Sports
Trouble From The First Touch For West Muskingum As New Lexington Panthers Dominates From Start
By: Connor Mills
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The Tornadoes received the ball to start the game and three plays later, New Lexington recovered a fumble, drove down field and acquired a lead that they would never relinquish. One score was all they needed. 48-0 New Lexington was the final.
That touchdown off of the turnover set the tone for the Panthers as they would go on to score 22 more points in a 29 point total first quarter.
Leading the way for the Panthers was running back Christian Vance. Rushing for 91 yards and averaging 18.2 per run, every time the ball was in his hands, the Panthers were moving the markers.
In addition to Vance, wide recievers Connar Back, Bobby Kunkler, and Will Stenson all had 20 plus yards through the air and complemented Vance on the ground and created a more versatile offence for the Panthers.
Sophomore quarterback Logyn Ratliff and running back Seth Burgess dominated on both sides of the ball. Ratliff, threw for 86 yards and ran for 2. Burgess had 13 yards and 2 touchdowns. While on defense, Ratliff also impressed with a pick six and Burgess was everywhere on the field racking up tackle after tackle, many of them for a loss.
As for West Muskingum, the failure to hang on to the ball was a struggle during the entire first half. Special teams hurt the most as the Tornadoes muffed multiple balls which allowed for the Panthers to recover and allowed them to apply pressure deep in Tornadoes territory when they did not. Also the Panther defense was too much for the Tornadoes offense as they were held to only 13 total yards. 25 yards in the air and -12 on the ground. To compare, the Panthers had 263 total yards.
New Lexington now opens the season with two wins and are coming in hot for next week’s game away, against Morgan. West Muskingum will visit Philo in Duncan Falls, Ohio.