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by PAUL ADKINS, Sports Editor
Jul 31, 2007 | 301 views | 0 0 comments | 4 4 recommendations | email to a friend | print
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MATEWAN n Saturday night's 12th-annual Hatfield-McCoy Senior Bowl was the proverbial tale of two halves.

In the first half, the West Virginia All-Stars dominated by taking a three touchdown lead.

Then in the second half, Kentucky saved face by making a comeback and taking advantage of a special all-star game rule to keep the game close.

But in the end it was West Virginia which came out on top again, 22-14, at Matewan's Tiger Stadium, to take a 7-5 all-time series lead.

The annual all-star football game pits the top graduated seniors from southwestern West Virginia against those from the eastern Kentucky mountain region.

Eight Logan County players took part in the game, including: Jordan Moore and Justin Taylor of Logan High School; Brandon Duncan, Brad Story, Tyler Riggins and Keith Conley of Man High School; and Codey Adams and Austin Basadre of Chapmanville High School.

Moore, who played wide receiver and defensive back, caught a two-point conversion pass from Gilbert quarterback Jeremy Brown in the first half as West Virginia raced out to a 22-0 halftime lead.

Kentucky outgained West Virginia in total offense, 214 yards to 181, unofficially.

West Virginia ran with the ball 29 times for 69 net yards. Kentucky had 48 carries for 168 yards.

Through the air, Kentucky was 5-of-13 for 46 yards. West Virginia was 3-of-8 for 112 yards. Brown had all three completions for West Virginia, connecting on 3-of-5 passes. Taylor, who quarterbacked Logan the last two years but played the entire game on defense, was 0-for-1 passing on a fake punt attempt. Duncan was 0-for-2.

Brown was the Offensive MVP for West Virginia. Todd Mays of Wayne High School, was the Defensive MVP as he intercepted two passes. Kentucky's Offensive MVP was Corey Chapman of Belfry High School, who rushed for 133 yards. Kentucky's Defensive MVP was Danny Hinkle of Sheldon Clark.

Trailing 22-0 at the half, Kentucky wasted no time in its comeback.

With a successful on-side kick to open the third quarter the Bluegrass State all-stars had the ball first-and-10 at their own 46-yard line. The drive stalled, though, as a Robert Gannon (Phelps) pass fell incomplete on a fourth-and-14 at the West Virginia 15.

Both teams then traded turnovers on the next two possessions.

Late in the third quarter, Kentucky went to the wishbone and with 10:27 left in the game Gannon hit Tommy Taylor (Johnson Central) on a 12-yard touchdown pass to get on the board. Chapman ran in the two-point conversion to make it 22-8.

Kentucky then got the ball right back by rule, which states that a team who scores a second-half touchdown and is trailing by 12 points or more would get the ball kicked back to them.

Kentucky took advantage of the rule and drove down the field for another score n this one on a 7-yard TD run by Gannon with 4:58 to go in the ballgame. The two-point conversion failed but Kentucky pulled to within 22-14.

The Bluegrass State team then tried another on-side kick but the ball didn't travel 10 yards and West Virginia was given a first-and-10 in Kentucky territory. On the second play, though, West Virginia fumbled the ball away, giving Kentucky the ball at the West Virginia 36. But on Kentucky's fourth play from scrimmage Mays picked off a Kentucky pass to pretty much seal the game. West Virginia then ran four plays to wind down the clock to zeros.

West Virginia scored on its second possession of the game as Brown hit Garrett Epling of Matewan on a 57-yard touchdown pass with 4:24 left in the first quarter. Brown passed to McCoy for the conversion and it was 8-0. In a true Hatfield and McCoy feud sidebar to the game, Epling's brother Gerald Epling of Belfry High School, suited up on the opposite side of the field for the Kentucky All-Stars.

West Virginia then made it 16-0 with 10:10 to go until the half when Brown hit Tim Chapman (Scott) on a 20-yard touchdown pass then fired to Moore for the two-point conversion.

Kentucky was forced to punt on its next drive and McCoy made them pay as he scooped up the boot and raced 74 yards for a touchdown at the 7:05 mark. The conversion failed and West Virginia led 22-0.

That's the way the game stayed until the second half.

Both teams turned the ball over once in the final minutes of the second quarter. Duncan recovered a fumble for West Virginia and Gerald Epling picked off a Duncan pass in the final minute.

The Hatfield-McCoy Senior Bowl began in 1996 and was founded by Matewan High School football coach Danny "Yogi" Kinder.

Kentucky once held leads of 4-1 and 5-3 in the all-time series but now West Virginia has won the last four games and six out of the last seven.

Matewan High School's Katie Adkins was crowned Hatfield-McCoy Senior Bowl Queen during the halftime festivities.
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