Sports
West Muskingum special teams pave way to win in rematch with Philo
By: Andrew Woods
Posted on:
ZANESVILLE, Ohio (WOUB) – Every coach knows that to win a big game, special teams need to make special plays. The West Muskingum Tornadoes’ (9-3) special teams unit made big plays in spades in their playoff rematch against the Philo Electrics (7-4). These big plays, which included two touchdowns and a blocked punt, powered the Tornadoes to a 35-14 win to advance in the Region 15 playoffs.
Although West Muskingum got the ball first, it was Philo who put the first points on the board. Phillip Adam intercepted West Muskingum quarterback Jake Welch on the first play of the game, then Slade Sprankle led the Electrics down the field. However, it was not Sprankle, but fellow running back Kole Cash, who put the Electrics on the board with a 35-yard rushing touchdown. Philo added a two-point conversion and took an 8-0 lead.
West Muskingum responded on their next drive with a balanced drive that was capped off by a 28-yard touchdown pass from Welch to Cohen McConnell.
Although Philo started their next drive deep in their own territory, they still managed to respond to West Muskingum by driving to midfield. Then, Slade Sprankle, who rushed for 159 yards on 29 carries, broke off a 51-yard touchdown run, his longest rush of the night.
However, the next two plays did not go well for the Electrics. Philo failed to convert the two-point conversion, then Carter Smith returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. This sequence of events left the game tied at 14. The score remained that way until the end of the first quarter.
The Philo and West Muskingum defenses both settled in during the second quarter. While Philo struggled to get close to the end zone, West Muskingum came close to scoring twice. Early in the quarter, the Tornadoes stalled out on their own 10-yard line. Then, at the end of the quarter, West Muskingum made it to the 15-yard line, but Philo battled back, forcing a third-and-18 and getting two stops in a row. This defensive deadlock meant the score remained 14-14 at halftime.
Philo opened the second half with possession and after a good gain from Sprankle, it seemed like they had momentum. However, West Muskingum stopped the Electrics on their own 32-yard line. Philo decided to be aggressive and ran a fake punt, but the Tornadoes were not fooled and stopped the fake.
With possession of the ball deep in enemy territory, the Tornadoes drove to the end zone with a few short and medium runs, including a 4-yard touchdown rush by wildcat quarterback Logan Serdy.
The Tornadoes’ special teams unit came in clutch again on Philo’s next drive. The West Muskingum defense forced a three-and-out, then Philo’s punter recovered a high snap and dropped the ball on an attempted rugby-style punt. West Muskingum’s Hayden Roberts took advantage of the error and ran the fumble back for a touchdown. This gave the Tornadoes a 28-14 lead, which they maintained throughout the rest of the third quarter.
During the fourth quarter, West Muskingum focused on making stops and running the clock down. However, those goals did not stop the Tornadoes from scoring again. Late in the fourth quarter, Serdy scored his second touchdown of the night to cap off a 35-14 playoff win.
The Tornadoes will advance to the regional quarterfinals, where they will play #1 seed Indian Valley. Meanwhile, Philo’s successful season, which included the Electrics’ first MVL title since 2016, comes to an end.