Carson Francis, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by Holzer Health System.
KINNIKINNICK — On Sept. 21, 2007, Huntington celebrated a 32-29 victory over Zane Trace.
However, over the next 6,930 days, the Pioneers dominated the series, winning 18 straight meetings.
But this year’s Huntington squad began SVC play with a trip to Kinnikinnick on Friday night wanting to prove itself as a new contender for the league title. And sure enough, the Huntsmen simply found a way to get it done.
Facing a 4th and 5 with 57 seconds left, and trailing by two, Huntington senior quarterback Frankie Hirsch scored the go-ahead touchdown to give the Huntsmen (2-2, 1-0 SVC) a 27-22 victory over ZT — bringing the 19-year drought to its long-awaited end.
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
“There’s no thoughts, really. We just won in those last two minutes,” Hirsch said after the game. “We got the ball back, went down and scored, and it was unbelievable, really. And then our defense stopped them and forced them to throw. We’ve got [Huntington’s Jackson McNeal] on our d-line, and his brother and some dogs were chasing down their quarterback. They couldn’t really do anything.”
Zane Trace (3-1, 0-1 SVC), however, got off to a red-hot start thanks to its defense.
On the first drive of the game, the Huntsmen fumbled the football at their own 42-yard line, where Zane Trace pounced on it with 11:09 left in the first quarter. From there, the Pioneers pounded the rock for the entirety of the drive and finished it off with a Brice Johnson score from a yard out at the 7:33 mark, making it 7-0.
The Pioneers’ defense wouldn’t stop there, though. With 5:24 left, Mason Hartley snatched a Huntington pass off a deflection for a pick, setting ZT up at Huntington’s 40-yard line.
The offense would once again return the favor, finishing the drive off with another Brice Johnson rushing touchdown, this time from three yards out, on the first play of the second quarter. A missed PAT would leave the score at 13-0 with 11:56 left in the half.
But after taking a couple early punches, Huntington finally answered on the following drive.
Using a variety of receivers in the short passing game, Hirsch paced the Huntsmen into the red zone before rolling out to his right and finding Carson McNeal for a 16-yard score with 6:17 left, cutting the deficit to 13-7.
WATCH: Livestream of Huntington’s 27-22 win over Zane Trace
PHOTOS: Images from Huntington’s win over Zane Trace
Huntington stole possession back on the ensuing kickoff when Junior McDonald lofted a pooch kick down the sideline, one that Keegan Woodruff fell on at ZT’s 29-yard line, giving Huntington’s offense a new drive with a short field.
The Huntsmen then marched to the two-yard line with 3:28 left. From there, Hirsch lofted a 3rd and goal pass to McDonald, who hauled it in to give the Huntsmen a 14-13 lead going into the break.
Zane Trace got the ball coming out of the break, however, and the Pioneers’ offensive front imposed its will to begin the half. ZT possessed the football for nearly 7 1/2 minutes, running the ball on each play and setting up a seven-yard rushing touchdown from Johnson — his third of the night to put ZT up 19-14 with 4:32 left after a failed two-point try.
“[Huntington’s defensive line] was doing really good at staying in their gaps. I feel like [Zane Trace] couldn’t get on the edge,” Jackson McNeal said. “I feel like that was the whole purpose of practice was keeping Brice from getting to the edge and having him run up the middle, and I feel like we did a pretty good job at that.”
The two teams would exchange possessions before Hirsch connected with McDonald to set up Huntington at Zane Trace’s 35-yard line, going into the final 12 minutes of play.
From there, Hirsch connected with LJ Cooper to put the Huntsmen at the two-yard line, where the signal caller crossed the goal line himself to give his team a 20-19 lead with 9:34 to go.
Zane Trace would then embark on a slow, methodical drive on the next possession before the Huntsmen’ defense forced ZT into a 4th and 4 from the eight-yard line. The Pioneers would send out Caleb Skaggs to try a 25-yard field goal with 4:08 left, and the senior split the uprights to put ZT back up 22-20.
And, after forcing a turnover on downs on the ensuing drive, it looked like the Pioneers were ready to put the game on ice.
But with 2:35 left to play, Zane Trace put the ball on the ground and Huntington’s Wes Hamilton pounced on it to set up the Huntsmen’ offense at their own 15-yard line.
Then, it was Frankie Hirsch’s time to go win the game for The Township.
After a first-down completion to McDonald, Hirsch moved the chains with his legs on three straight plays to put the Huntsmen at ZT’s 23-yard line. Then, after a five-yard scramble, Huntington then faced a 4th and 5, for the ballgame, with 57 seconds left.
Out of the shotgun, Hirsch took the snap and danced his way through the Pioneers’ defense before tumbling into the end zone, putting Huntington back in front. McDonald sunk the ensuing PAT, giving Huntington a 27-22 lead.
“We ran that play five times that drive, and three times before that. I just trust my guys up front,” Hirsch said. “I know they’ll make the right block. We made adjustments at halftime, and that really helped us there. I just trust my guys, and it wasn’t just me on that play, I had ten blockers out there.”
And on ZT’s final offensive effort, Hirsch intercepted the Hail Mary attempt as time expired, putting an exclamation point on the Huntsmen’ first win over ZT in 19 years — sending the team back to The Township with a 1-0 start in SVC play.
Huntington continues its SVC slate next Friday at Piketon, who beat Westfall by a 42-21 final. Meanwhile, Zane Trace looks to rebound at Adena, who earned a 41-7 win over Paint Valley.
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