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EAST LIVERPOOL -- The 48th all-time meeting between arch-rivals Beaver Local and East Liverpool was expected to be a high-scoring shootout, but it was the Beavers' defense and special teams which came up big in a 28-7 win over the Potters Friday night at a packed Patterson Field.
"I'm just so proud of how unselfish they are," said Beaver Local head coach Mike McKenzie of his team. "We play so many kids and no one is pouting about touches but this group just celebrates each other and just wants to win."
Beaver Local forced four turnovers out of the Potters and also blocked a punt which led to another Beavers' touchdown.
"That's basically five turnovers and you can't do that in a rivalry game," said East Liverpool head coach Paul Cusick. "You can't do that in any game, but especially in a rivalry game."
With the victory, Beaver Local upped its perfect overall record to 4-0 and its Buckeye 8 ledger to 2-0. The Beavers also increased their lead in the series to 25-23. Prior to Friday night, the two teams had split their past 10 meetings.
At 4-0, the Beavers are also off to their best start in 22 years. They began the 2004 season at 4-0 and finished 10-1 that season. They are also off to their best start in McKenzie's tenure.
"We want to win every game but (I like) the way that we've progressed," said McKenzie. "We're just young and inexperienced but we knew that we're very, very talented. We didn't know how we'd respond. So we're kind of putting ourselves through the fire and we're growing and getting better."
The Beavers were led by sophomore quarterback Reid Schwerha who completed 10 of 15 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns.
With the setback, East Liverpool is now 2-2 overall and 1-1 in Buckeye 8 North action.
East Liverpool out-gained the Beavers 197-109 and had 10 first downs to the Beavers' four in the first half. However, the Potters had drives stopped at the Beavers' 40, 21 and 23-yard lines. That included two drives halted by turnovers. East Liverpool coughed up three fumbles in the opening 24 minutes, with the Beavers' Peyton Cowdery and Zaiven Riley pouncing on two of them.
"It's unfortunate that we played that sloppy," said Cusick. "Hats off to them (the Beavers), they played a solid game and we didn't. We were sloppy and turned the ball over. Our run game really responded (in the first half), but unfortunately we just turned the ball over."
Beaver Local will host Salem on Friday.
"I know they (the Quakers) are really good," said McKenzie. "They beat Poland and they beat Canfield and they're an excellent team and coach Johnson has them prepared so I know it's going to be a battle. We'll celebrate tonight and get to work tomorrow on the Quakers."
SCORING
BL:0-7-17-7 -- 28
EL: 0-0-7-0 -- 7
SCORING
BL -- Peyton Cowdery, 30 pass from Reid Schwerha (JT Milhoun kick)
BL -- Peyton Martin, 90 kickoff return (JT Milhoun kick)
EL -- Meshach Harris, 10 run (Camden Wright kick)
BL -- Peyton Cowdery, 1 run (JT Milhoun kick)
BL -- Jack Nocella, 16 pass from Reid Schwerha (JT Milhoun kick)
TEAM STATS
East Liverpool
First downs: 18; Total yards: 341; Rushes-yards: 32-114; Passing: 227; Comp-Att-Int. 15-27-227-0-1; Punts 2-38; Fumbles-Lost 3-3; Penalties-Yards 8-55
Beaver Local
First downs: 16, Total yards 291, Rushes-yards 00-151, Passing 141 Comp-Att-Int. 10-15-141-2-1, Punts 3-34, Fumbles-Lost 1-1, Penalties-Yards 6-50
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING -- East Liverpool, Ben Myers, 10-2, Xavier Lara 20-98, Meshach Harris 2-16; Beaver Local, Owen Moore, 3-27, Reid Schwerha, 0-00, Peyton Cowdery, 9-28, AJ Bowser, 9-32, Ryder Culp, 3-19, Jaylen Smith, 2-58
PASSING -- East Liverpool, Ben Myers, 15-27-227-0-1; Beaver Local, Reid Schwerha, 10-15-151-2-1.
RECEIVING -- East Liverpool, Dre'Keim Abercrombie 5-108, Tyler Kirby, 5-75, Leeland Price, 1-5, Braylon Beagle, 3-31; Beaver Local, Jack Nocella, 2-40, Peyton Cowdery, 2-57, Nolan Irving, 2-4, Landon Redmond, 0-00, Peyton Martin, 1-24, Dillon McKenzie, 1-2, Zaiven Riley, 1-7