Panthers pull off a victory in their home opener against Generals
By: Jackie VanHoose
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NEWARK, OH (WOUB) — The Sheridan Generals traveled to Newark for the first week of football here in Ohio to take on the Licking Valley Panthers. With two titans of Division III facing off after successful seasons last year, this game surely delivered a thriller and ended 28-13 in favor of the Panthers.
This game was truly an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. It took the Panthers until about the end of the first half to get the first touchdown, with quarterback Brody Rodgers taking it in for Licking Valley to give them an early lead. That was after back and forth possessions for almost a full quarter, both teams really showed off their defensive prowess that lead them to success last year. Licking Valley went 11-1 and Sheridan went 7-4 in their regular season last year and you can see how, these two teams couldn’t move the other to start. It didn’t help that Sheridan ran into trouble early with multiple penalties for encroachment, leading to extra yards for the Panthers.
The battle continued into the second quarter, with both teams pushing each other back again and again. Licking Valley once again got a touchdown halfway through the second quarter by running back Dylan Keeley, taking a 14-0 lead before Sheridan fired back with a score of their own. Quarterback Tyce Whiteman took it to the bank for the Generals and put them back in the game, but gaining a lead for Sheridan would require overcoming a really strong offense from the Panthers.
Coming out of the second half, Sheridan made an effort to tie it up with another touchdown by Whiteman on the second play. Missing the extra point, they were still down by a point but you could feel the heat hit the Panthers. They quickly made up their response, with another touchdown by Licking Valley re-enforcing their lead. While there was still a shot, there was certainly a lull in energy as the night went on. These teams were giving their all on defense, but could not execute in four downs and it was still wide open to start the fourth quarter.
A touchdown by Panthers WR Connor Keeley brought the score up to 28-13 early in the quarter, and while Sheridan made a valiant effort to close the gap with the time remaining, incomplete passes and a crucial play falling short on fourth and 14 lead to a victory in the first week for Licking Valley. Sheridan will move on with all the talent they showed this week to play Watkins Memorial in their home opener, while Licking Valley will hope to continue their win streak against Amanda-Clearcreek on Aug. 28.