West Holmes won their 23rd in a row, Ashland remained undefeated and it was tough sledding for may of the OCC football teams, Friday.
West Holmes 35, Orville 31
West Holmes (2-0, 0-0) continued its torrid pace that began two seasons ago, as the Knights broke the school record with their 23rd straight win in a tight 35-31 win over Orville (0-2, 0-0) in comeback fashion. The streak breaks the school record previously set by teams from the 1981-1983 seasons.
Orrville scored on a five-yard touchdown pass by Sawyer Hamsher to start the game, and then followed with a 37-yard field goal to go up 10-0. West Holmes responded with a 69-yard touchdown pass by Morgan Smith to make it 10-7 going into the second quarter. In the second, Hamsher threw a 54-yard touchdown to go up 16-7, but Smith responded with a five-yard touchdown run to make it a 16-14 game. Smith then threw a 41-yard touchdown to take a 21-16 lead, but before the half was done Orrville made it a two point game on a four yard pass play by Hamsher.
Orville took a 30-21 lead on a Hamsher touchdown pass of 12 yards in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Smith connected with Logan Zollars across midfield, who blasted down the field for a 90-yard score. Brock Gallion galloped in for a two-point conversion and it was a 30-29 game. Smith was the hero in the final quarter as he led a 54-yard drive down the field, capped off by a 36-yard touchdown to take the lead. The Knights were able to hold off the Red Riders for the final four minutes of the game and secure the historical win.
Smith was the top player for West Holmes, going 15-for-25 for 347 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, while also leading the squad in rushing with 19 carries, 126 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Hamsher had 230 passing yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing 19 times for 113 yards on the ground.
West Holmes piled on the passing yards in the win with 347 yards in the air to go with 160 rushing yards, totaling 507 yards on the night. Orrville had 411 total yards, including 230 yards in the air and 181 yards on the ground.
Newark 35, Mount Vernon 28
Mount Vernon (1-1, 0-0) and Newark (2-0, 0-0) were locked in a 28-28 tie going into the final frame, but the Wildcats were able to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter to secure the 35-28 victory.
The Yellow Jackets were led by Jonny Askew, who had 21 carries for 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also had a catch for 73 yards. Quarterback Jake Taylor went 4-for-7 with 100 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Taylor also scored a rushing touchdown. Luke Mullins had the only touchdown catch in the game, a grab from 11 yards out. Leading the defense was Luke Hubbard with six tackles.
Steele Meister of Newark directed the Wildcats to paydirt, throwing for 205 yards and five touchdowns on 18-for-25 passing. He also had 12 carries for 35 yards in the Newark win.
Shelby 50, Lexington 19
Shelby took on Lexington (0-2, 0-0) on Friday night and after scoring 19 points to start the game, the Whippets (2-0, 0-0) cruised to a 50-19 win.
Shelby scored 19 first-quarter points on a 64-yard pass, 32-yard pass and three-yard pass. They then then scored three more in the second quarter on a 23-yard field goal. Lexington had six points in the second on a three-yard touchdown run making it a 22-6 game at the half. Shelby then piled on 14 points in the third quarter on a 48-yard pass and 59-yard pass, while Lexington scored seven on a 51-yard touchdown pass. Lexington scored on a 33-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to make it 36-19, but Shelby scored on a four-yard run and a 61-yard pass to make it a 50-19 game.
Ashland 14, Marion Harding 6
The Ashland Arrows (2-0, 0-0) faced the Marion Harding Presidents (0-2, 0-0) football action on Friday night, and both teams struggled to get their offenses going most of the game until the fourth quarter in what was a 14-6 win for Ashland.
The first score of the game came in the third quarter, when Nathan Bernhard of Ashland scrambled and launched a 20-yard touchdown to Michael Franz in the corner of the end zone. The Arrows held a 7-0 lead through most of the fourth quarter Ashland then added to the lead with 5:30 left in the fourth quarter on rushing touchdown by Cayden Spotts from two yards out. Marion Harding did score in the fourth with a minute left to make it 14-6 on a four-yard touchdown run by Alex Stokes that finished off a long 90-yard drive, but Ashland managed to hold on for the win.
Bernhard went 7-for-24 passing with a touchdown and an interception in the win for Ashland. Spotts ran the ball 18 times for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Keonte Scott was the top performer for Marion Harding with five receptions for 102 yards, including a big 55-yard play, the longest play of the night. Stokes passed for 114 yards.
Ashland had 111 yards rushing on the day and 45 yards passing, amassing 156 yards. Marion Harding actually led in yards with 201, with 128 yards passing and 73 yards rushing. Marion Harding had two turnovers in the game on a fumble and an interception, while the Arrows had one interception.
Steubenville 29, New Philadelphia 14
New Philadelphia (1-1, 0-0) managed to stick around and come within a touchdown in the third quarter, but Steubenville (1-1, 0-0) dominated much of the game on Friday night in a 29-14 win.
Cajuan Bryant started off the scoring for Steubenville 3:13 into the game, rushing in from 11 yards out, and with the PAT it was a 7-0 game after one quarter. With about eight minutes left in the second quarter, Big Red made it a 14-0 game on a 47-yard touchdown run by Savior Faulks. With two minutes left in the second quarter, New Philadelphia scored on a one yard rushing touchdown by Etnie Richardson to make it 14-6. With under a minute left in the half it was Faulks again, this time scoring from four yards out and making it 20-6, and then 22-6 with a two point conversion.
The second half started with two three-and-outs by New Philadelphia and then Steubenville turning the ball over on downs. Big Red also fumbled on a punt return at the Steubenville 11-yard line. After a series of penalties against Steubenville, New Philadelphia’s Richardson scored on a 16-yard rushing touchdown. With a two point conversion it was a 22-14 game. With two minutes on the clock, Faulks extended the lead for Steubenville on an eight yard rushing touchdown, and a good PAT made it 29-14.
Steubenville had 270 rushing yards and 111 passing yards in the game, good for 381 total yards. They had 20 first downs compared to 13 for New Philadelphia.
Wadsworth 45, Wooster 13
The Wadsworth Grizzlies (2-0, 0-0) went up big early against Wooster (1-1, 0-0) and walked away with an easy win over Wooster, 45-13, on Friday night.
In the first quarter, Wadsworth quarterback Will Stack started off the scoring in a big way on a 57-yard run with about nine minutes to go. Stack also ran the ball in for the two-point conversion. Ryan Keaton then hauled in an 11-yard pass with about four minutes left in the quarter. Stack finished off the scoring in the quarter with a 46-yard touchdown run at the end pf the first.
Wooster got on the board in the second on an 11-yard pass from A.J. Likowski about halfway through the quarter, but Wadsworth quickly followed with scores with Drew Jones catching a 65-yard pass and Tyler Probst running back a punt return for 43 yards.
In the third quarter Wadsorth’s Kyle Figuray scored on a 20-yard run, and Wooster was held scoreless. Jack Dinwiddie hit a 24-yard field goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Wooster’s Likowski connected with Ethan Shelter with four minutes left in the game, but it was too little, too late for the Generals.
The Wadsworth rush defense was the key for the win for the Grizzlies, as they allowed only 28 yard on 31 rushing attempts. The Grizzlies had 268 yards rushing as a team.
Stack went 5-for-7 passing with 153 yards, and also ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Drew Jones caught two passes for 98 yards.
For Wooster, Kikowski was 16-20 with 154 yards passing. Tristin Walker caught five balls for 53 yards.
