Derrick Webb, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
KINNIKINNICK — “Trust.”
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
That’s the word that Zane Trace coach Heath Hinton has been preaching to his players all week long.
Late in the game, and with his Pioneers trailing 31-28, Hinton trusted both Carter Langley and Blake Phillips to piece together a game-winning drive.
The Pioneers’ backfield duo, behind a stout offensive line, answered the bell. Phillips’ 13-yard touchdown with 1:12 left, coupled with a defensive stand on the ensuing drive, helped the Pioneers (7-0, 4-0 SVC) stay perfect with a 35-31 victory over Unioto.
“We’re going to enjoy this win for about 24 hours and then get right back to work,” Zane Trace coach Heath Hinton said. “It was a very physical game so I know we’re going to have to rest up and get back at it. Lot of props to Unioto and what they were able to do to us tonight. They stopped our run game and we came out with a little passing game. We had to take advantage of what they were doing. We were able to capitalize.”
All year long, as Hinton alluded to, the Pioneers’ strength has been a talented backfield. However, in two of Friday’s most crucial moments, Hinton allowed Langley to air the ball out — and it worked wonders.
“It’s trust. We talked a lot about that this week,” Hinton said. “I’ve got a lot of trust in Carter and we’ve got a good relationship. He’s pretty special. We talk about coaches trusting the players to do the right thing and players trusting coaches to point them in the right direction. Our kids did and they never gave up. It was an awesome atmosphere tonight. We were packed tonight and I liked that.”
Tale of the tape
Early on, it was Zane Trace’s defense that came with the big plays. The unit forced two fumbles and recovered both loose balls.
PHOTOS: Images from Zane Trace’s win over Unioto
WATCH: SOSA’s Livestream of Unioto at Zane Trace
The offense proceeded to cash in on the second fumble when Langley called his own number and found pay dirt on a 10-yard score, putting the Pioneers ahead 7-0.
Unioto, however, answered on the next drive. Set up by a 41-yard pass from Newton Hoops to Maddox Fox, the duo hooked up again on a nine-yard swing pass for a score that tied the game at 7-7.
Realizing what the game meant and what was on the line, Unioto (6-1, 3-1 SVC) rolled the dice on the ensuing kickoff.
The Shermans opted for a short squib kick, and managed to recover the ball just before it went out of bounds to regain possession. The next offensive drive ended with Corbin Demint crossing the pylon on a 13-yard rushing touchdown, putting the Shermans ahead 14-7.
Not to be outdone, Zane Trace put together a long, meticulous drive behind the running of Daniel Barnhart. His gains helped set up Blake Phillips find the end zone on an eight-yard touchdown, tying the game 14-14.
Unioto got the ball back with 1:52 left in the half, and that was plenty of time.
Newton Hoops found Blake Hoops on a long pass play to set up the Shermans in Pioneer territory. A few plays later, Matt Griffin found the end zone from two yards out, putting Unioto ahead 21-14 at halftime.
The Shermans pushed their lead to 24-14 midway through the third on a 29-yard field goal from Lucas Hanes.
However, just holding the Shermans out of the end zone seemed to give the Pioneers a burst of energy.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
On the ensuing drive, Langley found a streaking Kyle Stonerock wide open down the seam for a 45-yard touchdown that closed the gap to 24-21.
After getting a stop and forcing a punt, the Pioneers seized all momentum for the time being. After a healthy mix of run and pass, Phillips scored on a one-yard run to put ZT ahead 28-24 at the end of the third.
Unioto didn’t panic nor show any signs of defeat. It went back on the field and handled its business.
Through a series of runs and timely passes, the Tanks managed to get into the red zone before Griffin scored his second rushing touchdown of the night, a two-yard plunge, to put his team back in front, 31-28.
Ultimately, though, the night belonged to the Pioneers.
ZT melted the clock and picked up a pass interference call to set itself up at Unioto’s 13-yard line. On the next play, Phillips barreled his way into the end zone to seal the deal on a hard-fought victory.
“Blake had asked me whether I wanted him to run out the clock or just score. I told him we needed to score when we could,” Hinton said, with a smile. “He’s a smart player. Then, our defense made a play at the end to knock down a pass. We handled adversity tonight. But just such a fun atmosphere to play in tonight.”
Stat book
Statistically, Phillips led the Pioneers with 16 carries for 78 yards and three touchdowns while Daniel Barnhart added 10 rushes for 80 yards. Langley finished 6-of-10 passing for 88 yards and score while adding 13 carries for 94 yards and a score. Stonerock was the team’s top receiver with two catches for 56 yards and the touchdown.
Unioto was led by Newton Hoops, who was 16-of-23 through the air for 216 yards and a touchdown. Griffin led the ground game with 16 rushes for 78 yards and a pair of scores while Demint had 13 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown. Fox had six receptions for 93 yards and a score, and Blake Hoops caught six passes for 78 yards.
What’s on tap
Should the Pioneers beat Southeastern, it could set up a gigantic matchup the next week at Paint Valley where the outright conference title could be on the line.
Zane Trace returns to action on Friday at home against Southeastern while Unioto aims to rebound at home against Paint Valley.
But Hinton’s group isn’t looking towards the Bearcats. Instead, they’re focused on the task at hand.
“I think our kids will enjoy this win but we’re going to come back on Monday and get back to work,” Hinton said. “As long as I’ve been here, we haven’t had this type of success yet. These guys walk in the halls of our locker room and they see the Gold Balls and accomplishments of teams of the past. They want to add to that. The only thing they know right now is how to go out and work hard.”
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