Sports
Steubenville Thwarts Maysville Playoff Run
By: Ian McConville
Posted on:
The Maysville Panthers magical season came to an end at Harding Stadium on Saturday night, as Steubenville Big Red captured a 28-0 victory in the opening round of the OHSAA Playoffs.
On their first possession, Big Red put together a strong, methodical drive, capped by a Deshon Redman 45-yard touchdown rush. From there, the Steubenville defense began to stymie the Panther offensive attack, which it would do for the majority of the game.
The Big Red would strike again with 6:43 to play in the second quarter. Cory Stinson would find tight end Eric Robinson, who was wide open down field, and boosted its lead to 14.
Late in the first half, Maysville began to show signs of life, most notably a 16-yard completion on third-and-6 from Jacob Miller to Justin Wilson. Wilson finished the game with 4 receptions for 34 yards. However, a dropped pass later on in the possession would kill any momentum the Panthers had going.
The two teams traded possessions before a Maysville punt pinned Steubenville at its own two-yard line. The Panther defense would later force a fumble inside the 10-yard line and seemed to be in great position to get points on the board heading into halftime. However, Maysville would fumble on the ensuing play and the two teams returned to the locker room with Big Red holding a 14-0 advantage.
In the second half, it was all Big Red. On its very first possession of the half, Steubenville put together a five play, 81-yard drive, and took only 2:05 off of the clock. That series was capped by an 18-yard scoring strike from Stinson to Matt Petrella.
Late in the fourth quarter, Steubenville would score its final touchdown of the evening when Donte Brown powered his way into the end zone from three-yards out to give Big Red the 28-0 advantage that would end up as the final score.
The Maysville offense never got rolling at any point during the game. The Big Red defense shut down the Panthers air and ground attacks. Maysville was consistently forced into three-and-outs, keeping a tired defense on the field against a powerful Steubenville offense.
For Maysville, Jordan Hayes had 14 carries for 36 yards. C.J. Harris rushed 7 times for 17 yards. The Panthers only managed six first downs on the evening, compared to Steubenville’s 18.
As for Big Red, Redman and Brown combined for 26 carries for 248 yards and two touchdowns. Petrella had four catches for 74 yards.
Maysville finishes its season at 9-2. Under the leadership of first year head coach Craig Clarke, the Panthers made the first appearance in the OHSAA Playoffs in school history.
The Big Red will advance to face West Holmes in the second round. The Knights blasted Indian Creek 35-7 in their opening round contest.