va. — Given its biggest test in two years, Frankfort passed.
It wasn’t with flying colors and, at times, it wasn’t pretty.
But the top-seeded Falcons (13-0) capitalized on their opportunities, taking down No. 5 Doddridge County, 28-7, to return to Charleston to defend their Class AA state championship and win their 27th straight game along the way.
“We faced a lot of adversity tonight,” Frankfort head coach Kevin Whiteman said. “We didn’t play great. I’m just glad that we hung on for the victory.
“I just felt like offensively, I thought we’d be able to come out and do a little better than we did. We did make some plays … but credit to Doddridge, they did a great job.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Braydn Tyler opened the scoring with the first of his pair of touchdowns, as Blake Jacobs hit Tyler in stride on a 51-yard strike at the 7:18 mark in the second. Rhett Sensabaugh booted the first of his four point-after tries.
The Bulldogs (12-1) fumbled the ensuing kickoff and recovered, starting at their own 6 after a holding penalty.
Frankfort forced a punt four plays later and quarterback Jacobs ran 18 yards on the first play from scrimmage to double the Falcons’ lead with 5:18 to go before halftime.
Doddridge again faced unfavorable field position as it could only muster a six-yard return to its own 15.
The Bulldogs marched down the field, with quarterback Brysen Dixon hitting Jerod Trent for 20 yards on third-and-13.
Doddridge got down to the Frankfort 25 following a 24-yard pass from Dixon to Heston Hayes, but a 15-yarder set the Bulldogs back to the Falcons’ 40. Doddridge County was penalized seven times for 68 yards.
Coming out of a timeout, Dixon gained nine yards on the ground and, three plays later, hit Landon Thomas on a 30-yard touchdown. Brandon Davis booted the PAT to bring the Bulldogs within seven with 1:19 to go in the half.
“We gave a great team effort,” said Doddridge head coach Bobby Burnside. “I don’t think maybe the score shows it, but I’m proud of the guys.”
Frankfort marched down the field in quick fashion, trying a 40-yard field goal with two ticks left that was no good, keeping the score at 14-7 at halftime.
“I told the kids at halftime they just had to keep battling, and they did that,” Whiteman said. “Defensively, we bent but didn’t break.”
The game completely turned on its head for both teams on the first play from scrimmage of the second half, with Dixon running seven yards out to the Doddridge 27 before the Falcons forced a fumble. The ball squirted up into the air, with Tyler reaching high and hauling it in before running 27 yards up the right side for a score just 13 seconds after halftime.
Dixon sprained his ankle on the play and did not return, adding to an already uphill battle that the Bulldogs were facing due to injury when leading rusher by per-game average Caleb Hall exited the game early in the second quarter.
“Hall tried to get back out there, but he just couldn’t go at full speed. I appreciate the courage and I’m just so proud of those guys,” Burnside said of Hall and Dixon.
Doddridge County’s offense couldn’t click the rest of the way and mustered just two first downs outside of the final two minutes of the contest when it gained three first downs.
Frankfort’s scoring was capped off by Cole Shanholtz on a 13-yard carry with 1:50 to play.
The Falcon offense finished with 275 yards, including 217 on the ground.
Shanholtz led the way with 85 yards on 15 totes and Tyler added 73 yards on eight carries to go along with a pair of catches for 49 yards.
After starting 3 of 4 through the air for 58 yards, the Falcons didn’t complete their final six passes.
The Bulldogs finished with 180 yards, with Dixon throwing for 90 of the team’s 100 yards on 6 of 12 passing.
“The defense played phenomenal,” Whiteman said. “We knew coming in that (Doddridge) had a lot of weapons. They were scary to watch on tape, the way they could throw the ball, the way they could run the ball.
“Our kids and the defensive coaches, I’m really proud of their effort. The kids played hard.”
Frankfort returns to Charleston for the second year in a row and will face the winner of Bluefield and Philip Barbour.