newarkcatholicfan
Last night at Nelsonville York high school the Bulldogs from Heath went to war with the Fighting Tigers from Ironton. I thought this one would be very lopsided and as usual I was so wrong on that.
With 10:37 left in the first quarter Heath was faced with a third and three when they handed the ball to their great running back, Charles Gresham and he went left and easily picked up more than enough yards to pick up the first down and move the chains. Then with 9:18 left on the clock the Bulldogs once again faced a third and short and once again they called on Gresham to move the chains and he did. The Bulldogs called on Nelson Scott, the most underrated player in Licking County and he went up the gut for a big gain and another Heath first down. At this point the smaller Heath line was easily controlling the of scrimmage and making the defensive line of Ironton look a little lost. The nine play seventy-five-yard came to an end when Scott went thirteen-yards for a score. The point after kick by Scott was no good leaving the score,7-0 Heath with 8:24 showing on the clock.
The Ironton offense was shut down on their first two plays of their opening drive but on third down Ethan Preston turned on the after burners and went seventy-yards for a score. The point after kick by 5-7, 195 pound Keith Whetzel gave the Fighting Tigers a 7-6 lead with 8:24 left in the first quarter.
With Ironton clinging to its one point lead Tres Wilks went left and busted off a twenty-three-yard run as the Ironton offensive lined fired off the ball and gave its running back a nice hole to run through. The clock showed .58 seconds when J.P. Taylor went up the middle following his offensive line on his way to a seven-yard gain.
11:40 showed on the 2nd quarter clock when Mason Robinson and company got to Preston for a sack for a loss of about sixteen.
After getting the ball back the Fighting Tigers got a nice powerful run by Tres Wilks who picked up eighteen-yards. He threw three would be tacklers off of him before be brought down.
4:58 showed on the clock when Wetzel busted off a big run to move the chains. Ironton would call on another running back, Brian Warner and he busted up the heart of the Heath defense for a nine-yard gain. Once again his offensive line was making things easy as they started to play very well. The nine-play seven-four-yard came to a close with a nine-yard run by Keith Whetzel , who also added the point after to give Ironton a, 16-6 lead with 2:00 left in the half.
Neither team had given up much in the third but with 8:26 left Gresham decide to change thing as he went left and picked up fourteen-yards. From there the big-time play maker, Gresham would go thirty-three-yards as he avoided a would be tackler to score. A two-point pass toTim Patterson tied things up, at fourteen with 6:10 left in the third quarter.
J.P. Taylor made a nice run to pick up what looked to be fourteen-yards with 6:01 left in the quarter but as he was being tackled he put the ball on the turf and making the recovery for Heath was 5-11, 167 pound Daniel Combs.
The rest of the quarter would see both teams let the defenses do the talking as the quarter ended with things still locked up, at 14.
The Bulldogs got a fifty-nine yard gain from its sensational quarterback with 4:01 left in the game. Just when it looked like the Bulldogs were going to go in for the winning score they put the ball on the ground and when the piked cleared the Fighting Tigers had the ball with 1:25 left.
Heath would get the ball back and drive down to the Ironton’s fourteen-yard line and with .59 showing on the clocked the Bulldogs sent in Scott to kick the winning field goal. The kick was long enough but wide right sending the big Ironton crown into a roar that Athens had to hear.
Regulation ended with the way the night started with both teams all tied up.
In over time Ironton would get a big sack on the Heath QB forcing a third and long. On third down the Bulldogs went to the trick play their version of the halfback pass but the Fighting Tigers were not fooled as Ryan Sias leaped up and picked the ball off.
On Ironton’S first play in the overtime period Keith Whetzel took the hand off and di not stop running until he got to the end zone sending the Ironton crowd into another loud eruption and sending the Heath very large crowd home.
UNOFFICIAL STATS
HEATH
50 PLAYS
319 YARDS
PASSING 4-10 1 INT
IRONTON
51 PLAYS
325 YARDS
PASSING 1-1
I will have to invite you to a Indian Creek game next year so you can write one up for us.