Bluefield Beats George Wythe 63-6 as Simpson Throws Five TD Passes

Max Simpson throws for 322 yards and five touchdowns and Pax Calhoun catches four scoring passes as Bluefield improves to 4-2 ahead of Friday's home game against Nicholas County.

Bluefield High School rolled to a 63-6 homecoming victory over visiting George Wythe on Friday night at Mitchell Stadium. The Beavers scored nine times across nine possessions and led 47-0 by the time intermission arrived and homecoming festivities moved onto the field. The margin meant Bluefield's starters were, for all practical purposes, finished for the evening.

Quarterback Max Simpson completed 9 of 13 passes for 322 yards and five touchdowns, leading a passing game that had produced its share of highlights during the first half of the season but nothing this complete. Bluefield's offensive front, which has grown steadily better, gave him plenty of time to throw. His longest scoring throw of the night was a 78-yard touchdown pass to Jamarius Smith.

Wide receiver Pax Calhoun was on the receiving end of most of the big plays, finishing with five catches for 188 yards and four touchdowns. His 86-yard catch-and-run began the scoring for Bluefield. He added touchdown receptions of 38 yards and 3 yards in the first quarter, then closed his night with a 47-yard touchdown catch with 2:15 remaining in the first half. All four scores came before halftime.

Bluefield has been steadily recovering since dropping its first two games of the season to Graham and Princeton, and the passing connection between Simpson and Calhoun at times played a quieter role in that recovery. It was anything but quiet on Friday, and the Beavers left the night with a 4-2 record.

Bluefield's running game, while taking a back seat to the passing attack, remained productive. Jeremiah Jones rushed for 89 yards on only five carries, scored on a 34-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and added a two-point conversion run.

The second half brought the first career touchdowns for a pair of Bluefield freshmen. Davin Williams scored on a 49-yard run in the third quarter, a play capped by Hunter Murray's two-point conversion run, and Murray added a 58-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

George Wythe opened the game with an aggressive gambit that at first seemed to pay off. The Maroons recovered an onside kick on the opening kickoff, giving themselves a short field, and drove to the Bluefield 14-yard line before the Beavers defense stopped them on downs. One snap later, Simpson and Calhoun connected for the touchdown that began the runaway.

Coy Francis finally put George Wythe on the scoreboard with a 66-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. The loss dropped the Maroons to 2-4 on the season.

Both teams return to action on Friday. Bluefield (4-2) hosts Nicholas County at Mitchell Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. George Wythe (2-4) plays Grayson County at home.