BLANCHESTER — Running an offensive package named after science-fiction’s most ridiculous weather disaster, Blanchester’s high-powered attack put on one final show Friday night in a 48-7 victory over East Clinton.
Moving the ball seemingly at will, the Wildcats nearly had three 100-yard rushers and finished with 564 yards of total offense and 379 yards rushing.
Senior Spencer Dissel gained 102 yards on seven carries. Most of which came with him at quarterback taking the direct snap.
BHS head coach Brandon Sammons dubbed the package “The Sharknado.”
“With Dissel in there at quarterback and all the seniors on the line, we tried to create some opportunities for those guys one last time on the field,” Sammons said. “We wanted to let them go out on a high note.”
Another senior who got an opportunity was Cody Henson, who scored a 32-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter on his lone carry of the game.
Junior Brent Hopkins needed just six carries to gain 117 yards. Sophomore James Peters finished with 88 yards rushing on 11 carries.
In total, Blanchester gained 24 first downs on 49 offensive plays, rushing the ball 29 times for 379 yards.
Meanwhile, the Blanchester defense held East Clinton’s offense to just 42 yards rushing on 40 carries.
For EC head coach Jeremy Yankey, he knew his team would have to match Blanchester’s speed and toughness to stay in the contest.
“When you’re playing the game of football and it’s a physical game and you don’t play that way, this is what happens,” Yankey said. “People just physically beat you up, and it happened to us again.”
After stopping the Wildcats on downs on Blan’s first possession, East Clinton had the ball at its own 44. However, a fumble three plays later gave the Wildcats the ball right back. Blan would score, and never look back.
“We’re still a bunch that struggles with confidence and belief,” Yankey said. “We made a stride this year in the right direction by getting three wins and being competitive in some other games, but we’re still a long ways from where we want to be … to try to become one of the best teams in the league.”
Senior Brendan Jenkins, playing in his final game, carried the ball 31 times for 49 yards and the lone EC score.
For Sammons, Friday’s game was a great send-off to a group of seniors that fought through a tough early schedule to finish 5-5 and in second place in the SBC National Division.
“That first part of the schedule was rough,” Sammons said. “They bonded through that. We knew once we got into league play, we would get opportunities. They decided they weren’t going to let it go down the tubes.”
At the same time, Sammons knows he has a strong core of players returning in 2018.
“We had three or four seniors starting that latter half of the season,” Sammons said. “We return 19 starters and we get arguably one of our best players back in Cody McCollister.
“It’s bittersweet. We say goodbye to these eight guys. The future is bright. We have 20 varsity football players coming back that are pretty stinkin’ good.”
SUMMARY
Oct. 27, 2017
@ Barbour Memorial Field
Blanchester 48, East Clinton 7
EC 00.07.00.00…..7
BL 16.14.12.06…..48
1st Quarter
B – Brayden Sipple 6-yard pass to Clayton Schirmer (Jasper Damewood kick) 7:36
B – Safety, Austin Arellano tackled out of end zone 2:18
B – Sipple 14-yard pass to Will Childers (Damewood kick) 1:20
2nd Quarter
B – Sipple 18-yard pass to Brent Hopkins (Damewood kick) 11:39
E – Brendan Jenkins 2-yard run (Austin Arellano kick) 6:48
B – James Peters 5-yard run (Damewood kick)
3rd Quarter
B – Spencer Dissel 45-yard run (kick failed) 6:45
B – Peters 21-yard run (run failed) 40.5
4th Quarter
B – Cody Henson 32-yard run (run failed) 5:14
Team Stats
PLAYS: E 56; B 49. FIRST DOWNS: E 11; B 24. RUSHES-YARDS: E 40-42; B 29-379. PASSING YARDS: E 119; B 185. COMPLETIONS-ATTEMPTS-INTERCEPTIONS: E 12-16-0; B 10-20-0. TOTAL YARDS: E 161; B 564. PENALTIES-YARDS: E 6-50; B 6-62. FUMBLES-LOST: E 1-1; B 0-0.
Individual Stats
Rushing (carries-yards): E Brendan Jenkins 31-49 TD; Todd Wedding 7-2. B Spencer Dissel 7-102 TD; Junior Torres 2-37; Clayton Schirmer 2-3; Brent Hopkins 6-117; James Peters 11-88 TD; Cody Henson 1-32 TD
Passing (completions-attempts-interceptions): E Jenkins 11-15-0 87 yards; Wyatt Floyd 1-1-0 32 yards. B Brayden Sipple 10-20-0 185 yards 3 TDs.
Receiving (catches-yards): E Austin Rolfe 2-15; Floyd 4-32; Luke Hanners 2-36; Tristan Burkitt 1-12; Patrick Dotson 3-24. B Derick Bowman 2-79; Will Childers 3-42 TD; Schirmer 2-14 TD; Hopkins 3-50 TD.
