Blue Devils snap losing streak, beating Hornets, 33-13
By: Geoffrey Precht
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COAL GROVE, Ohio (WOUB) — In what was expected to be a favored game down in Coal Grove, showed that Friday nights are anyone’s ball game. Gallia Academy would complete the upset, beating The Hornets, 33-13.
The Coal Grove Hornets (2-4) hosted the Gallia Academy Blue Devils (1-5) in Ironton. Coal Grove, the reigning OVC champions, were favored to take this game by a decent margin. The Hornets would prove why this was the case on just the second play of the game, with junior RB Liam White taking a handoff all the way for a touchdown run from just shy midfield.
However, the Blue Devils came into this game with something to prove. To start their opening drive, it would be the senior gadget wide receiver Brock Shelton finding his receiving room partner Casey Blair on a double pass for a big gain that put them inside of the Hornets redzone. After a Blue Devils’ holding penalty that neutralized a Shelton touchdown, junior running back Tyshawn Clendenin scored from 13-yards out on the very next play, tying the game at seven before giving the ball back to Coal Grove.
The Hornets would go on to have a methodic, 63-yard drive that ended in a four-yard touchdown run by sophomore tailback Gauge Craft. The following two-point conversion was intercepted after being batted around in the endzone, making the score 13-7 in favor of Coal Grove at the end of the first quarter of action. Coal Grove’s lead would cave five minutes into quarter number two, when Blake Shelton would put Gallia ahead after catching a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage before running it in for six. The extra point after was successful, making the score 14-13 Blue Devils going into halftime.
Gallia would start with the ball after intermission and drive down the field relentlessly behind the back of a Clendenin 29-yard rip, a clutch pitch and catch from freshman QB Travon Wilson to junior WR Grant Owens on third-and-eight to keep the drive alive and get the Blue Devils in scoring distance. The drive would end with Blake Shelton receiving a high pass in the back of the endzone for a Gallia touchdown, Shelton’ s second touchdown of the day.
Gallia would decide to go for two points, trotting out Shelton in a wildcat formation, who took the direct snap and powered it in to make the score 22-13 in favor of the Blue Devils. The Hornets would end up with a turnover on downs at the Gallia 44, giving the Blue Devils good field position to potentially score on their next drive. The Blue Devils would ultimately end up punting the ball to Coal Grove.
The Hornets, hopeful to score again before the end of the third quarter, would end up cashing in a 20-yard gain by Craft to begin their drive. Unfortunately for Coal Grove, however, luck wouldn’t be on their side. At their own 32, the Hornets fumble the ball in the backfield, and Gallia recovers it. That gave Gallia a chance to really put the game out of reach.
On third-and-eleven, Blake Shelton would take a jet-touch pass to the endzone for a 29-yard touchdown grab. This was Shelton’s third touchdown reception of the night, and he came through when he was needed most. Shelton would again convert on the two-point try, accounting for 22 of his team’s 30 points. Gallia would end up kicking a field goal to make the score 33-13, icing a shocking victory that almost nobody had accounted for.
Gallia will look to take this momentum into next week, where they play against the Rock Hill Redmen at home. On the flip side, Coal Grove will look to recover next week when they take on the Kipp Columbus Jaguars in Columbus.