Unioto Shermans conquer SVC title
By: Zachary Knight
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CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WOUB) – In the final week of the regular season, the Unioto Shermans hosted the Southeastern Panthers, and claimed the SVC title for the second year in a row with a commanding 36-0 win.
The game started off strong for the Panthers when the Shermans turned the ball over after an onside kick off. Southeastern began to string plays together, working their way towards the endzone but ultimately falling to some strong Sherman defense.
After a few minutes of play, Unioto junior Brayden White snagged an interception, and set the school record for most career interceptions at 15, seven of which came from this season. The drive carried on, ending with an 8-yard touchdown from Cody Braden to put Unioto up 7-0.
Braden went on to pick up another touchdown for the Shermans, expanding their lead to 14-0, and really getting things moving in this high stakes SVC matchup.
The Panthers offense continued to struggle against Sherman Tanks, who continued to pick up sacks and push back against Southeastern.
Blake Hoops would later find back-to-back touchdowns for his Shermans. The first came from a 39-yard reception from Isaac Coy, and the second being a massive 70-yard pick six, putting the Shermans up 28-0.
Unioto had momentum on their side coming out of halftime and continued to hold off the Panthers, who still fought back with some strong offensive drives.
Strong defensive efforts from Unioto in the first half kept the ball out of the Panther’s hands and allowed the Shermans to expand the lead with some effective offensive plays both in the air and on the ground.
In the third quarter, Caden Cutright just kept things going for the Shermans with a receiving touchdown courtesy of Isaac Coy. A running clock in the fourth quarter speeded things up, and ultimately Unioto sealed the deal.
The Shermans took the SVC title home for the second year in a row, along with another undefeated conference record.
Next week, Unioto will make their way into postseason play, while Southeastern will miss the opportunity for a chance at the playoffs.