Sports
Burrow, Williams Shine As Bulldogs Throttle Gallia Academy 52-0
By: Marisa Salopek
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The last time Athens defeated Gallia Academy at home was in 1987. After all the hype that came with this 27-year long losing streak, the Bulldogs ended the streak with authority, coasting to a 52-0 win over the Blue Devils.
It was a perfect night for quarterback Joe Burrow, as he completed all 12 of his pass attempts for 289 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Trae Williams ran for 143 yards and added three touchdowns of his own for the Bulldogs.
Williams started the game with a 12-yard touchdown run just 70 seconds into the game, and after a missed PAT, the Bulldogs held a 6-0 lead.
The Bulldogs (1-0) scored two more times in the first quarter, including an 80-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to Ryan Luehrman, and ended the quarter with an 18-0 Bulldogs lead.
The second quarter began much like the first, as Williams sprinted 65-yards for his third touchdown of the game just 12 seconds into the quarter, increasing the Bulldogs lead to 25-0. The Bulldogs would go on to score three more times in the first half to head to the locker room holding a 45-0 advantage.
Athens’ stellar performance was paired with the debut of their new grey uniforms that featured a camouflage design down the side of the pants. The Bulldogs surprised their fans with the new uniforms, as they wore the traditional green jerseys and gold pants for warm-ups, but then changed into the new set before taking the field for the game.
Despite Gallia Academy’s (0-1) close attempts to score, their efforts were no match for the tough defense that Athens asserted. The Blue Devils did have a prime opportunity to break onto the scoreboard in the first quarter, as they had with a 4th-and-goal from Athens’ one-yard line, however Gallia's Wes Jerrell fumbled the ball into the end zone and the Bulldogs recovered for a touchback. Jerrell was injured on the play and was forced to leave the game.
Next up for the Bulldogs is a trip to Zanesville (1-0) next Friday at 7 p.m. Gallia Academy will look to rebound on the road next Friday against Chesapeake (0-1) at 7:30 p.m.
'Gridiron Glory' airs every Friday night at 11:30 p.m. on WOUB. You can follow the show on Twitter @gridironglory, like the Gridiron Glory page on Facebook, and follow along on Instagram @woubsports. You can also join the conversation throughout the season by using the hashtag #GridGlory.