Clay-Battelle falls to Belpre (Oh.) 31-13

BLACKSVILLE – It has been so lengthy for the reason that Belpre soccer staff gained a recreation that because the closing minutes of Friday’s recreation towards Clay-Battelle pale from the scoreboard, the Golden Eagles weren’t fairly certain what was occurring.

Even after CB quarterback JC Spears took one closing kneel to finish the sport, the Belpre staff was trying round not sure of what to do subsequent.

Belpre, an Ohio faculty, ended a 22-game dropping streak with a 31-13 win over the Cee-Bees. It was the primary win for the Golden Eagles since a 31-0 with over South Gallia on Sept. 24, 2021.

“I advised the staff at the start of the season it was going to be fascinating to look at them win as a result of they’ve by no means accomplished it earlier than,” first-year Belpre head coach Kevin Welsh mentioned. “Hopefully this could be a constructing block heading into subsequent yr. I believe our youthful youngsters now are gonna begin believing that what we do works and simply maintain working laborious.”

Belpre (1-9) began the sport sturdy because it scored on its first possession of the sport. It took simply six performs – the primary two of which have been fumbled snaps — earlier than quarterback Luke Davis scored on a 24-yard run for a 6-0 lead.

The Cee-Bees (2-6) have been capable of tie the rating at 6-6 as they took their first possession and went 76 yards on 16 performs and completed when Maverick Gum scored from three yards out.

Lengthy scoring drives have been a typical theme on the night time for Clay-Battelle as each of its scores got here on lengthy, time-consuming drives.

Nevertheless, the Cee Bees struggled to seek out explosive offensive performs with their longest performs of the night time overlaying simply 12 yards.

“We have been making an attempt to do no matter we have been having success with,” CB coach Ryan Wilson mentioned. “Now we have had some success this yr working and throwing the ball, however we simply couldn’t get something going for lengthy features.”

Belpre grabbed a 12-6 halftime lead with 1:25 remaining within the second quarter when Davis related with Blake Church for a 23-yard scoring strike.

However the Cee-Bees answered proper again out of the locker room as they as soon as once more put collectively an extended scoring drive. This one went 65 yards over 16 performs and took all however two minutes off the third quarter clock.

Gum as soon as once more discovered paydirt as he scored from two yards out and Kooper Statler added the additional level for a 13-12 Clay-Battelle lead with 1:56 left within the third quarter.

“We have been actually controlling issues on that drive,” Wilson mentioned. “Sadly, it was only a few performs later and we have been down once more.”

Wilson hit the nail on the top as Belpre wanted simply 4 performs to seize the lead, 18-13, again. Aedan Mullens scored on a two-yard run to present the Golden Eagles the lead for good.

Belpre turned to a few unconventional working backs carrying No. 50 and No. 60 to salt the sport away.

“Accidents made two of our higher working backs into guards,” Welsh mentioned. “We knew we weren’t going to throw the ball after getting the lead, so once we get the chance to place them within the backfield, we attempt to try this.”

No. 50 Willis Starcher completed with 59 yards on six carries with a landing whereas No. 60 Keegan Strode added 55 yards together with the ultimate 30-yard landing run.

Clay-Battelle returns to motion subsequent Friday when it hosts Paden Metropolis at 7 p.m.

BY ERIC HERTER

Belpre (Oh) 31, Clay-Battelle 13
              1            2            3            4            F
BHS       6            6            0            19          31
CB          6            0            7            0            13

First Quarter
B – Luke Davis 7 run (kick fail)
CB – Maverick Gum 3 run (kick fail)
Second Quarter
B – Blake Church 23 move from Davis (run fail)
Third Quarter
CB – Gum 2 run (Kooper Statler kick)
Fourth Quarter
B – Aedan Mullens 2 run (kick fail)
B – Wilis Starcher 6 run (run fail)
B – Keegan Strode 30 run (Jayden McFadden kick)

RUSHING: BHS – Davis 14-74, Landon VanFosson 7-30, Brody Hilland 1-3, Starcher 6-59, Strode 3-55. CB – Zachary Corridor 14-51, Maddox Shriver 3-16, Gum 11-29, JC Spears 1-(-1).
PASSING: BHS – Davis 1-4-0 23. CB – Spears 12-25-0 72, Corridor 0-2-0.
RECEIVING: BHS – Church 1-23. CB – Corridor 6-32, Gum 2-18, Josiah Morgan 4-20, Shriver 1-2.