Game Report:Cincinnati Taft 40 Zanesville 14

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Cincinnati Taft 40 Zanesville 14
(Using rosters from the schools' websites)

On Friday night Cincinnati Taft invaded Zanesville to battle the Blue Devils in front of a very small crowd. Taft brought 18 fans with them, while Zanesville looked to have close to 175. I have not watched a Zanesville game, in Zanesville with a crowd this small on the home side. As for Taft a few weeks back one of their players told me that not even many parents show up for their games, so I expected the tiny crowd on their part.

When the game got started Taft's defense gave up a 17-yard catch by Blayze Taylor, on a nicely thrown ball from quarterback Ben Everson, with 10:57 showing on the clock. Then Everson connected with Dekker Davis, for an 14-yard gain and all of a sudden the Blue Devils had a nice little drive started. On those two plays Zanesville totaled 31 yards and little did the small crowd know that they would total just 72 more yards the rest of the game. Well make that unofficially 72-yards. Everson would drop back to pass with 10:05 showing on the clock, but this time Demarco Bradley of the Senators picked off the pass and set up his offense, on the start of a big night.

The Senators would need eight plays to go 76-yards to light up the scoreboard, on a twenty-yard run by Cleveland Farmer. Farmer wanted to pass, but the Blue Devils secondary had everyone covered. Farmer would connect with #5(NOT ON THE ROSTER) for the two point conversion pass, to make this a 8-0 game, with 7:25 left in the quarter.

Recold Moore would get to Julius Murphy, the Blue Devils talented and speedy running back for a five-yard-loss, with 6:44 left in the quarter. Thirty-five-seconds later Everson dropped back to pass, only to be sacked by Devontae Allen, for a eight-yard loss. The Blue Devils would put a few seconds later.

With :56 remaining in the quarter Farmer would use a nice spin move to break a tackle, on his way to a10-yard run. He would carry the pile the final three as he showed he had a lot of power to go along with his moves.

The 2nd quarter had just twenty-two seconds gone, when Farmer was picked off by Donovan Stewart,
The Blue Devils were in dire need of a big play and they definitely got one, with the pick.
The Blue Devils offense would give the ball right back to the Senators in the form of a punt a short time later.

With 10:11 left in the half Farmer put the ball on the ground and scooping it up for Zanesville and taking it to the house was Andrew Everson from about 7-yards out. The point after from Gabe Dolen made this a 8-7 game. As little as the Zanesville offense had done, their defense was keeping this one in the game, but the big question was could it last?

Farmer connected with #5 for a 56-yard gain, at the 8:02 mark of the quarter. Then with 6:39 left in the half, Farmer ended the 7-play,77-yard drive, with a 1-yard touchdown run. After Farmer completed the two point conversion try with a run to the end zone the score was 16-7.

At the 5:06 mark of the 2nd quarter Everson would be picked off by Deshawn Lawrence, giving the Taft the ball at the Blue Devils 21-yard line. The Blue Devils defense would force a loss of five-yards on the Taft ensuing drive to keep the score 16-7.

Zanesville would get a 19-yard catch by Andrew Everson and then a 17-yard run by Murphy, to give the impression that their offense was ready to turn it on. Then with 2:49 left in the half Everson would get sacked by Marques Sherman for a short loss and killed the once promising looking drive.

Farmer would be picked off again, with :24 seconds left in the half by Andrew Everson.
This was the fifth turnover of the half by the two teams.

The half came to a close when Anthony Murphy got Julius Murphy for a two-yard loss.
In the half Zanesville had gained an unofficial 56-yards, while the Senators had totaled 229-yards.


Demarco Bradley closed out an 8-play,45-yard drive for Taft, when he blasted in from a yard out, with 9:09 left in the third. A two-point conversion pass from Farmer to Deshawn Lawrence made this a 24-7 Taft lead.

The Taft defense had a very good third quarter and with 8:38 left on the clock,Izaiah Cunningham would sack Everson, for a 6-yard-loss.
At this point of the game Taft's defense was doing basically anything they wanted to the Blue Devils defense and it was all starting with the dominating performance of the defensive line.

Demarco Bradley would haul in a pass from Farmer and then take it to the house, from 58-yards out. The two point conversion was completed by Bradley on a run, to make this a 32-7 game.

With just :53 left in the third Bradley scooped up a Zanesville fumble and took it 39-yards for another Taft score. Bradley caught the two-point conversion pass, to make this a 40-7 game.

Everson was sacked by Devontae Allen, for a short loss at the 9:31 mark of the final quarter.
At the 7:46 mark of the quarter Everson strolled in from 2-yards out and after the point after kick, the score was 4014.

With 1:15 left #5 from Taft was tackled by Dekker Davis for a 3-yard loss.
The game ended without any more scoring as Taft took a knee twice to run the clock out.

VERY UNOFFICIAL STATS
TAFT
65 PLAYS
364 YARDS
PASSING 10-17 2 INT'S 1 TD

ZANESVILLE
55 PLAYS
103 YARDS
PASSING 8-20 2 INT'S

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Link to pics

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