Barnesville Extends Regular Season Victory Streak To 17
Shamrocks Cage Panthers In First Game On New Turf
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By KIM NORTH
Staff Writer
BARNESVILLE - Coming off a 10-0 regular season and a first-round playoff win a season ago, Barnesville dropped a hard-to-swallow second round game to Wheelersburg. That left a sour taste for the returning Shamrocks.
With a brand new turf surface at Shamrock Stadium, the hosts treated a standing-room-only crowd to some early fireworks as they scored on the first six possessions in running out to a 43-0 halftime lead.
A seventh touchdown capped the scoring late in the fourth quarter en route to a 49-0 shellacking of the Panthers.
"These kids were so excited to be able to play on this field with all the uncertainty of the last week or so," Barnesville head coach Blake Allen said. "They adapted because we had to practice at all kind of places over the summer.
"Coming off that stinging loss to Wheelersburg, these kids were hungry and they showed it from the start."
Senior tailback Taison Starr started the scoring when he caught a 36-yard pass from Casey Carpenter on Barnesville's first series of plays. Starr was wide open down the left hash and the lefty Carpenter hit him in stride. Evan Lough connected on the first of his three PAT kicks and it was quickly 7-0 less than two minutes in.
Following a Buckeye Local punt, Barnesville marched 70 yards on six plays as the lead increased to 15-0. Starr bulled his way in from 2 yards out and Duker Castello caught a 2-point pass from Luke Detling. Camden Carpenter had a 41-yard burst that sparked the drive.
The Panthers crossed midfield for the first time when Trey McCoy returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to the Shamrocks' 34. However, on fourth-and-6, quarterback Skyler Ebright fumbled while scrambling for extra yardage and Castello scooped it up, returning it 20 yards to the Barnesville 43.
Three plays later, freshman fullback Trey Toliver scampered in from 6 yards out as Barnesville led 22-0 after another Lough placement. Keying the quick strike was a 42-yard pass from Casey Carpenter to Castello down the right sidelines.
Starr sprinted 23 yards for the fourth touchdown and then caught the 2-point pass from Detling for a 30-0 reading. A 1-yard plunge by Camden Carpenter and a 33-yard interception return by Castello bumped the count to 42-0. Lough added his final PAT.
Freshman Cole Francis's 1-yard run capped the scoring.
Barnesville's line play on both sides was dominant, according to Allen, especially with the move of Almaraz.
"For his size to be so athletic, he can control the game at times," Allen said of the 6-0, 300-pound junior who was a fullback his first two years. "Our offensive and defensive lines controlled the game in the trenches and that was a huge key."
The defensive unit, which held Buckeye Local to 119 total yards, was led by ends Marshall Meade and Luke Taylor and tackles Salvador Almarez and Koby Jones. The same four, with the addition of Hank Johnson, paved the way for the running backs.
Barnesville finished with 215 yards rushing as Starr had 72 on eight trips. Nine different Shamrocks carried the ball. Casey Carpenter was 2 for 3 for 78 yards and a TD. Francis finished 2-of-4 for 59 stripes.
Noah Kourim paced Buckeye Local with 46 ground yards on 14 attempts. Ebright was 5-of-11 for 16 yards and an INT. Alex McDiffitt caught four passes for a mere 10 yards.
"We knew coming in that Barnesville would be the best team on our schedule. We're just thankful that it was week 1," Buckeye Local head coach Jim Hoover said. "They are a good team. They went 11-0 before losing in the playoffs last season and have a lot of that talent back.
"Our kids just need to wake up and start realizing that they need to make plays," Hoover stressed. "They're still looking for No. 10 (Trey Hoover) to make tackles and he's not there this year."
Buckeye Local had seven plays for negative yardage in the first half alone.
"We've only got one starter back on the offensive line. We just need to re-group and get ready for next week."
Buckeye Local makes its home debut next Friday at World War II Memorial Stadium in Yorkville when Union Local visits. Barnesville, meanwhile, travels to Bellaire next Saturday for a noon kickoff at Nelson Field.