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Steubenville blanks St. C

SIX IN THE RAIN — Steubenville’s Alec Taylor is congratulated by teammates Charles Reeves (19) and Mitchell Gulan after scoring on a 58-yard pass during the first quarter of Thursday’s 47-0 victory over St. Clairsville inside Harding Stadium. (Mike Mathison)

STEUBENVILLE — Reno Saccoccia felt his Big Red brought a “great football attitude” into Thursday night’s game with St. Clairsville.

He was right and it showed.

Scoring touchdowns on three of its first eight offensive plays, Steubenville, now 8-1, rolled to a convincing 49-0 victory at rainy Reno Field inside Harding Stadium.

“I was really proud of the way our kids came out tonight,” Saccoccia stated. “They came out ready to play. Everyone was worried about the weather but attitude beats everything. We had a great football attitude tonight.”

Starting its first drive at the St. Clairsville 49, Big Red needed just two snaps to dent the scoreboard. Javon Davis hit Charles Reeves on wide receiver screen and the talented senior traveled 38 yards to the house.

Steubenville’s possession came after St. Clairsville appeared to have gained a first down on a pass off a fake punt. The completion, however, was nullified by an ineligible receiver downfield penalty.

“We had some things we brought up here figuring we were going to do whatever we could to win the football game,” said St. Clairsville coach Brett McLean. “It’s not the traditional stuff you would do, like faking a punt in our own end, but given the situation we’re in, it opens up the play book a little.

“Apparently, we were across the line of scrimmage, which is an illegal play so it was the right call if we were. But, it was one play in the game and one play is not going to make up a 47-point deficit.”

After its defense delivered a three and out, Big Red, thanks to a short punt by the Red Devils, started drive two at the visitors’ 34. On the fourth play, Zane Zimish scored via a nine-yard run.

The third drive, which consisted of two plays, resulted in a 58-yard Johnny Agresta to Alex Taylor touchdown toss. Taylor ran the stop and go route to perfection, hauled in Agresta’s pass and raced untouched to the end zone.

During the opening quarter, Big Red compiled 191 yards of offense while its smothering defense held the Red Devils to minus three.

“It was a great start and it all began with attitude,” Saccoccia stressed. “Like I said, we had a great football attitude. We still have a long way to go to be a good team. Slowly but surely we are improving every week.

“We have to keep working and keep improving. We need to focus on executing and being fundamentally sound.”

Big Red would score three times in the second period to grab a 41-0 halftime lead. Agresta went over from a yard away then Davis threw two 11-yard touchdown passes. The first went to Dejuan Jones and the second to Jorian Jones.

One touchdown was set up when Taylor delivered a nasty hit to St. Clairsville quarterback Zach Bigelow, forcing a fumble which was recovered by Quentin Moore. The second came following an interception by Eric Lulla. Steubenville picked off Bigelow twice, Ny’Juan Robinson recording the other one.

The first half statistics showed St. Clairsville with minus 12 yards of offense compared to 249 for Steubenville.

“We knew we were coming up here against one of the best teams in the state of Ohio,” McLean noted. “We’re down a little, not having the best season. I think our kids competed all night and that’s what we ask them to do.

“Steubenville is a great team. I think they laid off a little bit which is a class act by them. They were the better team in all phases tonight. We came up here and gave it our best heave-ho on these guys — they’re really good.”

The second half was played with a running clock as dictated by the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s mercy rule. The Red Devils had a chance to score early in the fourth quarter following a blocked punt. The drive ended with a missed field goal.

Sophomore Caleb Mitchell then finished Big Red’s scoring when broke loose for a 78-yard touchdown sprint.

Seven different players scored for Big Red, which drops the regular season curtain next Friday with a home game against Canada Prep.

“I think that’s important,” Saccoccia said of his team’s scoring parade. “I really think team is so much more important than stars. We have a lot of kids who could be stars but we have even more who are all about the team.”

Steubenville, which is ranked third in the Division IV, Region 15 computer standings, finished with 351 yards of offense (220 on the ground and 131 through the air). Mitchell finished with 93 on the ground while Jamaal Petteway added 50. Davis completed four of his five passing attempts for 71 yards and three scores.

Bigelow entered the game with 1,372 passing yards. Big Red’s attacking defense held him to just one completion in 10 attempts for six yards. He was sacked four times. The Red Devils were limited to 56 yards of offense and five first downs. St. Clairsville was able to move the chains just once in the first half.

“Hats off to them and hats off to our kids,” said McLean who watched his squad fall to 3-6. “Our freshmen, sophomores and juniors now owe it to our seniors to have the best week of practice they can going into Week 10. We get one more at home (East Liverpool will visit next week) and it’s Senior Night. I want to honor those kids with a win.

“I commend both teams, my kids especially. My fear was we would take joy or pleasure in losing but we have long faces and we’re upset the way we should be because we lost the game. Hopefully, our younger guys don’t accept losing as a habit.”

Steubenville 47, St. Clairsville 0

St. Clairsville                        0    0  0  0  —   0

Steubenville                         20  21  0  6  —  47

S: Reeves 38 pass from Davis (Duggan kick)

S: Zimish 9 run (kick failed)

S: Taylor 58 pass from Agresta (Duggan kick)

S: Agresta 1 run (Duggan kick)

S: DeJuan Jones 11 pass from Davis (Duggan kick)

S: Jorian Jones 11 pass from Davis (Phillips kick)

S: Mitchell 78 run (kick failed)

RUSHING:  St. Clairsville 28-38 (Bigelow 6-(-24); Maroon 4-6; Kolb 6-26; Harris 1-(-2); Heatherington 1-6; Storer 2-6; Butkus 1-3; Watt 3-8; Jordan 3-9; Biery 1-1); Big Red 31-220-3 (Davis 2-0; Agresta 2-11-1; Bernard 4-25; J. Petteway 7-50; Rice 1-5; Koval 1-2; Zimish 2-11-1; Wallace 2-9; Blackmon 1-8; Demitras 2-3; Duggan 1-0; Mitchell 4-93-1; Blackwell 2-2).

PASSING:  St. Clairsville 3-13-18-0-2 (Bigelow 1-10-6-0-2; Carrothers 2-3-12); Big Red 6-9-131-4 (Davis 4-5-71-3; Agresta 1-2-58-1; Duggan 1-1-2; Criss 0-1).

RECEIVING:  St. Clairsville 3-18 (Heatherington 1-6; Brookover 1-2; Hoppin 1-10); Big Red 6-131-1 (Reeves 2-49-1; Taylor 1-58-1; DeJuan Jones 1-11-1; Jorian Jones 1-11-1; Demitras 1-2).

FIRST DOWNS: St. Clairsville 5; Big Red 15.

PENALTIES-YARDS: St. Clairsville 2-10; Big Red 1-5.

PUNTS: St. Clairsville 4-23; Big Red 2-(-8).

FUMBLES-LOST: St. Clairsville 3-3; Big Red 1-0.

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