Philo Spoils Crooksville’s Historic Night
By: Alex Porter
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CROOKSVILLE, Ohio– 100 years. That’s a big milestone, and for the Crooksville Ceramics, Friday was the 100-year anniversary of football in town. With such an important accolade for Crooksville, the Ceramics were determined to get the season back on track at home after a 33-20 loss to Warren in week one.
The Ceramics did not let a tough loss last week stop them from getting their business done at home. Likewise for Philo, the Electrics were coming off a week one loss as well, losing 24-16 to the Jonathan Alder Pioneers. The first MVL match ups of the season are always pivotal in showing what the conference will look like by the end of the season.
Philo and Crooksville proved a lot in the first night of MVL action, as both teams showed what they were truly made of. Philo would get the last laugh, however, as they took the victory 56-43.
As both teams were ready to draw first blood, there was a plethora of penalties that made it difficult for any team to make it into the red zone. Although the flags were a problem through the first few minutes of the first quarter, one thing that was working was the defense of the Electrics. Philo made it difficult for Crooksville to even get out of their own territory, forcing four punts in the first quarter.
With the strong Electric defense, the energy flowed into their offense. Senior quarterback for Philo, Hunter Adolph, put the first points on the board with a sly 46-yard touchdown run with 5:53 left in the first quarter. It didn’t take much longer for Adolph to get even more creative. With 1:57 left in the first quarter, he found Carson Kerns on an 88-yard pass to extend Philo’s lead, 14-0.
As the Ceramic fans sat back and watched Philo put some points on the board, they wouldn’t let their spirits break. The second quarter hit and it was a completely new Crooksville team. The defense looked solid and the offense was firing on all cylinders.
The moment the Ceramics caught fire was when Brady Brannon intercepted Hunter Adolph, returning the ball to Philo’s 32-yard line. Just a few snaps later, Caden Miller hit Brannon for a one-handed, six-yard touchdown pass. That combo would connect again just two minutes later, but on a 50-yard touchdown. The game would be tied with five minutes to go in the first half.
Caden Miller, who was a star offensively for the Ceramics, especially in the second quarter, helped out defensively as well. He picked off Hunter Adolph, which happened to be Adolph’s second interception, and returned it to the house for a pick six. Crooksville would succeed on the two-point conversion, giving them the lead at halftime, 22-14.
All of a sudden it was a game. The crowd was buzzing, and it was the kind of Friday night every fan should remember.
To start the second half, Philo came out with the electric energy they had in the first quarter but were missing in the second. As for the Ceramics, they were able to match that energy. The second half would feature a trade-off of blows but would ultimately result in a 56-43 Philo victory.
For Crooksville, the Ceramics were led by Caden Miller, who had 305 yards passing along with 45 yards rushing. He had three touchdowns.
As for Philo, it was the Hunter Adolph show. He was 12-19 passing for 257 yards with two touchdowns. He also had 13 carries for 206 yards and five touchdowns.
Philo’s next game is next Friday at West Muskingum. Crooksville’s next game is also next Friday at home against Maysville.