Sheridan Stifles Licking Heights Offense en route to Dominant Win
By: Cale Saunders
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THORNVILLE, Ohio (WOUB)- A stout defense and an efficient run game were all it took for the host Sheridan Generals (2-1) to smother a struggling Licking Heights Hornets (0-3) squad. The final score was a merciful 32-7 favoring the Generals.
Coming into the contest, stakes were certainly high. Sheridan back Logan Russell needed only 68 yards to eclipse 2,000 career rushing yards, a feat achieved by only nine former Generals. 83 degrees, sun, and a highly capable offensive line looked like the perfect formula.
On the other side of the coin, the Hornets came into Paul Culver Jr. Stadium with something to prove. Two ugly early-season losses marked a forgettable start to the Ryan Sayers era in Licking Heights. Dynamic players are wildcards in potential upsets, and senior RB Cayden Cross surely fit that description.
The Generals took the ball first. QB Tyce Whiteman led his offense on a nine-play scoring drive, with Logan Russell getting 24 yards closer to 2000 career rushing yards on the opening drive. Despite this, Generals HC Paul Culver III would almost certainly tell you that there were things to be cleaned up. Two opening drive penalties and a bad snap resulting in a loss of nine soured the mood before the eventual score.
Russell eventually punched home the two-yard score, putting the home squad up 7-0 early. The fireworks show truly began on the ensuing kickoff, though. Cayden Cross took the kickoff for Licking Heights. The start of the play wasn’t pretty. Cross muffed the kick, turned around, picked up the ball, and faced the music.
Cross bounced it outside, bounced it back inside, and picked up his blocks for a wild kickoff return touchdown. A successful PAT attempt deadlocked the score at 7-7.
On the following drive, a penalty-filled drive for the Generals was overshadowed by Logan Russell crossing the 2000 career rushing yard threshold. The very next play, however, Russell was taken down and was slow to get up. He exited the game and did not return. A turnover on downs gave Heights the ball back.
More pre-snap penalties, an ugly snap, and a screen blown up for a loss of 15 forced the Hornets to punt from their two-yard line. The punt was blocked out of the end zone by senior linebacker Tucker Shonk for a safety, putting Sheridan up 9-7.
SJ Shriner had big shoes to fill with the Russell injury, and yet he showed up. His 1-yard rushing score put the score at 16-7 Generals.
Senior DB TJ Connors picked off Heights QB Kendryk Hampton. Sheridan squandered the opportunity, leaving the score at 16-7, with teams heading into the tunnel for halftime.
Heights had an empty first drive of the second half, and SJ Shriner struck paydirt again on a 12-yard touchdown run. Both teams struggled with penalties for the entire game, and a Hornet facemask gave the Generals prime real estate for Shriner’s touchdown. 22-7 Sheridan.
After a bench-clearing brawl and another Licking Heights turnover on downs, the Generals marched down the field and kicked a field goal through a methodical 13-play sequence.
The final score was Sheridan 32, Licking Heights 7
With the score at 25-7 and time running out, a Whiteman 42-yard passing touchdown to Reed Parkison was the dagger. The Generals’ defense held the Hornets to a shocking 82 yards on 42 offensive plays, a truly dominating defensive effort.
Moving forward, Sheridan faces Maysville (1-2) on the road, and Licking Heights sees Buckeye Valley (2-1) at home.