Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by Holzer Health System.
WEST PORTSMOUTH — Wheelersburg coach Rob Woodward admitted that he was feeling some nerves entering Friday’s game.
His Pirates were banged up, missing starters and entering a tough environment against a hungry West team determined to claim the SOC II title.
Then the ball was snapped.
The Pirates (7-3, 5-0 SOC III) were in full control from the opening kickoff to the final whistle, earning a 31-13 victory over the Senators (8-2, 4-1 SOC III) to win the outright league title.
“When you play a tough schedule, iron sharpens iron. We’ve played some really tough teams over the year, and those battles helped us tonight,” Wheelersburg coach Rob Woodward said. “We’ve had some players go down, but what a job by the guys who stepped up, not just tonight, but in the second half of the season. Our first goal is always to win a conference championship, so it’s great to accomplish that and give us momentum into tournament play.”
CREDIT: Brock Netter/SOSA
On a field filled with talented players who have molded themselves into household names, it was Canaan Arthur’s night.
The junior has taken over the workload in the backfield for the Pirates, and he saved his best performance for when the Pirates needed it the most, finishing with 20 carries for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
“Canaan ran like a beast tonight with his strength and speed, and I thought Jay King did his best running all year,” Woodward said. “Graer [Woodward] did a great job as well, and he’s stayed prepared in case his number was called. He’s been giving us everything he can defensively, but I told him you’re going to have to give us both sides of the ball tonight, and he did a wonderful job.”
While Arthur was running over the Senators’ defense, the Pirates’ defense shut down the Senators’ offense.
West was averaging 279 rushing yards per game, and the Pirates held them to 156, alongside just one offensive touchdown on the night.
“It all started up front with the defensive line, and we needed those guys to be physical up front,” Wheelersburg’s Brew Hanzel said. “We knew if we could turn them into a passing team that it was game over since it’s not their strength. Once we got them to that point, we knew it was done.”
Both teams punted on their opening possessions, and then Wheelersburg got the ball rolling.
PHOTOS: Images from Wheelersburg’s win over Portsmouth West
After finding a rhythm, the Pirates went deep as Graer Woodward connected with a wide open Hanzel for a 59-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead.
“We’ve practiced that play all week long, so it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary,” Hanzel said. “My back was bent in different directions looking for that ball in the air, but I knew I had to keep my feet on the ground and running. I was wide open, so I got a little scared in the moment hoping that I wasn’t going to drop the pass and luckily, I didn’t. So, it was just getting to the end zone after that.”
West provided an answer, though.
After a pair of tough, long runs from Anthony Bishop, Tilton Rapp plunged in from two yards out to tie the game at 7-7.
The Pirates immediately fired back with a quick drive — taking less than three minutes off the clock — that with a two-yard run from Woodward to make it 14-7.
West punted on its next drive, and on Wheelersburg’s first play, Rapp made a spectacular play by reaching up and snatching a one-handed interception before taking the ball back 28 yards for a touchdown, trimming the lead to 14-13.
Although West regained momentum, the Pirates quickly took it back.
On the first play of their ensuing possession, Arthur received the ball and broke to the outside before dashing up the sidelines 82 yards for a touchdown, making it 21-13.
“After that interception, I didn’t want us to stub our toe and lose any momentum,” Arthur said. “I heard my number being called so I told myself I need to run hard on this play to try to get one for us. Brew and Xavier Miller both had great blocks on the edge, so I was able to cut up and turn on the jets. It gave us a great momentum push and we kept it going from there.”
From that point on, it was all Wheelersburg.
Gabe Campbell added a 23-yard field goal to make it 24-13 at halftime before Arthur plunged in on a two-yard touchdown midway through the fourth to cap the night, bringing the SOC II title back to Pirate territory.
“It’s always great to win the SOC, and our coaches did a great job preparing us for this game, but now we focus on tournament play,” Arthur said. “Nothing changes for us though. We’ll continue to prepare the way we always have, week after week, and take things one game at a time. We’ve really grown as a team and learned to rely on one another a lot more, which has been a huge part of us meshing together.”
Following Arthur’s big night, Hanzel finished with three catches for 96 yards and a touchdown while Woodward added passing and rushing touchdowns.
For West, Rapp finished with a rushing touchdown and an interception return for a score.
Both teams have clinched home playoff dates.
Wheelersburg earned a No. 5 seed in Division V, Region 19, and welcomes in Grove City Christian. West also earned a No. 5 seed in Division VI, Region 24, and will host Versailles.
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