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PIKETON — The football Gods smiled upon Piketon on Friday night — again.
The Redstreaks (2-0) had no issues taking advantage of the opportunities given.
A series of wild plays and fortunate bounces offensively, alongside a lights-out defensive performance aided the Redstreaks to a 34-0 shutout victory over Oak Hill.
“Defensively, I thought we played great and I like how aggressive we were throughout the night,” Piketon coach Tyler Gullion said. “We’re a team that likes to stunt, mix things up and create some chaos. We definitely did that tonight by getting in the backfield frequently and keeping [Oak Hill’s] quarterback hemmed in. We didn’t give up the big plays and we’re happy with the win.”
CREDIT: Heather Thompson/SOSA
The connection between quarterback Luke Gullion and receiver Mason Thacker was shown in full force, and there wasn’t anything the Oaks (0-2) could do about it.
The duo connected five times to the tune of 117 yards and a touchdown.
“Those two have been playing together dating back to pop warner, and they’ve played the same positions so they have that chemistry,” Tyler Gullion said. “Mason has that gear and that ‘Thacker’ gene where he can make some cuts to get up the field in a hurry. He did a great job catching and he’s hard to tackle when you get him in space.”
It took some time for Piketon to piece everything together as the Oaks’ defense proved to be a stiff test early on. However, after a heavy dose of Buddy Wilson, Gullion opened the scoring with a six-yard plunge to put the Redstreaks ahead 6-0 after the first quarter.
PHOTOS: Images from Piketon’s win over Oak Hill
Oak Hill converted on fourth down during the next drive, only for the Redstreaks to turn around and get a fourth down sack to take possession. A few plays later, Gullion connected on a screen pass to Wilson, who did the rest on a 24-yard touchdown strike to extend the lead to 14-0.
Still, the Oaks were in the game and drove into Piketon territory.
They went for a score and took to the air to do so, but this is where the football Gods intervened. The pass attempt went right through the receiver’s hands and was intercepted by Brent McGuire.
That started the snowball effect and it was all ‘Streaks moving forward.
Three plays after the interception, Gullion connected with Thacker on a screen pass, who proceeded to break two tackles and dash 86 yards up the sideline for a touchdown to put Piketon up 20-0.
“I was just trying to get the first down honestly. But I had a break, caught the sideline and I just went,” Thacker said. “Luke throws a great ball and places it perfectly.”
Piketon then got the ball back and one of those opportunities given happened again. Gullion threw a pass that was tipped by an Oak defender for a potential interception, but it fell right into McGuire’s hands for an 11-yard touchdown, marking a 28-0 halftime lead.
The Redstreaks notched the final score of the game when Oak Hill’s pass hit off a receiver’s hands and was picked off by Gavin Blanton, who proceeded to bob and weave his way 56 yards for another touchdown.
Statistically, Gullion finished 13-of-18 passing for 228 yards and three touchdowns, alongside a rushing score. Wilson added 107 yards rushing on 11 carries to pair with his 24-yard touchdown reception.
Piketon returns to action on Friday, traveling to Valley for a non-conference bout, while Oak Hill rebounds at home against Rock Hill.
“We have to continue worrying about ourselves and continuing to get better every day in practice,” Tyler Gullion said. “Just because we’re 2-0, that doesn’t change anything. We have a lot to improve upon and we have to keep being coachable. There’s still a long way to go this season.”
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