STEUBENVILLE BIG RED 29

INKSTER MI. VIKINGS 36

OCTOBER 23, 2009

HARDING STADIUM

STEUBENVILLE

For the first time in 69 regular season games the Steubenville Big Red tasted defeat as they fell in a shootout to the Vikings of Inkster High School of Michigan. With 864 yards of total offense and 7 lead changes the game remained in doubt until Inkster intercepted a pass in their end zone as the clock hit :00. The loss leaves Steubenville with an 8-1 record while the visiting Vikings will now move on to the Michigan State Playoffs with a 5-3 record. Despite the loss, Steubenville will retain the top spot in the Division III, Region 11 of the Ohio Computer ratings and have assured themselves of an opening home game in this year playoffs.

Despite a forecast of steady rain, the game was played in almost ideal conditions as the rain stopped an hour before kickoff and temperatures were in the mid 60s. The visitors from up north featured quarterback Devin Gardner, rated as one of the Top 5 High school Qbs in the country, who has already verbally committed to Michigan, and he lived up to his billing as he led the Vikings on the game winning drive with less than 2 minutes to go in the game.

Although the game finished as an offensive gun fight it started out with each team using long time consuming drives in the first half. Inkster took the opening kickoff and used 12 plays and 6 minutes to score the games first points on a Gardner TD pass. The Big Red responded by using 16 plays to drive 68 yards, burning 7:44 off the clock and took a 7-6 lead on a Jo Jo Pierro two yard run. The Big Red converted 3 3rd downs and 1 4th down on the drive. The Vikings would come back and use 12 plays and 5 ½ minutes to regain the lead 12-7 on another TD pass. The Big Red would take the ensuing kickoff and go 11 plays using over 3 minutes to retake the lead 15-12. Dwight Macon took the ball over from the 7 and a 2 point conversion pass from Macon to Sage Cutri accounted for the scoring. The half would end with Inkster driving to the Big Red 20 but an interception as time ran out ended the threat and the teams headed to the locker room with Big Red on top.

The Vikings would take advantage of a Big Red interception on the initial drive of the second half to regain the lead on Gardner’s 3rd TD pass of the night early in the 3rd stanza. The score would remain 20-15 Inkster until the 5:06 mark of the 4th quarter when the Vikings would extend their lead to 28-15 on a 10 yard run. The Big Red was not done as they came back with an 8 play 68 yard drive using just 40 seconds off the clock. Macon hit Tight end Dominic garay with a 25 yard touchdown pass to close the gap to 28-21. On Inksters next possession the Vikings were buried deep in their own territory when defensive tackle Jamie DeVaul broke through tackling Garner in the end zone for a safety. The Big Red would then take the free kick and march right down the field using 6 plays to go 52 yards to regain the lead. JoJo Pierro went over from the 2 for his second score of the night giving the Big Red a 29-28 lead with just 1:19 left in the game. However Gardner was undaunted as he uncorked a 64 yard scoring strike with :40 seconds to go in the game and Inkster was back on top 36-29. The Big Red made one last effort but Macon’s pass from the Inkster 28 was intercepted in the end zone to end the game and the Big Red winning streak.

The Big Red offense finished the game with 400 yards in offense picking up 307 of that on the ground.Senior quarterback Dwight Macon led the way with 147 yards on 19 carries and a score. Sophomore Tailback Jo Jo Pierro finished with 86 yards on 24 carries and 2 touchdowns. In the Air Macon finished 6 0f 15 for 88 yards and 1 touchdown. Macon has completed 59% of his passes for the season for 867 yards with 12 touchdowns while throwing only 1 interception. Senior Trey Wiggins leads the team in receiving with 19 catches for 303 yards and Anthony Pierro has 16 catches for 283 yards. Leading the way for the Big Red offense has been Senior center Jamie DeVaul along with guard Jordan Banks.

The Big Red defense was lead by Juniors LeShawn Luke with 11 tackles and Junior Safety Jordan Meyer with 10. Team leading tackler Junior Linebacker Shaq Petteway finished with 9 tackles including one sack. The Big Red totaled 3 sacks in the game and forced 2 turnovers.

The Big Red will now do something that they haven’t done since the 10th game of the 2003 season, come back to play a game after a loss. The opponent next week will be Cardinal O’Hara High School of Tonawanda, NY. The Big Red will be looking to get back on the winning the side, finishing with a 9-1 record and heading for what they hope will be a deep run into the playoffs and hopefully a date at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium the first Friday in December.