Week 13 Wrap-Up: Ironton is area’s lone team standing after win

Derrick Webb, Staff Writer

Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.

Ironton is the coverage area’s only team left standing after Week 13 action.

While the Tigers earned a 35-7 win over West, Jackson, Wheelersburg and Coal Grove all saw the end of their seasons come to fruition.

Jackson fell to Bishop Watterson by a 24-22 final, ‘Burg dropped a 25-21 decision to Harvest Prep and Coal Grove suffered a 27-14 loss at the hands of Beverly Fort Frye.

Here’s a rundown of each of those contests.

Division III, Region 11: Bishop Watterson 24, Jackson 22

With 39 seconds left in regulation, the Ironmen scored the game’s final touchdown. But an incomplete pass on the ensuing two-point conversion try spelled out a season-ending loss.

Jackson (10-3) scored the night’s first touchdown with 7:47 left in the first quarter after a 13-yard run from Cade Wolford ended a 10-play, 80-yard drive — making it 8-0 after a successful two-point attempt.

Bishop Watterson (12-1) answered with 3:04 remaining in the first, cutting the deficit to 8-7, with a one-yard run via quarterback AJ McAnitch. The Eagles’ signal caller struck again with 10 minutes left in the second, connecting with Brandon Trout for an eight-yard touchdown toss to give Watterson a 14-8 advantage — one the Eagles never surrendered.

Ryan Rudzinksi started the second half with a bang, giving Watterson a 21-8 lead with a 90-yard kickoff return for a score. Jackson finally provided an answer with 3:05 left in the third when Landon Camp recovered a fumble in the end zone to make it a 21-16 count.

With 5:11 left in the fourth, Watterson’s Rudy Kessinger kicked a 38-yard field goal, which proved to be the final blow. The Ironmen scored on a two-yard run from Eli Broermann with 39 seconds left but the failed two-point try proved to be the difference.

Jackson’s Jacob Winters finished 8-of-12 passing for 71 yards, Wolford ended the night with 107 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, and Broermann picked up 51 yards and a score on nine carries.

McAnitch was 14-of-20 through the air for 70 yards and a touchdown while Zack Weber carried the football 25 times for 150 yards. Trout was the team’s leading receiver with seven catches for 51 yards and a score.

Bishop Watterson will now meet with Bloom-Carroll in a Division III, Region 11 final this Friday.

Division V, Region 19: Ironton 35, West 7

For the third consecutive week, Ironton ran away with a playoff victory.

After breezing by Minford and Portsmouth, the Tigers (13-0) made quick work of a stout Portsmouth West team on Friday by a 28-point margin — using a dynamic passing game to do so.

Amari Felder gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead with a one-yard run at the 11:47 mark in the second quarter before quarterback Tayden Carpenter found Aiden Young for a 64-yard pitch and catch, making it a 14-0 lead with 9:09 left in the second.

With under a minute left in the first half, Carpenter hit Ty Perkins for a 37-yard touchdown toss, making it a 21-0 advantage at the break.

West (11-2) got on the board with 8:05 left in the third, cutting the deficit to 21-7 with an eight-yard run from Ryan Sissel. But that’s the last time the Senators would make a house call.

Meanwhile, Carpenter and Perkins hooked up for two more scores — touchdown passes of 45 and 37 yards — to catapult their team back into a regional final.

Carpenter finished 17-of-20 passing for 253 yards alongside four touchdowns and a pick. Perkins was on the receiving end of six passes for 145 yards and three scores while Young had two catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Jaquez Keyes led the team in rushing with 49 yards.

Sissel led the Senators statistically with 13 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown.

Ironton will now meet with Harvest Prep in a Division V, Region 19 final this Friday.

Division V, Region 19: Harvest Prep 25, Wheelersburg 21

Despite causing five turnovers and taking an eight-point lead into the final quarter, Wheelersburg saw the end of its season come sooner than it had hoped for on Friday.

The Pirates (9-4) took a 21-19 lead into the fourth but Harvest Prep (13-0) was able to stay undefeated, thanks to a four-yard score from quarterback Aidan Rogers with 4:53 remaining.

Prep took a quick 13-0 lead with two touchdown runs from Marchello Cox in the first quarter — rushes for 42 and 45 yards out. 

But disaster struck in the second when the Warriors lost a fumble at their own one-yard line. Pirates running back Jacob Richardson took a handoff into the end zone on the next play, making it 13-7.

Wheelersburg then took a one-point lead when Ethan Glover scampered into the end zone from 12 yards out, a score that was followed by a 74-yard fumble return for a touchdown via Eric Lattimore to put the Pirates ahead 21-13 at halftime.

Harvest Prep answered with a minute left in the third when Rogers logged a 53-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 21-19 after a failed two-point try.

After Wheelersburg turned it over on downs at its own 40-yard line midway through the fourth, the Warriors took advantage of the short field as Rogers rounded out the night’s final. 

Ironton now awaits Harvest Prep in a Division V, Region 19 final this coming Friday. That game will kick off at 7 p.m. at Waverly’s Raidiger Field.

Division VI, Region 23: Fort Frye 27, Coal Grove 14

Fort Frye will have a chance to clinch a state semifinal berth after a victory over Coal Grove on Friday. The Cadets (12-1) took an early lead and cruised to their seventh straight victory. 

After Coal Grove (8-5) began the game with a three-and-out, Fort Frye scored with 9:48 left in the first quarter when Braxton Brown returned the ensuing punt for a touchdown to make it 7-0.

Less than two minutes later, after another Coal Grove punt, Clayton Miller gave the Cadets a 14-0 advantage with a 50-yard touchdown run. Later, with 3:19 to go in the first, Fort Frye took a 20-0 lead with a two-yard run from Owen Brown.

Coal Grove’s first score came with 11:18 left in the second, thanks to a touchdown catch from Chase Hall. But Fort Frye answered quickly when Brown took a swing pass into the end zone from 20 yards out at the 7:12 mark.

The game’s final score came with 9:54 left in the fourth when Hall logged his second receiving touchdown. But the Cadets hushed any chance of a comeback to end the Hornets’ season and advance.

Fort Frye will now meet with Bellaire in a Division VI, Region 23 final.

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