Article:Gallia Academy 36 Ironton 33

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Yesterday, after stopping in Wheelersburg to meet up with a friend, We ventured to Portsmouth to have dinner at the Scioto Ribber, then we headed to Ironton, to watch the game between Gallia Academy at Ironton. The Tigers came in with a 6-2 record,while the visiting Blue Devils came in 7-1. Both teams looked to have a playoff slot secured, so this one was more about getting a league title, or at least a piece of it. Both were 5-0 in OVC play. A win for the Blue Devils would give them a share of their first-ever OVC championship, with a chance to make their title outright at home next week.

James Armstrong would sweep to his left and pick up forty two yards,on the games first play, setting up a three yard score from Lane Pullins,to make this a 6-0 game, just 1:43 seconds into the game. James Armstrong was stopped on a two point conversion try leaving this a 6-0 game.The Blue Devils drive took five plays and totaled sixty one yards.

The Tigers would be stopped on a fourth and one try, with 7:57 left in the quarter, when quarterback Gage Salyers was stopped just short of the first down marker. The Tigers totaled just twenty four yards on their first drive.

Cade Roberts took in a short pass and the made a fine run to give the Blue Devils a first and ten at the Tigers twenty eight. The Tigers defense got a big play by Seth Fosson,when he stopped Jacob Campbell to bring up a fourth and seven. On fourth down Justin McClelland threw an incomplete pass and with that came a turnover on downs, with a little under five minutes left in the quarter.

Before the quarter ended, the Tigers defense got another big play to force a punt by the Blue Devils. After Cory Call made one of his many catches on the night Brycen Thomas slammed him down for a loss of three and forced a punt.

Ironton would convert a fourth down to keep their next drive alive and then with 8:27 left in the half Salyers completed a pass to Thomas to the Blue Devils fourteen yard line, but a holding penalty took the ball back tot he thirty two, Ironton would shake off the hold and get the ball back down to the Blue Devils three, on a fifteen yard run by Reid Carrico. Seth Fosson ended the fourteen play,sixty four yard drive by blasting into the end zone. After Michael Mahlmeister connected on the point after kick, the Tigers led 7-6, with 6:55 left in the half.

Carrico would be stuffed for no gain, when Carter Campbell stepped up and made the play for the Blue Devils.
The Tigers drive shook off the fine play from Campbell, with a thirty one yard run from Salyers, with 5:26 left in the half.
Facing a fourth and eleven from the Blue Devils twenty, the Tigers would go for it and get it, after Salyers ran for seventeen, with 2:43 left.
Fosson ended the 61 yard, eight play drive, with a three yard plunge into the end zone. The point after kick gave the Tigers a 13-6 lead.

With 1:16 showing on the clock #30 Cameron Deer of the Tigers recovered a Blue Devils fumble.
It looked like a miscue of a exchange on a hand off caused the fumble.
The Tigers would get a thirty yard pass and run, when Salyers hooked up with Ethan Duncan.From there Carrico scored on a four yard run. The point after kick gave the Tigers a 20-6 lead.

The Blue Devils would get a sixteen yard catch by Call, to set up a twenty nine yard field goal from Andrew Toler to make this a 20-9 game at the half. The kick looked like it would have been good from about forty yards out. The kid has a nice leg on him.

With 9:23 left in the third the Tigers lit up the scoreboard again, on a fifty five yard bomb from Salyers to Brycen Thomas. Thomas was wide opened and had to wait a second on the ball before he took off. The point after kick was missed again, leaving this a 26-9 game. Keep in mind this was the second missed point after kick that was missed and two points Ironton really should have had was kept off of the board.

The teams would trade fumbles on back to back plays. Making the recovery for the Tigers was Salyers and for the Blue Devils it was #58 Trenton Meadows., The Blue Devils would take advantage of their recovery, with a Forty yard touchdown pass to Call on a nice throw from Justin McClelland.For McClelland it was redemption because he had fumbled the ball away on the drive before. A two point conversion pass was incomplete, leaving this a 26-15 game, with 6:41 left in the quarter.

The Tigers offense seemed dead after losing the ball and then watching the defense give up the touchdown right afterwards.
On their next two drives they would total zero yards. A sack by Brayden Easton caused for a five yard loss, with 6:27 left. After that it was all downhill.

Avoiding heavy pressure from the Tigers defense Gallia Academy quarterback Justin McClelland connected with Call again, for a nineteen yard gain. Then McClelland rushed for eight yards,to set up ten yard score from James Armstrong. A failed two point conversion pass kept this a 26-21.

The third quarter came to an end with McClelland being sacked by Fosson and #54 (NOT ON EITHER ROSTER).
After three quarters the Blue Devils had the five point lead and Call was a huge part of this, as far as the offense went. He is a difference maker in the passing game.

The Blue Devils receivers who had dropped three easy catches earlier in the game had straightened out their case of the droopiness, with five straight catches and with 11:11 left in the game they made it six straight, when Call hauled in a pass from McClelland and turned it into a seventeen yard gain. The drive ended soon after that as the Tigers defense dug in its claws.

Another Ironton fumble was recovered by the Blue Devils, this time making the recovery was Trentin Waller, with 8:50 left in the game.
The Blue Devils would take nine plays to go forty three yards to get their next score and take the lead. The scoring play came in the shape of a five yard touchdown pass to a wide opened Cade Roberts. Call hauled in the two point conversion pass, making this a 29-21 game, with 5:19 left. There were times, a lot of them where the Ironton secondary looked lost trying to cover the pass.

The Tigers next drive started at the Blue Devils forty two, thanks to a big kickoff return.
From there the Tigers needed just five plays to retake the lead. On the fifth play Carrico scored on a twenty one yard run, with 3:32 left. The point after kick was good making this a 33-29 game. The two missed point after kicks earlier kept this from being a six point game.

The Blue Devils would need to go sixty five yards for the game winning score.
With a big time weapon like Call and a quarterback that throws the ball well and over three minutes to do so, I believe they felt this was very doable.

The drive would slowly work its way downfield with two fourth down conversion being successful on the way.
Then with 24.4 seconds left a flea flicker pass from McClelland to Call gave the Blue Devils the lead at 35-33. On came Toler to kick the point after, which he did making this a 36-33 game.

The Tigers would have time to run four plays, but what looked like a hook and ladder never came to be, as the receiver slipped down before making the pitch and time ran out.

Unofficial Stats

Gallia Academy
70 Plays
438 Yards
Passing
16-28 1 TD

Ironton
62 Plays
355 Yards
Passing
8-13 1 TD

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Original Article
https://pafootballnews.com/beyond-the-k ... ontonhigh/

[svac83]

Good article

[Geronimo]

One good game ! WOW !

[mattash]

Really good job

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Thanks for the kind words.