Sports
Buckeyes Fall from the Playoff Tree
By: Sam Mullan
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The first round playoff matchup between the Portsmouth West Senators and the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes was certainly an exciting one. A slow start hurt the Buckeyes as they fall to the Senators 18-12.
The game is said to have been won and lost in the trenches and that was certainly the case in tonight’s game. Portsmouth West ran a total of 60 rushing plays, which were anchored by their offensive line. The average weight on the Senators offensive line was 255 pounds, compared to just 205 pounds on the Buckeyes defensive line. Portsmouth West dominated on the line for much of the game, allowing them to coast to an 18-0 lead.
Turnovers were also a major storyline as the Buckeyes had a total of five turnovers, four interceptions by Nathan Dean and one fumble on a drive late in the fourth quarter, giving the Senators plenty of opportunities with great field position.
With all the interceptions, Nathan Dean did have some shining moments with two touchdown passes, one to Kyle Freer from eights yards out and the other to Austin North from 23 yards out.
Dustin Young didn’t have his normal big game as he was held to just 62 yards, although play calling from behind may have contributed to his lack of yards.
The Senators really shone through Kyle Auger, who had two rushing touchdowns and an interception, and Adam Bricker, who had a 30 yard touchdown pass and played a big role in the running game as a whole.
Nelsonville-York Head Coach Dave Boston has now fallen to 0-7 in the playoffs, with the Buckeyes ending the season with a two game losing streak.