Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WHEELERSBURG — Wheelersburg and Portsmouth hadn’t locked horns in seven years. But in the restoration of a longtime rivalry on Friday, the Pirates dominated from start to finish.
Coach Rob Woodward’s group handed the Trojans a 34-0 loss in a Division V, Region 19 playoff contest, advancing to Week 13 with relative ease against a formidable opponent.
CREDIT: Baylee Harris/SOSA
“I told my guys that this is their history,” Woodward said of his team. “We haven’t played this game in several years, but they had a chance to establish their history tonight. I wanted them to embrace this rivalry and I think they did that tonight, pitching a shutout.”
If you open up the stat book, you won’t be blown away by Wheelersburg’s offensive numbers. But the Pirates showcased elite efficiency, averaging over six yards per play and scoring on six of eight drives.
Those numbers make it seem like ‘Burg marched up and down the field all night long. But the defense had a lot to say about that, forcing three turnovers, giving their offense excellent field position throughout the contest.
The party started on the first play from scrimmage as Landon Hutchinson scooped up a Trojan fumble, giving the Pirates the football at Portsmouth’s 41-yard line.
Physicality was the name of the game on the first drive as Wheelersburg used its jumbo set, leading to Jake Darling plunging two yards into the end zone for the night’s first score.
The rout was on from there.
The second drive for Portsmouth was the same — literally — as Wheelersburg’s defense ripped the ball out and recovered it at the the Trojans’ 45-yard line. Hutchinson then got involved on offense, bullying his way into the end zone from eight yards out and a 14-0 lead.
While the run game has been a strength for them all year, the Pirates’ passing game has been in development. It showed on Friday that it’s come a long way.
The team’s third drive happened in a hurry when sophomore Braylon Rucker dropped one in the bread basket of Devon Lattimore, who raced 73 yards to make it 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.
“We told him early in the year that we needed him to be a junior by Week 6,” Woodward said of his signal caller. “He’s really taking what the defense gives and is willing to put a ball up and let one of our receivers go make a play. It just took time but he has the experience thanks to the schedule we’ve played.”
The rest of the game was really defined by Wheelersburg’s overwhelming physicality in the trenches. Offensively, the Pirates got whatever they wanted, thanks to massive running lanes for their stable of backs and all day to throw in the passing game.
Defensively, they virtually lived in Portsmouth’s backfield and held the Trojans, who racked up nearly 500 yards of offense just last week, to 83 total yards.
“I learned early on in my coaching career that physical football is playoff football,” Woodward said. “We spend a lot of time focusing on how we can be a more physical football team. We are going to be balanced, but we want to be able to control games up front and we’re doing that right now.”
A field goal by Cooper Heimbach rounded out the first half scoring at 24-0. The second half had a running clock following Creed Warren’s 16-yard touchdown scamper, but the Pirates tacked on three extra when Heimbach connected on his second field goal of the night, completing the 34-0 final.
Wheelersburg was led by Creed Warren, who rushed nine times for 60 yards and a score. Rucker was a tidy 8-for-13 passing for 104 yards and a touchdown toss.
Lattimore led all receivers with 94 yards on just four catches and a score. Hutchinson and Darling each had a rushing touchdown. The Pirates’ defense allowed just 83 yards and recovered three fumbles.
While Portsmouth’s season comes to an end, Wheelersburg advances to play in Week 13. The Pirates will meet with Barnesville — a 19-17 winner over Columbus Academy. That game will take place at 7 p.m., Friday at a place to be determined.
SPONSORED BY SCHMIDT FAMILY RESTAURANT GROUP
