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Barnesville Earns A Perfect 10 For Fourth Time In Five Years

BARNESVILLE - A perfect 10 ... again!

For the fourth time in the last five high school football regular seasons, Barnesville has run the table. The latest coming via a 42-35 gut-check victory over western Belmont County rival Union Local that retained possession of the coveted Milk Bucket Trophy in front of a stand-room-only crowd at Shamrock Stadium.

"This feels very, very sweet," Barnesville head coach Blake Allen said when asked how 10-0 felt. "I just told the guys that the schedule we played, especially in the last month, was a physical war after a physical war. I think this has to rank right up there as one of the best regular seasons in school history.

"The run we've had over the past few years is a testament to everybody in this program, from the coaches and the kids buying into the offseason work and what we are trying to teach them. It’s a total team effort," Allen continued. "It's not easy to go out and win everytime."

With the hard-earned win, the Shamrocks will receive a first-round bye next week in the Ohio Division V, Region 17 playoffs. The Jets (7-3), however, must play the waiting game until Sunday's announcement by the OHSAA.

The triumph also allowed the 11-member senior class to close out their career regular season with a superb 38-2 record, with both losses coming to non-OVAC opponents.

"Going 10-0 feels nice, but that's not the goal," admitted senior quarterback Colt Carpenter. "We want to make a deep run in the playoffs. That's our goal."

The two rivals combined for 872 yards of total offense, with 436 coming on the ground and an ironic 436 through the air.

Barnesville's Trey Toliver had another huge night. The senior ran 20 times for 227 yards and reached the end zone four times on runs of 68, 76, 19 and 4. In the process, he surpassed Buddy Hines for the single-season rushing mark and also eclipsed the coveted 2,000-yard barrier.

Carpenter connected on eight passes for 113 yards and two scores, with five different receivers catching a pass. Toliver turned a short screen pass into a 51-yard scoring jaunt that put the Shamrocks ahead 35-28 in the fourth quarter.

Union Local sophomore quarterback Evan Poziviak enjoyed a career night with 323 yards passing on 11 of 116 and two touchdowns. Eli Rogers caught five passes for career-high 229 yards, including touchdowns covering 74 and 86 yards.

"You never know what to expect in a rivalry game. You just throw the records out and go play," Allen added. "Give Union Local a lot of credit. They played their tails off."

Union Local head coach Bernie Thompson was emotional afterwards.

"That was an unbelievable game, wasn't it? We came in here to a tough environment against a 9-0 team and I don't think anybody gave us a chance to come close to winning," Thompson said. "Then they break a long one on the first play and you thought 'oh my,' but I'm so proud of our kids and our coaching staff for the resilience that they showed and the performance they put forth and the heart they showed."

Barnesville led 7-0 after one quarter before Union Local tied it. Then, after taking a 14-7 lead, Skyler Werts recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and Carpenter found a wide-open Knoxx Mankin from 19 yards out for a 21-7 lead.

However, the Jets battled back to trail 27-21 at the half but took the third quarter kickoff and marched 69 yards on a dozen snaps as Brody Perzanowski crashed in from 9 yards out. Jeff Bolon's PAT put the visitors on top, 28-27.

Following an exchange of punts, Carpenter flipped a short screen pass to Toliver in the right flat with nothing but open space in front of him down the near sideline. The speedster used a great downfield block from Talon Anderson and waltzed into the end zone. Toliver then took the direct snap and started to his right, breaking a would-be tackle in the backfield before seeing a seam and finding paydirt to make it 35-28.

A 40-yard connection from Poziviak to Rogers moved the ball to the Barnesville 19 and on Perzanowski's third consecutive carry, the all-time OVAC rushing yards leader found the end zone from 11 yards out. Bolon knotted things at 35 with 8:49 remaining to play.

Barnesville proceeded to drive 65 yards on 12 plays, using just over six minutes of clock as Toliver found the end zone for the fifth time, this one coming from 4 yards away. Linas Graef booted the all-important placement with 2:17 left on the clock.

Union Local threatened as Poziviak completed a 10-yard pass that had 15 yards added to the end for a facemask call against the Shamrocks. A 13-yard scamper from the sophomore QB moved the ball to the 17 with just under a minute to play.

A first-down pass was batted away by Mankin in the end zone. On second down, Poziviak was sacked by Roman Deroam and Austin Armstrong to set up third-and-long. Poziviak;'s third-down pass for Brody Kerns in the end zone fluttered to the turf and his attempt on fourth was defended by Bane Stephen.

"It's a shame someone had to lose this game," Thompson said.

Barnesville 42, Union Local 35

U. Local 0 21 7 7 - 35

Barnes 7 20 0 15 - 42

B-Toliver 68 run (Graef kick)

UL-Rogers 74 pass from Poziviak (Bolon kick)

B-Toliver 76 run (Graef kick)

B-Mankin 19 pass from Co. Carpenter (Graef kick)

UL-Rogers 86 pass from Poziviak (Bolon kick)

B-Toliver 19 run (kick failed)

UL-Perzanowski 49 run (Bolon kick)

UL-Perzanowski 9 run (Bolon kick)

B-Toliver 51 pass from Co. Carpenter (Toliver run)

UL-Perzanowski 11 run (Bolon kick)

B-Toliver 4 run (Graef kick)

RUSHING: Union Local 32-178-3tds (Perzanowski 22-168-3tds, Poziviak 6-27, Meyer 1-1, Snyder 2-(-2), team 1-(16). Barnesville 35-258-4tds (Toliver 20-227-4tds, Wells 4-22, Co. Carpenter 11-9)

PASSING: Union Local 11-17-323-2tds (Poziviak 11-16-323-2tds, Perzanowski 0-1). Barnesville 5-8-113-2tds (all by Co. Carpenter)

RECEIVING: Union Local 11-323-2tds (Rogers 5-229-2tds, Schumacher 4-64, Perzanowski 1-15, Grigatis 1-15). Barnesville 5-113-2tds (Toliver 1-51-td, Swallie 1-25, Mankin 1-19-td, Graham 1-15, Wells 1-3)

FIRST DOWNS: Union Local 13. Barnesville 12

FUMBLES: Union Local 3-1. Barnesville 0-0

PENALTIES: Union Local 7-65. Barnesville 3-30