Evan Horsley, Makya Matthews
Derrick Webb

Derrick Webb

Derrick is SOSA's chief content coordinator and has worked for the Chillicothe Gazette, the Portsmouth Daily Times and Eleven Warriors. He's a 13-time award-winning journalist, a self-proclaimed baseball purist, a suffering Bengals fan and has never met a stranger.

Wheelersburg wallops West for fifth straight win, secures home playoff date

The Pirates are projected to host Portsmouth in the first round of the playoffs.

SOSA Staff Report

WHEELERSBURG — Do you remember when Wheelersburg was 2-3 to start the year?

At that point in the season, the Pirates had many doubters, many naysayers and many problems. But to Wheelersburg’s pleasure, that all seems like ancient history now.

Starting with a 21-20 overtime win over Minford way back on Oct. 4, the Pirates ended their regular season with five straight victories … the latest of which came in the form of a 41-7 rout of rival West, Friday evening.

In the win, quarterback Evan Horsley was 7-of-12 passing for 154 yards and two touchdowns while Makya Matthews racked up 64 rushing yards, 61 receiving yards and two total scores. Gage Adkins also chipped in, logging a 64-yard touchdown reception on offense and six tackles, a forced fumble and an interception return for a touchdown on the opposite side.

The victory secured the Pirates’ sixth consecutive SOC II title. Wheelersburg is also projected to have locked down the No. 3 seed in Division V, Region 19. If that holds, the Pirates will most likely host SOC II foe Minford next Friday.

In the pair’s meeting earlier this season, Wheelersburg beat the Falcons 21-20 in overtime.

The playoff berth is the program’s 31st in history, where it has an overall record of 38-28. It also marks the eighth consecutive year where the Pirates are playing in Week 11.

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