Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — Every single week this season, Miami Trace has found ways to win ballgames.
It’s a sign of experience and a sign that, no matter what adversity may pop up, the Panthers are going to work their tails off to fight through it and come out the other end unscathed.
That’s exactly what happened on Friday night.
After finding themselves in a 14-0 hole in the early goings, Miami Trace fought back to score 20 unanswered points before pulling away late to earn a 35-21 win over visiting Chillicothe.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“Coming into this game, we knew that [Chillicothe] was a great team,” Miami Trace senior Cooper Enochs said. “We knew they had a great running back in Cartae [Ligon] and, [when they were down], we really just tried to keep our heads up. Once we get in our own heads, we know that’s not good. If we stay clear and work as a team, there’s really nothing that can stop us.”
All night long, whether it was sophomore quarterback Baron Phipps or junior running back Julian Baker, Miami Trace (5-0, 1-0 FAC) relied on their workhorses.
Phipps rushed for a pair of touchdowns and threw for another while Baker caught a touchdown pass and rushed for two more.
“That’s our game plan and that’s what we wanted to do this season,” Miami Trace coach Jerry Williams said. “We’ve got the horses up front and we’ve got the thoroughbreds in the backfield. We certainly do. We’re going to ride that. We had to make some plays tonight. Our sophomore quarterback sparked us and he made the throws we needed to and at the times we needed to. It was a big change for us.”
Penalties hindered each team’s opening drive, but Chillicothe’s Cartae Ligon made sure that didn’t happen again on the Cavaliers’ second go-around.
On a 4th & 6 play call from the Panthers’ 40-yard line, Ligon took a handoff, bounced to the outside and initiated contact. After breaking a tackle, he tip-toed down the sideline, kept his balance and rushed 40 yards to pay dirt, giving Chillicothe a 6-0 lead.
The Cavaliers’ defense then gave Ligon and company another golden chance when Jason Riley picked off a pass at his own 44-yard line.
Quarterback Tay Harris would cash in with 11:09 left in the second quarter, finding Jeremy Cain for a six-yard touchdown toss and extending the lead to 14-0 after a successful two-point try.
Miami Trace began to fight back, using a 37-yard touchdown run from Baron Phipps to do so with 6:01 remaining in the first half, cutting the deficit in half.
With less than four minutes left, the Cavaliers were forced to punt and the Panthers set up at their own 29-yard line. On the fifth play of the drive, Cooper Enochs ripped off a 28-yard run before Julian Baker later plunged into the end zone from a yard out, wiping the slate clean.
PHOTOS: Images from Miami Trace’s win over Chillicothe
Phipps gave Miami Trace its first lead with 2:31 left in the third, logging a nine-yard score to make it a 20-14 count.
But Chillicothe had a quick answer and Ligon provided it.
On a 3rd & 17 play, Harris found Ligon open for a 23-yard gain through the air. On the next play, Ligon worked his magic again, breaking through a hole and shifting fields before finding the end zone from 40 yards out, putting the Cavaliers back in front, 21-20, with 1:01 left in the third.
Instead of hanging their heads, the Panthers called a play they hadn’t all year long and it swung all the momentum back to MT’s sideline.
Phipps found Baker on a wheel route for a 63-yard gain, putting the football at Chillicothe’s three-yard line. On the next play, Baker scored for a 28-21 lead after another two-point conversion.
With 9:06 to go, the Panthers got a fourth down stop near midfield. Three plays later, on 3rd and 17 from their own 44-yard line, Phipps and Baker struck gold again.
On another wheel route, just on the opposite side of the field, Phipps dropped a dime on a streaking Baker, who had beaten his man. Baker hauled it in with nothing but green in front of him, scoring from 56 yards out and extending the lead to 35-21.
“We haven’t run those plays in the last couple of weeks so [Chillicothe] hasn’t been able to watch it on film,” Williams said of the two wheel routes. “It is a staple play for us. We haven’t run it yet but I love running it when it’s set. Where we were, logistically, it made sense. And we’re throwing it to a great running back. It’s just a huge play for us. We had it in our back pocket for a while. We utilized it tonight and we knew Chillicothe’s defense was aggressive. So that’s why we called it.”
With 6:01 left, Miami Trace’s defense pounded the nails in the coffin with yet another fourth down stop. From there, the Panthers grinded down the clock to seal a win.
“Our defense is playing phenomenal football,” Williams said. “Coach [Corey] Dye has got it rolling right now. There were a couple of big plays where they snuck out on us and we had them dead to rights. Cartae is a great running back, clearly. But I felt like we were in control the entire time. We just had to get the right set up and the right formation to get the right call.”
The Panthers will now try to stay undefeated with a trip to Hillsboro next week while the Cavaliers attempt to bounce back with a trip to Washington Court House.
“When you have a senior-led team like this, with great leaders, these guys understand what’s in front of them,” Williams said. “This conference is a difficult conference to play in. So they know they have to bring it each and every week. There’s no week off from this point on, and we understand that. We know Hillsboro is a very good football team and we’ll have to prepare that way.”
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