Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CIRCLEVILLE — Don’t let the losing record fool you. Amanda-Clearcreek is battle-tested and will run through anyone if given the opportunity.
Circleville found out that hard way on Friday.
The Aces (2-3, 1-1 MSL) ran for over 400 yards, led by Tommy Stai’s 232-yard outing, and handed the Tigers (4-1, 1-1 MSL) their first loss of the season with a 31-14 victory in MSL-Buckeye Action.
“Our guys battled really well and stayed disciplined, which was the biggest thing for us,” Amanda-Clearcreek coach Chet Saum said. “Defensively, we did a great job stopping the run and offensively, we stuck to the grind. It’s such a great win for us and builds our confidence for sure. We had a tough opening four games with Licking Valley, West Jefferson, Zane Trace and Bloom-Carroll, but there were a ton of things we did right in those games and it feels really good having the process work out for us.”
CREDIT: Brock Netter/SOSA
Stai was the feature back who did the most damage, but he wasn’t alone in his efforts. Bodie Martin was alongside his backfield mate, keeping their legs churning and overwhelming Circleville’s defense one run at a time.
Martin got the night started when he broke a handful of tackles and muscled his way 17 yards into the end zone. Stai followed on the next possession by finding a hole and sprinting 38 yards for the score, making it a 14-0 lead.
“The ability for us to keep fresh legs in the backfield is so important and a massive part of what our identity is offensively,” Saum said. “Tommy, Bodie and Nick [Holland] all have different strengths and they each bring something to the table. There’s no drop off with either of them and I couldn’t be any happier with how we’re all performing.”
After Hayden Dunn drilled a 40-yard field goal to make it 17-0 at halftime, the running game behind Stai and Martin went back to work.
Stai popped off a 38-yard run on a 3rd and 18 snap, setting up Martin to find the end zone for the second time on an 18-yard run for a 24-0 lead.
PHOTOS: Images from Amanda-Clearcreek’s win over Circleville
“We had a rough week of practice and Thursday was probably the worst practice we’ve ever had, so that really put a lot on us as seniors,” Stai said. “Being 1-3, playing some tough teams, we knew that we had to bring it and show what we’re made of. We knew this was going to be tough, and although Circleville was undefeated, we knew that we were the better team.”
Circleville’s defense, however, wasn’t done fighting yet.
The Tigers forced a fumble and recovered, leading to their first points of the game on a three-yard plunge from Hudson Phalin, cutting the deficit to 24-7.
Circleville then forced a punt and attempted to mount another fourth quarter comeback. Phalin dropped back and found Jack Kline on a curl, who bounced to the outside before racing 37 yards up the sideline for a touchdown that made it 24-14.
Although momentum was slowly swaying, it was short-lived.
The Aces ate up over six minutes of clock on power runs before the drive was capped by a three-yard score from Stai to ultimately put the finishing touches on a victory.
“Our defense stayed on the pedal all night. Circleville wanted to win, but our defense wanted to win more,” Amanda-Clearcreek’s Calum Duncan said. “There’s a level of grit we played with, and a lot of that has to do with our coaches. They push us, reinforce our positioning about getting low and this feels great to get the win.”
In addition to Stai’s final stat line, Martin finished with 13 carries for 102 yards and two scores for the Aces while Nick Holland added 11 carries for 58 yards.
For Circleville, Phalin threw for 125 yards and two total touchdowns, while Kline had two catches for 49 yards and a touchdown.
Amanda-Clearcreek returns to action on Friday at home against Hamilton Township, while Circleville rebounds at home against Marietta in non-conference action.
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