Sports
Logan Claims SEOAL Title Share In 35-21 Win
By: Brad Friedman
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A frigid night in Gallipolis held massive implications for both Logan (5-4, 3-0) and Gallia Academy (5-4, 1-2), but the night belonged to tough-running Chieftains, as Logan came out on top, 35-21.
With the gritty win, Logan claimed a share of its 26th Southeastern Ohio Athletic League title and its first since 2009.
Logan’s undefeated conference record looked to be in jeopardy when Gallia Academy’s offense came out firing. A five-play, 69-yard drive was capped off with a 43-yard touchdown sprint from Wade Jarrell, giving the Blue Devils a 7-0 lead with 9:16 left.
Logan’s ensuing drive was about to end in a punt, but a roughing the punter call kept the drive alive, putting the rock on the Blue Devil 16 yard line. Four plays later, Nick Kost scampered his way into the end zone for 15-yard touchdown, tying things up at seven with 4:30 to go in the first quarter.
Kost finished with 14 carries for 41 yards.
A Gallia Academy four-and-out put the ball on the 25 yard line. After a false start, Isaac Schmeltzer rushed for 30 of his 110 yards on the night, scoring his first of two touchdowns and putting the Chieftains up, 14-7, with 2:23 left in the first.
Logan got the ball back at the end of the first to start an 11-play, 54-yard drive. The drive ended with a 23-yard strike from Kost to Isiah Smith in the far left corner of the end zone, resulting in a 21-7 Logan lead early in the second.
The Blue Devils’ offense did not go into the half content with seven points, as they responded with an 11-play, 88-yard drive that ended with a Jarrell touchdown toss to Reid Eastman on a slant route. Jarrell’s first of two touchdown passes made Logan’s lead, 21-14.
Gallia Academy tacked on another touchdown on a Wade to Wes Jarrell 28-yard touchdown in the third quarter, but Kost connected with Kevin Fisher to put the Chieftains up, 28-21.
Logan put the game away when Schmeltzer punched it in from two yards out to make the score, 35-21.
The loss knocks Gallia Academy out of the running for the SEOAL crown, but they can play spoiler to Jackson (5-4, 2-1) as the Ironmen attempt to claim a portion of the SEOAL title.
Warren’s loss to Portsmouth knocked them out of contention for the title.