HENDERSONVILLE — Running back Zane McCraw was supposed to block for quarterback Cade Young when West Henderson snapped the ball on third and 15 from Erwin’s 22 trailing by two with less than three minutes remaining in the game.
McCraw stopped a pass rusher in his tracks before releasing to the flat. He caught a pass from Young but still stood eight yards short of the first down with two defenders bearing down on him.
Young didn’t think McCraw was going to get the first down.
“I didn’t think he was, but you can never tell with him,” Young said.
McCraw slipped past the first tackler and then made the second one miss with a juke before being brought down after a 17-yard gain to the 5-yard line for a crucial first down. Two plays later, McCraw ran the ball in for the go-ahead touchdown in a 27-21 win on Aug. 22.
“I was about to puke, and I was trying my hardest not to,” McCraw said. “I told myself if this clogs up, I’m going to jump over everybody. But they opened a great hole for me, and I was able to get there.”
His touchdown became the game-winner after West Henderson knocked down a Hail Mary attempt by the Warriors (0-1) as the clock expired. McCraw made the crucial plays in his first game back since suffering two devastating injuries.
McCraw’s 2024 season was cut short after breaking his right fibula and ankle in West Henderson’s final regular-season game.
He said he had jitters before the kickoff. But they weren’t about his leg. It was about the start of a new season.
“I was just ready to come out here and prove a point and show them what I can do,” McCraw said.
He started slowly but got better as the game went on. He broke off a 63-yard run in the second quarter to help West Henderson (1-0) take a 13-7 lead into halftime.
Then he started struggling with cramps. McCraw missed the Falcons’ first two possessions of the second half. He then returned just in time for their final drive.
McCraw finished with 143 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries while catching four passes for 34 yards.
“He’s the bellcow,” coach Paul Whitaker said. “He’s going to be there, think and thin.”
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: How Zane McCraw lifted West Henderson football to victory vs. Erwin