Sheridan win season debut in third straight year, defeating Licking Valley
By: Mitch Mollison
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NEWARK, Ohio (WOUB) — It was a perfect Friday night for football at Licking Valley High School, as Week one Licking Valley Panthers took on cross town rival Sheridan Generals to kick off both of their seasons.
Prior to kickoff, both honored student Adah Krokonko, who passed away this summer in an unfortunate car accident.
Both communities came together and shared compassion and empathy, wearing teal shirts all over the stands on both the Licking Valley side and the Sheridan side in her memory. A moment of silence was also held in her honor before the game.
Before the National Anthem another moment of silence was held for former Sheridan head coach Paul Culver Jr, father of current Sheridan head coach Paul Culver the third. Even though both of these teams are rivals, the compassion and support shown from both communities went beyond the game of football.
The first half ended with the Panthers on top 28-21, showcasing a flurry of scoring from both teams. Licking Valley Wide Receiver Ayden Stalnaker had a fantastic first half with 2 touchdowns, being a key piece for the Panthers offense in the first half.
Sheridan’s dual threat Quarterbacks Caden Sheridan and Reid Packer spearheaded a very efficient system for the Generals, showing off their skills on the offensive side of the ball. Packer had a gutsy rushing touchdown in the first half and Sheridan showed off his arm throwing for big gains.
The second half was all about Sheridans Defense, as they anchored down and prevented Licking Valley from scoring a single point. Coach Culver was proud of the coaching staff that made the adjustments necessary to lock down the Panther’s offense. The defensive performance from the Generals helped them secure a 35-28 win.
“We have fantastic Defensive coaches who constantly have the boys practice schemes and adjustments at practice.”
Quarterback Reid Packer commended the defense.
“I’m really proud of our defense in the second half, We had some mental mistakes but we’ll just keep practicing to make sure those mental mistakes don’t happen”
The Sheridan Generals look to build on their strong start next week at home against Watkins Memorial. The Licking Valley Panthers look to bounce back from their close loss at home against Heath.