Crusaders end road portion at Barnesville
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BARNESVILLE -- Catholic Central will encounter a "much-improved" opponent when it visits Shamrock Stadium on Friday.
Barnesville brings a 2-3 record into its annual Pumpkin Bowl, while Central stands at 4-1. The eighth all-time meeting between the schools (CCHS holds a 5-2 series lead and has won five straight) is set for 7 p.m.
Coach Blake Allen's Shamrocks own victories over Newcomerstown and Buckeye Trail. They have fallen to Meadowbrook, Shenandoah and River View, which rallied from a 13-0 deficit to earn a 14-13 victory.
"They are much-improved from a year ago," Central coach Steve Daley said. "Not only have they gotten better, but they also are a year older, which means their guys up front have gotten bigger and stronger. They have some experience back, but they still are fairly young in spots. Barnesville definitely is an improved team.
"They are going to be excited, and I know they will be ready for us. No doubt Barnesville will give us its best shot, and we have to be prepared for it."
Allen is in his second season at the helm of the Shamrocks. His first club dealt with a number of injuries and finished 3-7.
"We look like a different team," Allen said in the preseason. "We had so many freshmen and sophomores in there playing last year, and now that's paying off some because guys really were able to hit the ground running. The kids know the system, and the younger guys worked hard in the weight room. We just look like a much more confident team."
Senior Tate Dowler, who suffered an injury early last season, is back at quarterback for Barnesville. He is joined in the backfield by sophomore Gage Hannahs and junior Owen Oliver.
Senior Cade Hannahs mans the slot position. He took over at quarterback in 2017 following Dowler's injury. The speedy Hannahs rushed for 515 yards a season ago and threw for 661.
"Cade's speed and agility make him the ideal slot receiver," Allen said. "We want to get him the ball in space."
Sophomore Ayden Hannahs starts at split end, with senior Alex Meade at tight end.
"They like to mix it up offensively," Daley said. "They'll run some conventional sets, spread you out, throw some play action at you and also run some power. They can hurt you vertically out of the spread with their speed.
"Dowler is a pretty mobile quarterback from what we have seen. He was hurt last year, but it looks like he's come back strong. He throws the ball very well. There's no doubt their offense will present some challenges for us defensively."
Barnesville will be holding its annual Pumpkin Festival this weekend, so Friday's game is sure to attract a large crowd.
"The festival is a big thing for the community," Daley said. "In all the years we have played down there, I don't believe we've actually played the weekend of the festival. I'm sure Barnesville's fans will turn out in large numbers, and it should be exciting."
Central is coming off a 48-14 road win at Warren JFK. In that game, the Crusaders outscored the Eagles, 34-0, in the second half.
"Our kids definitely played inspired in the second half," Daley said. "Offensively against JFK, we showed consistency, and that's something we have been struggling with all season. We definitely were more patient.
"I thought we mixed things up well in the first half. Justin (Hartzell) made most of his throws in the first half and did pretty well with his completion percentage and finding opening receivers. In the second half, we basically took what was there. We were able to wear them down with our running game, we found some holes and made some plays. We stayed the course, and that worked out for us."
For the game, the Crusaders accumulated 514 yards of offense. Hartzell ran for 171 yards and two scores, while throwing for 128 and another touchdown. Noah Fayak compiled 69 yards on the ground and Jeffrey Dawson 67. Dom Argentine, Anthony Lefever and Anthony Fallon all had two catches.
Through five games, Central has the top-ranked offense in the Herald Star/Daily Times coverage area. The Crusaders are averaging 385 yards per outing and 34 points.
Hartzell leads area ball carriers with 610 yards. He is averaging 8.13 yards a carry and has scored seven touchdowns. Jayden Keeder has contributed 278 rushing yards and Fayak 219.
Hartzell has compiled 557 passing yards and connected for seven scores. Fayak and Fallon have nine receptions each.
Defensively, Central allows an average of 267 yards per game and 15 points.
"A few things could have gone a little better during the first half of the season," Daley said. "We did come out 4-1 and healthy for the most part. We need to keep working hard and keep getting better.
"We have a stretch in the second half where we have some tough games starting with Barnesville, our final road game of the season. On Friday, we need to be better blockers, better tacklers, win the turnover battle and take advantage of our opportunities."