St. Clairsville takes firm control of the Buckeye 8 with win over Union Local
By: Conor Mallonn
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BELMONT, Ohio (WOUB) — Cold winds were rolling over Union Local High school as the Union Local Jets hosted the St. Clairsville Red Devils, Both teams entered the game 5 and 2 and were looking to take another win in conference play. Both teams took the field looking to hit the ground running but the game would prove to be a battle on the defensive front.
The first drive for the Jets would result in a 3 and out. On the ensuing drive from the Red Devils would end in a punt, and on the punt for St. Clairsville the ball would be batted up by and recovered by #22 Peyton Crosby of the Jets on their own 30 yard line. The Jets would hand the ball off to the big man Jaksan Price who carried the ball 26 of the 30 yards and line up Quarterback Carter Blake for the 2 yard touchdown strike early. The Jets would miss the extra point starting the score off at 6-0.
The Red Devils would pick the ball up from the kickoff on the 31 yard line, Quarterback Andrew Vera would strike for 22 yards to cross midfield only to be picked off on the next pass on the 35 by the Jets Carter Blake. The Jets would get one short snap off for a short gain as the Clock ran down at the end of the first quarter.
The Second quarter would be back and forth between the defenses as the Jets would punt on their first drive. The Red Devils would recover in Jets territory and would miss the field goal attempt on the short drive downfield. Union Local would take over on downs and Price would continue to hit the gaps and run for another 22 yard on this drive. With 3:20 left in the half Carter Blake would pass over the hashes towards the St. Clairsville sidelines and would be picked off by Grant Swider.
Taking over on the Jets 47 yard line the Red Devils would be fighting both the clock and the flags as they would drive down towards the end of the first half, Andrew Vera and Jacob Walker would combine for 33 yard and attempt another field goal which would fall no good as time ticks off and the first half rolls to an end.
The second half would light the field up for both teams. St. Clairsville would hit the ground on fire as Kaleb Waltz of the Devils would run the kickoff back 27 yards. Vera would complete a 13 yard pass to Cole Thoburn. Walker would run for 18 yards on the next play. Lining up long and hitting him out over the middle, Vera would connect with Thoburn again this time for 26 yards and the Red Devils would tie the score at 6 to 6 after a blocked PAT.
The Devil’s defense would flex its muscles forcing a 3 and out after a huge pair of sacks and a forced fumble that the Jets would recover to try and keep the drive alive, the Jets would eventually be forced to punt.
The Jets would take a long drive downfield and Carter Blake would run a TD for 27 yards that would be called back on a holding penalty. The Jets wouldn’t be able to convert on the drive, and on the punt, St. Clairsville’s Cole Thoburn would take it to the house, unfortunately both teams would have a similar fate and the TD would be called off and the punt repeated. The Devils would be unable to bring it downfield and would punt again.
Now with 2 and a half minutes left in the 3rd quarter it would be Jacob Walker’s turn to find the end-zone on a 12 yard TD run, the PAT would be blocked for a second time as the Devils would lead 12-6 over the Jets going in to the fourth quarter.
The start of the Fourth quarter did not disappoint as the Red Devils would force another fumble on Jaksan Price, Price would recover his own fumble. Price would redeem himself as just 3 plays later he would run for 47 yards and line up a second Carter Blake rushing touchdown from 8 yards out. PAT by Blake would be good and the Jets lead 13-to-12 over the Red Devils.
St. Clairsville would return the kickoff for 31 yards and start off on their own 43. Vera and Walker would proceed to push the Jets down, short gains would bring the Red Devils into the red zone and with 24 seconds left, Andrew Vera would rush for a 1-yard TD. The 2 point conversion from Vera to #4 Marcus Bush would be good as St. Clairsville would lead 20-13.
The clock would run down on the Jets during their final drive and the St, Clairsville Jets would take the win 20-to-13 over the Union Local Jets.