No. 1 Frankfort pulls away from Moorefield, 34-12

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SHORT GAP, W.Va. — After just over 43 minutes, a big play seemed like only a matter of time for Frankfort.

The Falcons, riding a 28-game win streak and leading by eight late in the game, finally got one, as Cole Shanholtz picked up an onside kick and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown.

An Antonio Ottaviani interception and Peyton Brittingham touchdown later, the Falcons got out of Dodge with a 34-12 victory over Moorefield Friday at Frankfort Stadium.

“It was a little sloppy,” Frankfort head coach Kevin Whiteman said on the game.

“We had way too many penalties, way too many mistakes, but you’ll have that for the first game.

“I give Moorefield a lot of credit. They’re going to be really good this year, they’re going to win a lot of football games. They played really hard. They were physical and they need to be proud of their effort.”

Frankfort, voted No. 1 in the preseason Area Top 5, was without 2025 co-Player of the Year Braydn Tyler, who was not in uniform.

“He was unavailable,” Whiteman said. “He’ll be in school and at practice on Monday.”

The Falcon offense was methodical without its chunk-play back in Tyler. Aside from a 24-yard run by quarterback Austin Twigg to set up Frankfort’s opening score, its longest run went for 14 yards by Brittingham.

“Our offense was steady,” Whiteman said. “It was methodical. We’re real proud of our backs, but I’ve got to give the O-line credit. Moorefield was doing a lot of blitzing and we worked all week on picking those up.”

Shanholtz led the ground game with 19 carries for 98 yards, Twigg added 63 yards on 11 tries, Brittingham had nine totes for 49 yards and Gunnar Bradshaw carried the rock eight times for 39 yards.

While the scoreboard might not indicate it, the Yellow Jackets had Frankfort within arm’s length for much of the game.

Trailing 20-6 with just over five minutes remaining, Moorefield quarterback Matthew Iman rumbled in from five yards out to make it an eight-point game, 20-12, following a failed two-point try.

The Yellow Jackets tried to catch Frankfort off-guard with an onside kick, but Shanholtz was there to scoop it up and run in behind a line of blockers to dart up the left side and in for the score.

On Moorefield’s ensuing play from scrimmage, Ottaviani picked off a deep ball and returned it to the Yellow Jackets’ 1, where Brittingham dove in for the final touchdown at the 4:24 mark.

The Yellow Jackets crossed midfield on the ensuing drive. But it ended at the Frankfort 44 when the Falcons forced a fumble recovered by Shanholtz, allowing Frankfort to kneel out the clock.

“It was real nice,” Whiteman said of the big plays.

“We had our hands team out there and Cole picked it up and ran it back. That was huge. We needed some kind of break right then, and we got it.”

Twigg opened the Frankfort scoring on a one-yard plunge at 6:54 in the first.

The sophomore split time with Carson McBee at quarterback, with the two alternating offensive drives through the first half.

The Falcons had just one second-half offensive drive that lasted more than three plays — their second second-half drive was one play that ended with Brittingham’s one-yard score and their third kneeled out the clock.

Twigg, having started and ended the first half, was the quarterback on the long drive that spanned from 5:47 in the third to 8:34 in the fourth, ending in a one-yard touchdown from Shanholtz.

“I’m proud of both of them,” Whiteman said of Twigg and McBee. “I thought they both did a nice job. Austin was a little more fresh in the second half because Carson was in there playing defense. We wanted Austin’s legs running the ball. But they both did a good job.”

McBee connected with Ottaviani for Frankfort’s second score, a 21-yard touchdown with eight minutes to go in the first half.

Moorefield, who finished 2-8 last year, came out firing.

After Twigg’s opening score, Moorefield tailback Bill Lewis ran 65 yards to the Frankfort 15 on the first play from scrimmage.

An ensuing 12-yard run by Caleb Flinn put the Yellow Jackets at the 3, but the Falcon defense held strong and forced and recovered a fumble on third-and-goal from the seven.

Two offensive plays after McBee’s touchdown pass to Ottaviani, Iman ran 46 yards to the Frankfort 46.

Three plays later, on fourth-and-15, Iman hit Dakon Taylor across the middle for a gain of 19 and a first down.

Iman connected with Lewis for a 20-yard touchdown on the next play, putting Moorefield within eight at halftime, 14-6.

Iman led all ball carriers with 140 yards on 12 carries. James added 69 yards on eight rushes.

“They just brought it at us,” Whiteman said of Moorefield’s offense. “They were just playing good, hard-nosed football. And they’re young, that’s the thing about it. They’ve got a great future ahead of them.”

Frankfort (1-0) takes its 29-game win streak to Hampshire and Moorefield (0-1) hosts Elkins on Friday.

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