Toliver, Defense Lift Barnesville Over Martins Ferry In Playoffs
Shamrock Tailback Runs For 276 Yards, 4 Touchdowns in 35-18 Win
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BARNESVILLE - In the early 1990s the Los Angeles Rams were referred to as "Ground Chuck" because their head coach, Chuck Knox, liked to show his team's physicality by running the ball.
Barnesville (11-0) took a page out of the Rams playbook Friday night by running the ball 33 times on 34 offensive snaps in a 35-18 victory over seventh-seeded Martins Ferry (10-2) in an Ohio Division V, Region 17 quarterfinal before an overflow crowd at Shamrock Stadium.
"Once we settled down and quit making mistakes, we were alright," a delighted Barnesville head coach Blake Allen said. "We cleaned some things up at halftime, made the proper adjustments and the kids responded really well."
Workhorse tailback Trey Toliver lugged the leather 28 times for 276 yards and scored four touchdowns, three coming in the second half when No. 2 Barnesville put the game away. He has now run for 2,380 yards this season and has 5,736 for his career.
"I have to thank my guys up front. They clear the way for me and make my job that much easier," Toliver praised the work of center Christien Hannahs, left guard Austin Armstrong, left tackle Braxton Byers, right guard Kevin Phillips, right tackle Talon Anderson and tight end Jaxton Swallie.
The Shamrocks actually trailed twice in the first half, 6-0 and 12-7 before unleashing their powerful running attack. Between Toliver and quarterback Colt Carpenter, Barnesville ran for 298 yards and five touchdowns. Carpenter was 1-for-1 through the air for six yards.
"We had a lot of stuff ready that we prepared for, but when you've got something that is working, why go away from it," Allen noted. "We were confident in our running game and we rode Trey the entire night."
Trailing 12-7 after Walkquem Cox rambled off the left side of his line for an 18-yard touchdown, Barnesville scored the next four times they touched the ball, including just before the half and to start the third quarter after winning the opening coin toss and deferring.
"That was huge," Allen said. "The momentum was huge. Extra points hurt us in the Union Local game. Tonight that kind of slipped. That extra point was really huge."
The Shamrocks drove 52 yards on five plays - all runs by Toliver - to take a 14-12 lead into the locker room despite playing what Allen called "their sloppiest half of football in a long time." Toliver's 21-yard scamper behind Armstrong and Byers and Linas Graef's placement capped the march.
A 42-yard return of the ensuing kickoff by Javon Johnson Jr. gave Martins Ferry a glimmer of hope before the half ended. However, after moving the ball to the Barnesville 28, the drive stalled when Colby Kropka was sacked by Jaxton Swallie.
It didn't take the Shamrocks long to get rolling in the third quarter. Toliver took a handoff from Carpenter and sliced through a gaping hole on the left side before outrunning everyone to the promised land for a 60-yard touchdown. Graef made it 21-12.
Martins Ferry came right back as Kropka speared Christian Shutler with a 4-yard TD that culminated a 12-play, 53-yard scoring drive that pulled the Purple to within 21-18 after another failed two-point conversion. Kropka found Walkquem Cox for 15 yards over the middle on fourth-and-6 to keep the drive alive.
However, the Purple Riders couldn't get a stop following a 34-yard kickoff return by Evan Wells. Six plays later, Toliver found the going rough on the left side of the line before bouncing outside and sprinting into the left corner of the end zone. Graef was once again true as the lead grew to 28-18.
Barnesville needed just two plays to score again. Toliver went for 27 off the left side of the line once again and Graef's kick made it 35-18.
"They had two weeks to get ready for us and you could see it," Martins Ferry head coach Justin Kropka said. "I could see about midway through the second quarter they were starting to impose their will on us with their offensive front. We had to take some chances in the passing and kicking games to try and do some things. We moved the ball pretty well outside of the 20, but their size on the defensive side of the ball kind of stymied us.
"When one team beats you twice and those are your only losses, all you can do is tip your hat and say 'good job,'" Kropka added. "I'm very proud of my team. Five years ago we were 1-9. This year we won 10 games, won a playoff game and beat Bellaire twice. I think that has only been done five times in program history. This senior class has been a part of that twice."
Martins Ferry drove inside the Barnesville 5 and had four cracks from the 1 but were turned away as Talon Anderson hauled Kropka down for no gain on first down. Toliver stopped Walkquem Cox cold on second down and Swallie and Hannahs hauled Kropka down for a 3-yard loss on third down. Kropka's pass for Roby in the right corner of the end zone was batted away by Knoxx Mankin.
Toliver's TD runs covered 21, 60, 20, and 27 yards.
Walkquem Cox finished with 144 yards and two touchdowns on two dozen carries.
"I'm so proud of our kids. Other than the early mistakes, I thought that was one of the most well-balanced games we've played. Our defense really stepped up from the first quarter on."
With the win, Barnesville will host a regional semifinal for the first time in program history next Friday when No. 3 Girard (11-0) visits western Belmont County. The Indians defeated No. 6 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney 35-21 on Friday night.
Barnesville 35, Martins Ferry 18
M. Ferry 6 6 6 0 - 18
Barnes 0 14 7 14 - 35
MF-W. Cox 1 run (kick failed)
B-Co. Carpenter 1 run (Graef kick)
W. Cox 18 run (run failed)
B-Toliver 21 run (Graef kick)
B-Toliver 60 run (Graef kick)
MF-Shutler 4 pass from Korpka (run failed)
B-Toliver 20 run (Graef kick)
B-Toliver 27 run (Graef kick)
RUSHING: Martins Ferry 36-133-2tds (W. Cox 24-144-2tds, Kropka 8-11, J. Cox 2-6, Johnson 1-2, Ball 1-0). Barnesville 33-298-5tds (Toliver 28-276-4tds, Co. Carpenter 5-22-td)
PASSING: Martins Ferry 12-20-89-td (all by Kropka). Barnesville 1-1-6 (all by Co. Carpenter)
RECEIVING: Martins Ferry 12-89-td (J. Cox 4-28, Roby 4-23, W. Cox 2-27, Shutler 2-11-td). Barnesville 1-6 (all by Mankin)
FIRST DOWNS: Martins Ferry 13. Barnesville 13
FUMBLES: Martins Ferry 2-1. Barnesville 0-0
PENALTIES: Martins Ferry 3-15. Barnesville 10-66