SIDNEY — As expected, the Sidney Yellow Jackets notched their second win in a row, rolling up a big halftime lead and going on to rout the West Carrollton Pirates in high school football action Friday night at Sidney Memorial Stadium.
The Jackets are now 2-1 on the season and make the long trip to Fairborn Friday for another non-division test against a Greater Western Ohio Conference opponent. The Pirates are now 1-2.
Sidney built up a 28-0 halftime lead, but it could have been much more. Sidney’s final possession of the first half ended when the clock ran out, but the Jackets wasted two major scoring opoportunities on the two possessions prior to that one.
With the score 28-0, the Jackets forced an incomplete pass on a 4th-and-9 from their own 32. The Jackets drove deep into Pirate territory, and had a first-and-goal from the five thanks to a good fourth-down run by freshman quarterback Andre Gordon.
The next play got the ball near the goal line, but on second down, Gordon had the ball knocked loose and West Carrollton recovered in the endzone.
The Jackets then forced a punt from the West Carrollton 19, and went to work again on offense. A Gordon-to-Isaiah Bowser pass put the ball on the Pirate 29. After a holding penalty, Gordon hit Damien Duff down to the 15 for a first down, but on the next play, Gordon was picked off by a Pirate defensive lineman, who returned it out near midfield.
Josiah Hudgins didn’t let West Carrollton keep the ball too long, intercepting a pass with :25 remaining in the second quarter.
Sidney scored on its first play of the game when Gordon, filling in for injured starter Jack Feazel, hit Darryl McNeal for a 48-yard scoring strike.
Gordon then added a 1-yard touchdown run a couple minutes later after Sidney forced a Pirate fumble, and that made it 14-0.
West Carrollton then put together a good drive deep into Sidney territory, but disaster struck for the Pirates when Sidney defensive lineman Devon Santos picked up a fumble and rumbled 78 yards to make it 21-0 with 3:23 left in the first quarter.
Then in the second quarter, West Carrollton drove to the Sidney 9 before turning it over on downs, and it took the Jackets little time to head the other way. Isaiah Bowser, Sidney’s sophomore running back, had a couple of long runs, then caught a pass down to the seven. He then ran it in from there on the next play for a 28-0 lead.
Despite Sidney’s dominance on the scoreboard, West Carrollton was inside the “red zone” five times by the end of the third quarter. On the last one, the Pirates missed a field goal, and Sidney went the other way in a hurry. Completions to Allec Gordon and Duff, and a long run by Conor Beer put the ball at the 11. Sidney had to overcome a blocking in the back penalty, but did so on a 12-yard scoring pass from Gordon to McNeal to make it 35-0.
Sidney got back in the endzone in a hurry when West Carrollton fumbled trying to punt the ball away. The Jackets recovered at the 15 and three plays later, senior Peyton Osborn swept the end and scored from the two for a 42-0 bulge.
“We weren’t consistent, but we got better,” said Sidney coach Adam Doenges. “West Carrollton did a nice job and they continue to get better. Our defense wanted to play solid all the way through. We got the zero but West Carrollton did some nice things.”
Minster trails Coldwater
COLDWATER — The Minster Wildcats appeared headed for their first loss of the season Friday night in their Midwest Athletic Conference opener at Coldwater, trailing 289-0 late in the third period.
Both teams entered the game 2-0 on the season. The Wildcats have Marion Local coming to town Friday.
Minster went three-and-out on its first possession and Coldwater drove down the field and scored on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jake Hemmelgarn to Aaron Harlamert. the Cavaliers went on to score two more touchdowns in the second period for a 21-0 lead at the half. It stayed that way late into the final period.
Anna trails 21-12
FORT RECOVERY — Anna fell behind 14-0 in the first half and trailed 21-12 after three quarters in MAC football action at unbeaten Fort Recovery Friday night.
The Rockets were looking for their first win of the season, but gave up touchdown runs of 77 and 21 in the first half before getting on the board.
Anna hosts Parkway Friday in its next action.
Steve Egbert | Sidney Daily News
