Jets, Shamrocks Battle Over Milk Bucket In Much-Anticipated Matchup
Nick Henthorn Trending
BARNESVILLE - The coveted Milk Bucket Trophy won't be the only thing at stake Friday night when western Belmont County rivals Barnesville and Union Local clash inside what-is-expected-to-be a standing-room only crowd at Shamrock Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 7.
Also on the line is playoff seeding in Ohio Division V, Region 19 as the Shamrocks (9-0) are rated fifth in the latest listing, while the Jets (8-1) are two spots back. Barnesville, even with a loss, can still host a first-round playoff encounter, while a loss could force Union Local on the road in the first round. Add to that, the OVAC Class 3A championship is also up for grabs. Barnesville currently holds a 5-point average lead (67.2-62.2) over Union Local.
The Shamrocks will be seeking their 36th consecutive regular-season win. That is currently the second longest streak going, only behind Maria Stein Marion Local. In fact, the senior class is a remarkable 38-1 in their regular-season careers, the lone loss coming in week 4 against Shadyside in 2021.
When asked what his senior class has meant to the Barnesville program, head coach Blake Allen was at a loss for words, but just for a second.
"I can't even express that in words. They are a special group," he said. "Since they were in 7th-8th grade we could see if they stuck together, and they have, that they had a chance to do something special."
He said all 13 players have stuck it out.
"That's quite an accomplishment. Usually you have one or two that fall off, but not this group," Allen stressed. "It's special to see a group of that many stick together and believe in what we are trying to teach them. They believe in each other and the support from the parents has been awesome.
"My hat's off to them for what they've been able to do."
Allen was quick to alert his team to what lies ahead.
"I told the team Friday after we beat Shenandoah that this week was going to be one of the biggest of their careers. Playoff seeding, the OVAC Class 3A title, the two teams haven't met with this many combined wins, and it's going to be a jam-packed stadium. I also told them that we could be playing them in a parking lot with no fans and we'd still want to beat them just as bad.
"It's a rivalry. We want to beat them. They want to beat us."
Union Local's Bernie Thompson agreed.
"First, and foremost, the records can be thrown away. This is a game that is all about heart and determination. Sometimes, the most talented team doesn't win. It's the toughest team that wins.
"Coach (Allen) has a good program over there. You've got to be able to stop the run first. They have a big offensive line and a couple of capable running backs. They can beat you in several ways, so we have to be disciplined and be able to handle the gap-control. That's a sign of toughness. You've got to want to make that tackle in the hole.
"Their quarterback can throw the ball and they've a couple of athletes on the outside. They are a very dangerous team. They are not one dimensional. They are really tough to defend."
Allen sees the same things in Union Local.
"They are an explosive team. They've got that mix of speed and athleticism so you've got to worry about sideline-to-sideline when they've got the ball," he pointed out. "Then they've got that bruising running back (Brody Perzanowski) that puts you in binds on defense. No. 20 (Dre Saunders) and No. 24 (Billy Schumacher) can house it at any time.
"They play two quarterbacks that have different roles. I don't know if we've seen a team that talented, and they are big up front. They have some big boys. They will present some challenges that we haven't seen.
"We try to be as balanced as we can. Casey's completion percentage is nearly 80 percent and that is really good for a high school kid," Allen said. "His decision making is what stands out to me. He seems to make the right choice every time, whether he hands the ball off or he finds an open receiver."
The Shamrocks have been led by the passing of Casey Carpenter. The senior southpaw, who has several career and single-game school records, has completed 73 of 92 attempts for 1,267 yards and 21 touchdowns. He has not thrown an interception. He has also run for five touchdowns.
"Being balanced keeps the opposition in an always-thinking mode. Everybody knows about Casey and Josh (Toliver), but we also have kids like Koby Jones, Cam Carpenter, Bradey McIntire, Eli Messenger and Colt Carpenter that we can turn to.
Toliver has run for 1,112 yards and 14 touchdowns on 94 carries for an average of 11.8 yards per carry. Koby Jones has added 442 yards and 10 TDs.
"We also like our offensive line and we feel that we can run to either side," he continued. "Our receivers have really stepped up. We lost a couple of really good ones to graduation, but Bradey has stepped up and turned out to be a really good block for us, as well as a pass catcher.
McIntire has enjoyed a breakout season with 23 receptions for 527 yards and a dozen TDs. Cam Carpenter has caught 22 for 384 and 4 touchdowns, while Colt Carpenter, Casey's younger brother, has landed 13 aerials for 130 and a TD.
Defensively, inside linebackers Hines Ford and Logan Craker lead the team in tackles with 84 and 78, respectively. Marshall Meaade charts nine tackles for lost yardage and three quarterback sacks. Casey Carpenter and Messenger each have four INTs, with Messenger returning two of his for TDs. Cole Francis had six passes broken up.
"Not surprised. Maybe a surprise to other people, but not any one in this locker room," Allen said of Craker's play. "He has put in the work. Losing Taison (Starr) in the middle from last year was a concern for us. Hines (Ford) gets a lot of attention in the middle, but Logan does his job every week. He has a real nose for the ball."
The Shamrocks special teams have been just that ... special. Placekicker Evan Lough set a program record with nine PATS against River and has been true on 53 of 56. He is also 1 of 2 in field goals.
"I think this part of our game gets overlooked," Allen noted. "Evan does a great job and sometimes this is the only part of the game some kids get to participate in. They fly down the field and do their jobs.
The Jets have been led by sophomore running back Brody Perzanowski. He had carried the rock 154 times for 1,237 yards and 15 touchdowns. He averages 137.4 yards a game. The two quarterback approach has combined for 1,203 yards, 15 TDs and eight INTs. Colby Carpenter has completed 51 of 83 for 792 yards, eight touchdowns and seven picks. Isaiah Tomolonis is 24 of 50 for 411 yards, seven TDs and an INT. Saunders has caught 31 passes for 535 yards and seven TDs. Schumacher has 13 catches for 298 and three scores. Sean Alkire has 167 yards and three TDs on 11 receptions. Peyton Causby's only two catches have gone for touchdowns.
"I'm very happy with how our season has gone. Very proud of the effort that our coaching staff and kids have put in this year. They've put in a ton of hard work. It's never easy to win eight games. It takes a lot of work.
"We had a good plan at the beginning of the summer and it's been executed well. It's good to see where we are at this time."
While Barnesville hasn't played anyone that is similar to Union Local, the Jets played St. Clairsville two weeks ago.
"I think Barnesville and St. Clairsville are very similar in many ways," Thompson said. "They both have big offensive and defensive lines. The fact that we played St. Clairsville will help us this week.
"Those are rivalry games and they seem to hit differently than the others. That's just the fact of the matter," Thompson continued "Any time you play those guys over there, they're going to give you everything they have. I hope we can do the same."
"Our special teams are a real key for us. We've got a kicker this year in Jeff Bolon and he has been consistent. It's going to take all three phases this week. We take pride in our special teams."
Bolon has booted 38 of 46 PATs and is 1-for-4 on field goals.
Barnesville leads the all-time series, which has been played annually since 1959, 40-22-3. The Shamrocks have won six straight and eight of the last nine outings. Union Local last won in 2017.