Sports
Sheridan Seeks to Contain Roberts, Overcome Maysville Defense
By: Blake Baker, Nathan Wiseman
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Sheridan faces a lot of unanswered questions through five games.
Since being blown out 42-0 by Zanesville three weeks ago, the Generals (3-2, 3-0) have won two consecutive games, averaging 46.5 points per contest during that stretch.
However, Sheridan’s three wins have come against the MVL’s bottom three teams (John Glenn, West Muskingum, and Morgan) which yield a combined 1-14 record. Friday’s match-up against Maysville (5-0, 4-0) will determine where Sheridan stands among the MVL elite.
The injury-stricken Generals have relied on their dominant running game during their winning streak, highlighted by the play of Deryk Grosse and Ben Rhodes.
Grosse was quiet during the first three weeks of the season, but that has dramatically changed. He has racked up 299 rushing yards and four touchdowns over the past two weeks.
But once again, those totals came against some of the league’s weaker teams. Few teams have broken through Maysville’s defense, the unit has allowed only 34 points all season, making Friday’s match-up all the more challenging for Sheridan.
Maysville fought from behind to defeat Sheridan 27-24 in a triple-overtime thriller last season, placing a dent in Sheridan’s chances at a playoff birth and MVL title. Chase Himmelspach shined in the game while Chase Roberts was forced to watch the overtime action from the sidelines due to an injury.
Roberts is back and healthy this time around and no team has been able to completely contain him thus far.
“We can’t change a game plan around one person, but we’re well aware of what he’s capable of doing,” Sheridan Coach Paul Culver said. “We need to tackle well and eliminate the big plays.”
Maysville Coach Craig Clarke expressed his excitement about traveling to Sheridan for a battle of league unbeaten.
“We’re excited to go down to Sheridan and compete on their home turf. It’s going to be a great challenge,” Clarke said.
“When you play the second half of the season, it’s all about preparing for a second season,” Clark added.