Ironton shuts down Gallia Academy on senior night
By: Caleb McCleskey
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GALLIPOLIS, Ohio (WOUB) – Going into week 9, the Ironton Tigers traveled to Gallipolis to take on the Gallia Academy Blue Devils, and the Tigers would end up winning this conference matchup 27-17.
For two straight years, the Ohio Valley Conference would get a treat for week 9 as both of these teams would be fighting for the OVC title. During the 2022 season for week 9, Gallia Academy traveled to Ironton to take on the Tigers, but Ironton would hang on to the lead late in the fourth to beat the Blue Devils 29-22.
Heading into the first quarter, Gallia Academy would end up receiving the ball first but would have to punt, giving Ironton their first possession. But for Ironton, they would capitalize for their first possession.
With 4:05 left in the first quarter, Ironton’s Zayne Willams would find himself in the endzone on a 4-yard run to give the Tigers the first score of the game.
At the end of the first quarter, Ironton would lead Gallia Academy 7-0.
For the first half, there would be a combination of five possessions between both teams. The Blue Devils would end up with three possessions, while the Tigers would have two. During this half, possessions between the teams would last up to seven minutes long. Gallia Academy would end up making it to the redzone but couldn’t get any of their players into the endzone.
With less than 8 minutes to go in the first half, the Blue Devils found themselves on the board with a field goal made by Caleb Stout. But Ironton would not back down so easily.
With 2:11 left in the first half, Aris Pittman is able to extend the Tiger’s lead with a quick pass from Bailey Thacker and a 28-yard run into the endzone.
Heading into the second half, Ironton would hold on to their lead, 14-3.
The second half would become a different story for Gallia Academy as they scored the majority of their points in the fourth quarter. But for Ironton, they would be consistent getting at least one score for each quarter.
At the end of the fourth quarter, Ironton would take this game 27-17.
For Gallia Academy, they will head to South Point next week to take on the Pointers for their final regular season game. With this win for Ironton, they will at least get a share of the OVC title. But if they beat Portsmouth next week, they will get the title outright.