CLARENDON, Vt. — To have a chance to beat Woodstock next Friday night, the Windsor Yellow Jackets are going to have to do what they did against Mill River on Saturday: run the ball and eat up the clock.
The fifth-seeded Yellow Jackets did just that and gathered up three Minuteman turnovers in a 38-6 victory in Division III quarterfinals play.
The Jacks scored on their first two possessions and eventually built their lead to 38-0. Using seven backs to accumulate 291 rushing yards, Windsor was led by rugged Robert Slocum with his two scores and 102 yards on 14 carries.
Even with a solid running game, Windsor will be up against a big challenge against the undefeated Wasps, who beat them 48-0 in the teams’ regular-season finale. Woodstock also has a mountain of incentive for next week, having lost to the Jacks 13-7 in overtime in last year’s state title match.
Josh Bishop scored for the fourth-seeded Minutemen on a 7-yard run as they drove 60 yards on their final possession against the Windsor second team. Bishop had all 60 yards and completed his Mill River football career with a flourish with 116 yards.
Slocum also ran for a pair of two-point conversions for Windsor and quarterback Ryland Richardson had two scores. Backup quarterback/linebacker/offensive lineman Max Clifford had the last TD and conversion run for the Jacks.
Both teams are 5-4.
Caleb Meagher had an interception and a fumble recovery for Windsor, the former setting up Slocum’s 7-yard run that made it 14-0 in the first period.
The Jacks went 55 yards on six plays on their first possession as Richards ran it in from 11 yards and Slocum added the points-after carry. Windsor then went 43 yards on five plays and upped the advantage to 16-0.
Mill River battled back and on a fourth-and-10 play surprised the Jacks with a Colby Fox screen pass to Tyler Shelvey, who turned it into a 36-yard pickup to the Windsor 18. But a penalty and a bad snap brought the possession to a close and Windsor had a 16-0 lead at halftime.
Windsor scored on the first possession of the second half on a 4-yard Slocum run, the drive kept alive when Jackson Davis ran 17 yards to the Minuteman 10 on third and 1.
David then jarred the ball loose on a Fox run and Meagher recovered it and Windsor went 55 yards to score on a Richardson 1-yard plunge and upped the lead to 30-0.
Clifford scored from the 4 with 7:55 remaining to force running time.
Windsor did not attempt a pass and still outgained Mill River 291-161. Davis ran for 66 yards, Richardson 52 and Meagher 47 for the Jacks.
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