Hall’s heroics help Wheelersburg win defensive battle
By: Andrew Woods
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WHEELERSBURG, Ohio (WOUB) — With time running out and the game on the line, Stephen Hall became the hero of the Wheelersburg Pirates’ home opener. Hall scored the go-ahead touchdown on fourth-and-goal to help Wheelersburg (2-0) win a defensive duel with the Archbishop McNicholas Rockets (1-1) 10-7.
Wheelersburg got their first scoring chance early in the first quarter, when the Pirates used a balanced offense to drive into McNicholas territory. However, the drive stalled out, which meant the Pirates had to settle for a field goal. That field goal would be the only offensive score until the end of the game.
As the first quarter progressed, both Archbishop McNicholas and Wheelersburg had promising drives that stalled due to penalties. Just as the second quarter began, Wheelersburg faced a short fourth down on their own 40 yard line and went for it. That decision backfired in the worst way possible. The Pirates’ quarterback sneak looked dead on arrival. The situation got even worse for Wheelersburg when Zarius Harvey forced a fumble and returned it for a touchdown to give Archbishop McNicholas the lead.
During the second quarter, both teams had promising chances that they could not convert. Wheelersburg drove into McNicholas territory just after the fumble, but the Pirates forced Wheelersburg into a long field goal that fell short. Late in the quarter, Archbishop McNicholas marched into Wheelersburg territory. The Pirates stood strong with a TFL and a fourth down stop to get the ball back with less than two minutes left. Although Wheelersburg pushed forward, the Pirates only got to the Archbishop McNicholas 40-yard line. A desperation field goal fell short, making the score 7-3 at halftime.
Opportunities to score continued to be scares during the third quarter. McNicholas had the only scoring chance of the quarter when they made it to the Wheelersburg 25-yard line, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty stopped their scoring ambitions.
The first three quarters were a defensive battle, with nobody reaching the red zone. However, early in the fourth, Wheelersburg entered the red zone for the first time. Archbishop McNicholas clamped down and forced the Pirates into a fourth down on the 18 yard line. The Pirates went for it, but did not convert. Luckily for Wheelersburg, the Pirates defense stood strong and got the ball back at the 50 yard line. Despite the incredible field position, Wheelersburg did not cash in thanks in part to an early false start and a failed fake punt.
Just as the game seemed like it was slipping away, the Wheelersburg defense came in clutch again, forcing Archbishop McNicholas into a fourth-and-1 in Pirates territory. The Rockets took a gamble and tried to convert the first down. The Wheelersburg defense needed to make a big stop. With the raucous home crowd behind them, the Pirates delivered. After a low snap, Hunter Henderson sacked quarterback Steven Meltebrink to give their offense one last chance to win the game.
With two and a half minutes to go and the pressure on, backup quarterback Jack Doerr came in clutch, leading Wheelersburg to the Archbishop McNicholas goal line. Then on third-and-goal, disaster nearly struck for the Pirates when the snap went off target. Wheelersburg recovered, setting up a fourth-and-goal.
With everything riding on one play, the Pirates decided to mull their options during a timeout. Wheelersburg head coach Rob Woodward said that he ran through “four or five plays” when deciding what to do, but in the end, he made the decision that he felt put his players in the best situation.
After the timeout, Wheelersburg caught a lucky break when Archbishop McNicholas committed a neutral zone infraction. That penalty pushed the Pirates closer to a go-ahead touchdown.
Then, with one last chance to take the lead, Hall came in clutch. He punched in a 2-yard touchdown to put Wheelersburg ahead for good. After the score, the Pirates defense stopped Archbishop McNicholas one more time to secure a 10-7 victory.
After the game, Woodward reflected on the Pirates’ mistakes, saying the win was “not perfect by any means” and that there were moments that the coaching staff and players would have liked to have back. Still, he praised the Wheelersburg players, saying that “there were so many guys who stepped up and made plays” and that those who did were “kind of making their mark in program history.”
With the win, Wheelersburg moves to 2-0 for the first time since 2020. The Pirates will look to continue their hot start when they travel to Jackson (2-0) next week. Meanwhile, Archbishop McNicholas will play another strong Southeast Ohio team when they host Ironton (1-0).