Penn - Ohio
Stateline Classic
Beaver Falls - The Ohio squad, led by numerous ITCL performers, entered the fourth quarter of the 30th annual Penn-Ohio Stateline Classic with the game knotted up at 14-14. However, the Penn team would pull out a trick play early in the fourth staza that would prove to be the back breaker for the Buckeyes. The 52-yard flee-flicker pass from Blackhawk quarterback Zach Hayward to Center's Damon Cotton came right after a Ohio timeout, and seemed to take a little of the life out of the Ohio squad. For his efforts, Hayward was named the Pennsylvania team MVP following his performance of passing for 119 yards and a touchdown, plus rushing for an additional score.
The contest began with the Keystoners getting off to a quick start. The opening kickoff was squibbed and recovered by the Penn team. Following protest by the Ohio coaching staff reguarding illegal onside kicks in the all-star game, the Keystoners drove 43 yards on six plays. They would hit paydirt on a 2-yard scamper by Christian Jackson to take an early 6-0 lead. The point after conversion would fail.
On the Keystoners second possession, they would drive deep into Ohio territory before East Palestine's Tom Delo would recover a fumble at the Ohio 8-yard line. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes would go three and out, thus giving the Penn squad great field position following a punt. The Keystoners would once again score as they drove 49-yards on 9 plays, with Hayward diving into the endzone from 1-yard. Again, the point after would fail, as the Penn advantage would stay at 12-0.
At this point, midway thru the second quarter, the Ohio squad caught some life when South Range quarterback Jack Dawson entered to rush for 14 yards, and then hit Western Reserve receiver Justin Lude for a 36-yard pass to set up their first score. Crestview's Corey Hill would plunge into the endzone from 1-yard out, as the Buckeyes cut the Penn lead in half. The point after would be wide right as the score would hold at 12-6.
The Ohio squad would make one more threat when they would sack Hayward at his own 13-yard line, setting up great field position for the Buckeyes just over two minutes before the half. Following an incomplete pass and two rushes, coach Mark Brungard called upon Columbiana's kicker Josh Harold to try a 54-yard field goal attempt. Harold solid boot would split the uprights, and may have cleared 60 yards, as the Ohio squad cut the Keystoners advantage to 12-9 at halftime. "I feel a lot better now then I did ten minutes ago," Brungard would remark heading into the locker room at the half.
The Buckeyes would try the contest up on their first possession of the second half when they would march 57-yards to the Penn 13-yard line. Again, Harold would be called upon to try another field goal, he would hit the kick from 30 yards to tie the contest at 12-12. The drive was set up by a 38-yard pass from Poland's Gannon Hulea to Lude.
Following an exchange of possessions, that is when the Keystoners would hit the big pass play from Hayward to Cotton. But the Ohio squad would come up with one more threat as they would use nine plays to drive to the Penn 46-yard line. Brungard would give Harold one more kick attempt, this time from 63-yards out. The kick would fall well short, however it basically served as a punt as the Keystoners would take over at their own 20-yard line.
The Penn squad would put the game away as they would tack on a late touchdown with just over two minutes left in the game. Former East Palestine player Bryan Stefanik, would set up the score by rushing for 35 yards on the drive. The score would close out the scoring at 24-12.
Southern Local running back Nathan Melhorn would lead the Ohio squad in rushing with 26 yards. The Penn squad would total 252 yards rushing and 119 passing, compared to Ohio's 48 yards rushing and 106 passing. Several ITCL players would see significant action, and played well, including Lisbon's Aaron Sweeney with one catch, Leetonia's Josh Selway with several tackles, and Columbiana's Brian Warchol with some tackles.
