Trending
EAST PALESTINE - Entering this season, the East Palestine Bulldogs football program carried high expectations fueled by numerous returning players from a playoff qualifier last season and the hiring of successful veteran head coach in Rick Shepas. However, the Shadyside Tigers had other plans as they knocked off the Dogs 49-13 to get revenge for a 40-7 pounding at the hands of the Bulldogs last season.
"Except for a couple of calls here and there, but I thought our kids fought hard. We got into the end zone a couple of times and had a couple of touchdowns called back, so I think when we look at the film, we just want to make progress and get better," Bulldogs head coach Rick Shepas said.
The Tigers set the tone for the game by returning the opening kickoff 80 yards before many of the crowd had found their seats in the stands. The Tigers’ junior Michael Hendershot found a crease in the middle and exploded past the Bulldog defenders for the score.
But the Bulldogs answered on their ensuing possession as junior quarterback Clark Rutledge raced 67 yards around the left end to knot the game at 7-7 at the 9:22 mark of the opening stanza.
Just three plays into the Tigers’ next possession, they scored on a 40-yard scamper by Colt Cook to retake the lead at 14-7. Cook's touchdown run came at the 8:08 mark of the quarter.
The Tigers scored twice more in the second frame as quarterback Jayden Johnson scored on a 3-yard run with 8:21 left in the first half, and then he hit Hendershot on a 29-yard touchdown pass with just four seconds remaining before intermission. That pushed the Tigers’ advantage to 28-7 at halftime.
"We're new, and we are getting a feel for these guys," Shepas remarked. "I think better days are coming. Training and three out-of-conference games is where we are at."
The Tigers scored two additional touchdowns in the third quarter on runs of 2 yards and 19 yards by Johnson to stretch their lead out to 42-7 by the 2:10 mark of the third quarter and activate the running clock. Johnson ran for 129 yards, scoring four times.
"I thought we matched their speed. I just think we need to do a better job of tackling and a better job in the pits. And offensively, we need to put drives together. We need to be a three-phase team," Shepas said. "We just need to continue working."
The Bulldogs kept fighting as they scored with eight minutes remaining in the contest with an 86-yard pass from Rutledge to RJ May to make it 42-13. The Tigers added a 22-yard run by Johnson with just 4:04 left in the contest to close the scoring.
Rutledge completed 11 of 26 passes in the game for 168 yards and a TD in addition to his 67-yard touchdown run. Sophomore running back Anthony Ottaviani led the Bulldogs with 69 yards rushing on the night on 12 carries.
"I thought he (Rutledge) played really hard. (Braydon) Plum played really hard, Tanner Morrow played hard, and there were some great plays out there. RJ (May) is one of the best athletes on the field, and Anthony (Ottaviani) is a young man who came in there.
The Tigers will face another Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference (EOAC) foe next Friday when they host the Southern Indians. The Bulldogs will travel to Harrison Central next Friday in another non-conference tilt.
SS: 14-14-14-7--49
EP: 7- 0- 0-6 13
SCORING
S - Michael Hendershot 80 kickoff return (kick good)
E - Clark Rutledge 67 run (Nate Mead kick)
S - Colt Cook 40 Run (kick good)
S - Jayden Johnson 3 run (kick good)
S - Hendershot 29 pass from Johnson (kick good)
S - Johnson 2 run (kick good)
S - Johnson 19 run (kick good)
E - RJ May 86 pass from Rutledge (pass failed)
S - Johnson 22 run (kick good)
------
TEAM STATS
SHADYSIDE
First downs: 16; Total yards: 339; Rushes-yards: 32-257, Passing: 82; Comp-Att-Int. 4-7-1; Punts 2-23.5; Fumbles-Lost 0-0; Penalties-Yards 5-55
EAST PALESTINE
First downs: 11, Total yards 310, Rushes-yards 22-142, Passing: 168; Comp-Att-Int. 11-26-0, Punts 5-24.2, Fumbles-Lost 0-0, Penalties-Yards 9-96
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING--Shadyside, Jayden Johnson 13-129, Colt Cook 11-111; East Palestine, Anthony Ottaviani 12-69, Clark Rutledge 5-47
PASSING--Shadyside, Jayden Johnson 4-7-0; East Palestine, Clark Rutledge 11-26-0
RECEIVING--Shadyside, Michael Hendershot 2-66, East Palestine, RJ May 3-94, Braydon Plum 4-39, Tanner Morrow 1-28
INTERCEPTIONS--East Palestine, Braydon Plum
FUMBLE RECOVERIES--None