Ironmen FAC champs looking towards home playoff game
By: Andrew Rowan
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CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WOUB) – The Chillicothe Cavaliers (2-7) hosted the Jackson Ironmen (7-2) for a FAC matchup with a chance of taking the conference title and hosting a home playoff game. The Ironmen defeated the Cavaliers 43-14.
The Ironmen looked like they were going to hold on to first place, but Chillicothe wanted to show them that they weren’t done yet. The Cavaliers had the ball first to start off but could not capitalize and were forced to punt it away. Their defense, however, started strong by stopping the Jackson run game on fourth down.
It wouldn’t take The Ironmen too long to get on the board however because with four minutes on the clock, quarterback Bodhi Wolford connected with his target receiver Ryan Seimetz down the middle of the field for Jackson’s first touchdown of the night, earning a quick 7-0 lead.
The Chillicothe offense finally woke up, because Cavalier’s Cartae Ligon would take the snap in the wildcat formation in the end zone to the right and would get in for Chillicothe’s first score, tying it up at 7-7. Jackson must’ve taken that personally because on the first play of the drive running back Nolan Johnson took the handoff up the middle and had no one in front of him. He would take it all the way for a long run to get the Ironmen on the scoreboard again, getting ahead 14-7.
Jackson kept their momentum, because on fourth and 10 they decided to go for it with a screen to receiver Dayton Kallmer, who took it down the left-hand side for yet another Ironmen touchdown.
The Chillicothe defense made a little something out of it with a tackle on the Jackson kick holder because of a botched snap, Jackson leading 20-7. It seemed the Cavaliers troubles weren’t behind them, because backed up to their own 20-yard line they decided to throw a screen, but it was picked off by linebacker Charlie Woodard for a pick six. Nolan Johnson added on with the two-point conversion, going into halftime with the score at 27-7.
Coming out at the half, Jackson kept doing what they did best all night, scoring. Another rushing touchdown was scored by the Ironmen, which built their lead even higher at 34-7. The Cavaliers struggled to make anything out of a drive yet again and attempted to punt it while backed up in their own redzone, but the snap went over the head of their punter and rolled out the back of the endzone for a safety. Jackson held a 36-7 lead.
The Ironmen, didn’t stop there because they went back to work on offense with another passing touchdown to Dayton Kallmer, making their lead even greater at 43-7. Chillicothe, however, got on the board before it was all said and done with a rushing score by Victor Hitchens, 43-14.
Neither team scored again, and the game would end with a Jackson victory over the Cavaliers 43-14.
With the win, the Jackson Ironmen are the 2024 FAC conference champs. The Ironmen look to host a home playoff game and keep their energy moving forward.