Edison Local - August 25, 2017

Following a long winter of weight training and a robust pre-season regimen, which included  scrimmages with Crestview and United Local, the Potters welcomed Edison Local to the historic confines of Patterson Field on Friday August 25, 2017 where they defeated their guests, 21-0, before an enthusiastic crowd.

Winning the toss, Edison deferred the 7:30 p.m. kickoff to the Potters who returned the ball to their 30, and the 2017 season was underway.

Unfortunately, the adrenalin wore off rather quickly following Dereck Carter’s two-yard gain on the first play of the game, and the Potters were forced to punt from their own 35, following a pair of three yard losses.

Edison also struggled on their initial possession going three-and-out, punting from their own 23, with back spin setting the Potters up on the 37-yard line. Carter, on a second-and-ten, racked up a 35-yard gain, placing his team within scoring distance on the three yard line.

Unfortunately, following three rushing attempts, the Blue and White found themselves in a retreat position on the visitors’ eight. Fear not, first year starting QB, junior Peyton Reed found Noah Wheaton on a slant pattern and it was 6-0, which is how the score would remain at 5:18, after a failed extra point attempt.

The Panthers didn’t go away easily, playing under their first year coach, Nate Moses, as they returned Dominik Vallera’s ensuing kickoff back to their own 45 from where they launched a 13-play drive which took them to the EL 19 where a completed screen pass then a fumble put out the fire.

With 0:29 showing on the first-quarter clock, Coach Josh Ludwig and his crew managed to work the ball out from the shadow of their own goal post with a ten-play effort, thanks to three nice runs by Reed for a net 21-yard gain, but the drive ended with a Peyton Adkins punt from midfield.

The Black and Silver could not take advantage, however, going three-and-out with a surprise quick kick from their own 28 that set EL up on their own 24 with 5:29 remaining in the first half, but seven plays later the locals could advance no further than their own 37, and it was punt time.

Setting up shop on their own 32-yard line with 2:24 remaining in the first half, Edison pulled off a seven-play drive of their own until Noah Wheaton picked off a Noah Woods pass returning the ball to the visitors’ 37 from where the Potters ran off the clock.

The Potters next score was set up by a Nick Woodyard punt return to midfield at 10:18 in the third quarter. Four plays later, sophomore sensation Derek Carter, took it to the house from the 34, followed by a Jalen Moman conversion plunge, and it was 14-0.

The visitors were unable to retaliate on their next effort, turning the ball over to the Potters via the fumble route. Six plays later Moman plunged in from the two with 4:36 left to play in the third. Vallera converted to make it 21-0.

Despite a never-say-die attitude and the opponents’ longest drive of the game, a 24-play, 77-yard, effort that faltered on the Potter’s five with 3:02 left to play, Coach Josh and his crew pitched a shutout in this one, and it was time to ring the victory bell.

COACH’S COMMENTS:

“We came out tonight and accomplished a lot of our goals,” Coach Josh said. Being a coach, I’m critical, and there are still a lot of things we need to fix, but for an opener, to come out and get a win and a shutout is a great start.”
“Kudos to our defense; they pitched a shutout and had a big goal stand, which was awesome. We were able to force turnovers with our defense and capitalize on them.”

DIGGER’S DUGOUT:

With 2:59 left to play, senior Michael Loy took a handoff at his own five-yard line, and was on his way to the final stripe before being hauled down on the Edison 33. Had he scored, it would have been the longest run from scrimmage in school history. Eddie Oliver’s 93 yarder vs. Wellsville in 1950, later matched by Robert Jackson in a 1998 playoff game against Chardon remain tops.

Officials for the game were Bob Gabal of Bridgeport, Adam Murphy of Weirton, Troy Fitzpatrick of Barnesville, Mike Bernes of Moundsville,and Everett Stewart of Belmont, Ohio.

The Potters’ second TD came in the third quarter when Jalen Moman was seemingly trapped behind the line of scrimmage. In what might be considered a street ball maneuver, the big back lateraled the ball to Derek Carter. 35 yards later, the scat back was in the end zone and was 14-0 following a two point conversion plunge by Moman.

It was good to see Dr. Michael Scarpone of the Trinity Medicine & Performance Center  on the sidelines, especially when a neck injury required an Edison player to be transported by ambulance to City Hospital with a little over two minutes remaining in the game.