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Harrison Central blanks Ferry

CADIZ — Coming off back-to-back disheartening losses, Harrison Central needed a win in the worst of ways. It got defensive Friday night.

The Huskies limited Buckeye 8 rival Martins Ferry to a meager 154 yards of total offense in posting a dominant, 23-0, triumph on homecoming at a jam-packed Wagner Field. Sixty-two of those yards came in the waning moments.

“We worked on some different things this week and we tried to play a little more to our kids strengths,” Harrison Central head coach Justin Kropka, a Martins Ferry alum, said. “That’s a credit to our defensive staff. They did a great job. Just like them (Martins Ferry).

“We know them like they know us. Once we got that lead, it calmed everybody’s nerves a little bit.

“You’re coming off two hard losses and you don’t know how the kids are going to react, but they reacted the way we hoped they would.”

It was the defense that put the first points on the board. Senior cornerback Kyle Roberts stepped in front of a Martins Ferry pass and took it 37 yards to the house with 8:18 left in the first quarter. The PAT was no good as Harrison Central led 6-0.

The Huskies (3-2) forced the Purple Riders (3-2) into a three-and-out on their next possession, but senior punter Dom Wallace boomed a 46-yard kick that Dalton Hoover, the longsnapper, downed at the Huskies’ 1.

However, Harrison Central proceeded to drive the length of the field on 12 plays, but a critical holding penalty stalled the march in the red zone. Logan Starr was summoned to attempt a 31-yard field goal, which the senior bounced off the cross-bar and through the uprights as the margin increased to 9-0 with 29 seconds on the first-quarter clock.

Martins Ferry finally generated some offense when freshman quarterback Jacob Probst found senior Zac Selby for 34 yards to move the ball past midfield. After picking up another first down — they only had five for the game — two motion penalties on consecutive plays set up a third-and-16 at the 25. An incompletion preceeded an interception by Roberts who outleaped Selby in the corner of the end zone.

Harrison Central proceeded to march 80 yards on nine plays with quarterback Wyatt Elias finding the speedy Tyler West in stride down the near sidelines for a 51-yard scoring strike. Starr’s placement made it 16-0 at the half.

The Huskies’ Tyler Carter tipped a Probst pass on Martins Ferry’s second play of the third quarter that Caden Arbaugh picked off. Harrison Central was unable to move the ball as West was stopped short on fourth-and-1 at the Purple Riders’ 15.

Martins Ferry faced a fourth-and-2 from its own 24 and veteran head coach Dave Bruney elected to go for it. The strategy backfired when the handoff was fumbled and Probst was sacked for a 5-yard loss by Grant Sproul at the 19.

It only took the Huskies two plays to capitalize as Elias found fullback Jesse Ball in the right flat. The 6-1, 255-pound bruiser rumbled 19 yards to paydirt. Starr once again split the uprights for a 23-0 reading with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter.

Martins Ferry did threaten late in the game when Hoover, who was averaging nearly 175 yards rushing a game, broke off a 30-yard gallop for a first-and-goal. However, his pass a couple of plays later was picked off by Arbaugh to preserve the shutout.

“That was really big,” Ball, who doubles as a standout middle linebacker, said of the shutout. “We had to win this game if we had any shot at making the playoffs. We did, so we’re on to next week.”

Although he was proud of the effort his defense put forth, Bruney couldn’t say the same about his offense, or lack there of.

“We hurt ourselves with a couple of interceptions and a couple of ill-advised penalties on early snaps,” he noted. “But I’m happy with how hard our kids played. I don’t know if we can ask our defense, with the weapons they (Harrison) have on offense, to play any better.. I’m proud of their effort.”

Hoover finished with 75 yards on 16 carries. Probst was 4-of-15 for 66 yards and three picks. Selby had two catches for 45 yards.

West was also held in check as he mustered 98 stripes on 27 attempts. He was averaging 216 per contest. Elias completed 8-of-17 for 162 yards and two scores. Ball snagged three catches for 60 yards and a TD. DeJuan Caldwell also had a trio of receptions for 42 stripes.

Harrison Central remains at home next week as St. Clairsville visits. Martins Ferry, meanwhile, stays on the road at East Liverpool.

Harrison Central 23, Martins Ferry 0

Martins Ferry            0     0     0     0   —   0

Harrison Central      9     7     7     0   —   23

HC: Roberts 37 INT return (kick failed)

HC: Starr 31 FG

HC: West 51 pass from Elias (Starr kick)

HC: Ball 19 pass from Elias (Starr kick)

RUSHING: Martins Ferry 24-88 (Hoover 16-75, Johnson 4-13, Bennett 1-0, Probst 3-0). Harrison Central 47-155 (West 27-98, Ball 10-44, Stull 1-8, Elias 8-5, Carter 1-0)

PASSING: Martins Ferry 4-17-66-4ints (Probst 4-15-66-3x, Hoover 0-2-x). Harrison Central 8-17-162-2td (all by Elias)

RECEIVING: Martins Ferry 4-66 (Selby 2-45, Fox 2-21). Harrison Central 8-162-2tds (Ball 3-60-td, Caldwell 3-42, West 1-51-td, Roberts 1-9)

FIRST DOWNS: Martins Ferry 5. Harrison Central 15

FUMBLES: Martins Ferry 1-0. Harrison Central 4-1

PENALTIES: Martins Ferry 8-48. Harrison Central 3-30

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