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| West Branch and Minerva square off in an Eastern Buckeye Conference game at Dr. Robert R. Hines Stadium. (Photo: Chuck Cordes/Ohsfbmedia.com) |
MINERVA, Ohio - What a dominating first half it was for the Warriors of West Branch, as they accumulated forty-two points during the Eastern Buckeye Conference matchup against Minerva and ran off a 56-6 win.
In the first quarter, the Warriors utilized their legs and feet to establish an early advantage in the game, achieving three touchdowns and securing a 21-0 lead as they entered the second quarter.
The first score of the game was made by freshman Gavin Marshall, who completed an 8-yard touchdown run at the 10:10 mark.
Then the skilled senior Jeremiah Thomas stood out in the first half, achieving a 78-yard touchdown run at 7:06 in the first quarter, followed by another receiving touchdown from junior quarterback Grady Hirst with 4:30 left.
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| Wide receiver Jeremiah Thomas scores early in the game on this 78-yard touchdown as Minerva's Timothy Kirkpatrick pursues. (Photo: Chuck Cordes/Ohsfbmedia.com) |
Also, tight end and Toledo recruit Gavin Gregory would see the endzone on two occasions: "Their defense was easy to read, they played quarters and cover three the whole time, and we just thought our passing game is so strong, so we just passed it most of the night."
"I seen that hole, I hit it," said Thomas on the 78-yard run in the quarter. "We definitely know that our athletes are better than what you'd expect."
The second quarter wasn't much different, as they would share the ball, with senior Lukas Black and Toledo recruit Gavin Grady continuing to see the end zone.
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| Tight end Gavin Gregory (84) celebrates a touchdown with teammates. Photo: Chuck Cordes/Ohsfbmedia.com) |
They would take a 42-0 score into the half.
The Warriors exhibited complete dominance, as if Minerva were unable to effectively implement the Wing-T offense. Their offensive players were frequently caught from behind due to the overwhelming speed on the edges from West Branch.
I thought our team played well tonight - Tim Cooper, Head Football Coach
As the second half commenced, West Branch had scored sufficient points in the first half to implement a running clock; Minerva would be receiving the ball as a result of West Branch deferring the coin toss.
But the results were still the same, as they just could not sustain drives that would get them in the endzone.
West Branch's speed on the defensive side of the ball limited Minerva's success on the focal point of their offense, their run game. "There was a lot of talk on social media and stuff, and we took that to heart," elaborated Thomas.
Additional points from the Warriors would create more separation in this game, as quarterback Grady Hirst concluded a five-touchdown performance, also linking up with tight end Gavin Gregory.
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| West Branch quarterback Grady Hirst prepares the offense to run a play. (Photo: Chuck Cordes/Ohsfbmedia.com) |
Furthermore, backup Drake Strffleler contributed a lengthy touchdown run in the latter part of the game, solidifying the significant victory.
They had their number, "We scouted them just like everybody else, and we just adjusted to what they did," said Hirst.
No offense runs without a solid offensive line, and not enough could be said about the up-front play of the Warriors. "Our offensive line continues to get better," said Cooper. "They did a great job in pass pro and in our run game, gotta keep working," he also stated.
Minerva's only score came from a late-game run by senior Nathaniel Linkous.
The Warriors move to a record of (5-1) for the season and will host Marlington (3-3) in week seven. Meanwhile, Minerva falls to (4-2) and is set to compete against Salem in a home game.
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