 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Saddled with an eight-game losing streak to Tiffin Columbian, the Whippets kicked off Northern Ohio League competition on a winning note by sloshing past the Tornadoes 25-14 on a damp Friday night at W.W. Skiles Field.
“The kids played a great 48 minutes of football without a letdown,” said SHS coach Chris Solis as his young, improving squad boosted their record to 3-1.
Solis who has coached in five of those losses versus the blue and gold came away with a sense of accomplishment in his sixth meeting opposite of TC coach Steve Gilbert.
“In the first five games we’ve shook their hands and commented on the great game and how their kids being prepared. Tonight, the Tiffin coaches noted the great game and how our kids were prepared. That was nice to come back to us,” said Solis.
Shelby’s varsity football team was also the benefactor of a good bounce in the fourth quarter that led to the go-ahead touchdown against TC, which fell to 2-2 on the year and suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since 1997.
Inside the Tiffin one and driving to take the lead, the ball squirted free and during the scramble to recover it, the ball was knocked into the endzone and an alert Briton Lash fell onto the pigskin for the Whippet touchdown with 11:19 remaining.
Three plays later, SHS had the ball back at the Tiffin 38 when the locals pounced on a fumble. Nine plays were needed to complete the march as Kyle Bailey scored from a yard out to make it 25-14 with 4:55 left.
Lash accounted for both of Shelby’s first-half touchdowns. He hooked up with Zach Strine on a 64-yard reception 1:42 into the game and Dylan Blevins’ PAT kick made it 7-0. His other score came with 5:00 to go in the first half on an 11-yard hookup with Strine for a 13-7 lead.
Columbian scored its touchdowns in the second quarter to go up 14-13 at halftime. The visitors got on the board when Than Worland flipped a 23-yard completion for a TD to Derek Kneeskern at the 8:06 mark. Ethan Kagy scored from seven yards out with 1:51 to play before the intermission.
Bailey, a senior, and Strine, a sophomore, anchored a Shelby ground attack which piled up 235 yards on 50 attempts. Bailey ran through TC for 115 yards on 25 carries and Strine darted his way to 97 stripes on 18 tries.
Strine helped the winners outgain the Tornadoes 363-155 in total yardage by completing 8-of-11 passes for 128 yards. Lash was on the receiving end of four throws totaling 85 yards.
For the second straight outing, Bailey led the Whippets in tackles with 18. He also had 2 1/2 quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery. Brendan Argo also recovered a fumble and Ethan Stephens had an interception.
Jon Champer was second in tackles with 10 while Jordan Kick had eight and Andre Rohde registered seven. The latter netted 1 1/2 sacks while Kick had one and Nick Wagoner a half.
“This was a heckuva win for our team. We didn’t give up the big play and we took care of the ball,” said Solis. “We controlled the clock and kept the ball out of their hands.”
“Our kids were very physical. What a bunch of young kids we’ve got who keep getting better and better each week,” the coach added.