In a classic case of everything going right for one team and everything going wrong for another, Nelsonville-York slammed Alexander 53-0 on the Spartans’ turf to keep their undefeated season alive.
“We got outplayed and outcoached,” Alexander coach Sean Arno said.
It didn’t take long for the Buckeyes to put points on the board, as they drove down the field on the first drive. They scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Nathan Dean to Daniel Kline to take an early 8-0 lead. Nelsonville-York would never look back.
Before they knew it, the Spartans trailed 28-0 in the first quarter and faced a lead that was insurmountable, putting away their dreams for a Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division title.
Alexander quarterback Trey Bennett had a tough night — he completed only three passes. But the Spartans were at a disadvantage already with Bennett playing with a bad ankle.
His toughness didn’t go unnoticed. The Alexander quarterback entered the locker room after the game, his white jersey completely brown, and shook hands with all of the Spartan coaches.
“It was pretty amazing that the kid could play today,” Arno said. “Tremendous heart and tremendous character from him.”
Buckeye running back Dustin Young was up to his normal shenanigans as he carried the ball 20 times for a standard 187 yards, scoring touchdowns number 24 and 25 of the season.
Dean had an efficient game. He completed eight of 10 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown and only threw one interception on a tipped pass.
With the win, the Buckeyes will play for the TVC-Ohio title on Friday when they take on undefeated Athens. One team in the TVC will go undefeated this year.
The Bulldogs defeated Wellston Friday to set up a 9-0 versus 9-0 matchup in perhaps the biggest setup for a game in the TVC in a long time.
Alexander hits the road Friday to take on Meigs in its final game of the season. With a win, the Spartans can buck their three-game losing streak and finish the season 7-3.
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