Ironton snaps Liberty Christian Academy’s (VA) 28-game win streak in Gridiron Classic
By: Evan Johnson
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IRONTON, Ohio (WOUB) — Ironton held its fourth annual Gridiron Classic on Saturday night. The Fighting Tigers ended the triple header dominantly, defeating Liberty Christian Academy (VA) 42-3.
The classic saw great competition from all over. The first game was between Division I state runner-up Archbishop Moeller and Mt. Carmel (IL). The next game was headlined by Division III state champion Bishop Watterson and Middletown (DE).
Many former Ironton players were in attendance as the 2024 State Championship banner was revealed before the game. The Fighting Tigers had no easy task for their game of the season in Tanks Memorial Stadium, as they faced Liberty Christian Academy. The Bulldogs are two-time defending champions in the state of Virginia and came into the game on a 28-game win streak.
“It’s surreal. You know, that’s something we work for and we try to achieve,” said Ironton head coach Trevon Pendleton on seeing the state championship banner.
The filled stands brought the energy, and emotions were high on both sides. Penalties became an early problem in the first couple of drives. Once the teams settled in, the offenses started to shine. LCA got the first points with a field goal.
The Fighting Tigers responded immediately as Kayden Edwards broke free for a 37-yard touchdown. But he didn’t stop there; Edwards had another touchdown run, this time for 54 yards.
In the final seconds of the first half, Edwards gave his legs a break and decided to show off his arm. He dropped a perfect pass to his receiver Braydon Baker from 29 yards out, giving Ironton a 22-3 lead at the half.
The Fighting Tigers’ defense graduated eight starters but never skipped a beat. They consistently stepped up, never allowing the Bulldogs to get comfortable on offense.
“Even though they might not have a lot of game reps and they’re still getting a lot of game reps, they’ve also seen a lot of reps in practice, and against great competition,” Pendleton said. “So these guys that are stepping in are ready to rock and roll as well.”
Ironton took advantage of every drive they had; they rattled off two more rushing touchdowns in the third quarter. The first came from Kylan Grace, then Tyson Harvey got in on the action, as the Fighting Tigers led 35-3 heading into the final 15 minutes.
The cherry on top came when Kayden Edwards dropped a 30-yard pass to Maddix Markel for the final score of the game. This capped off 42 unanswered points.
Ironton’s 42-3 victory snapped the Bulldogs’ 28-game win streak.
“I think every win kind of has a snowball effect, and it does boost morale, but we’ve got to do something to keep them grounded,” Pendelton said. “So it’s back to work tomorrow, and we’re going to be just fine.”
They will face another tough opponent in Archbishop McNicholas next week. Liberty Christian Academy will have to wait to start another win streak as they do not play again until Sept. 19.