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Oak Glen not satisfied despite 4-0 start

OPEN LANE — Oak Glen’s Hunter Patterson rushes against Perry on Friday. -Andrew Grimm

NEW MANCHESTER — It would be easy for any team that sets a school record to get complacent in doing so.

Ted Arneault was very quick to assure that his Golden Bears are far from content after dispatching Perry Academy on Friday, 41-14, for the first 4-0 start in program history.

“I can tell you this, we’re not satisfied,” Arneault said following addressing his team at midfield. “I’m proud of the kids, they’ve done everything they’ve needed to do to get this far, but we want to take it to the next step. All I can say is we’re ready for more.

“Our kids are becoming a team. Everybody is sticking together and stepping up when they need to.”

Arneault has seen the culture change with the current group of players on his roster. For that reason, them being the ones to achieve the feat comes as no surprise.

“I had a feeling this group was special, but we had to come together,” he said. “It was a cultural phenomenon that happened here. It’s been a cultural shift. The culture four years ago is not what it is now. Our kids are hungry, they want to work and they want to get back in the weight room. I’ve seen that shift, and I’m very proud about what our kids have done, what our coaches have done, what our community has done, but we’re not satisfied.

“This group that are seniors now and started off as freshmen have seen the cultural shift. They have been a part of it and led it.”

One of the focuses for Oak Glen this season has been finding balance on offense to compliment the aerial attack with junior quarterback Nick Chaney, who added to his early-season stats by going 13 of 21 for 216 yards and two scores. It executed that perfection on Friday night, compiling 280 yards and four scores on the ground.

“We try to make every series to be unique,” Arneault said. “That has been an offensive philosophy for us this year where every drive we’re working towards something.”

Arneault knew that the Panthers’ (2-3) defense was built to prevent the big play. Hunter Patterson, who ran for 103 yards and a score on nine carries, had a 79-yard catch and run, and another score was set up by a turnover. Outside of that, every other Golden Bear touchdown was the result of long scoring drives seven plays or more.

“That was a goal,” Arneault said of the long drives. “We want every drive to have an identity, and some drives we want that to be we’re driving down the field, taking care of the ball and controlling the clock.”

Paxton Shuman capped three of those drives with scoring runs of 11, 3 and 5 yards. He finished with 79 yards on 14 carries.

Oak Glen’s execution of the ground game and ability to utilize its playmakers impressed Perry head coach Rod Rutherford.

“Their screen game was pretty solid. I really liked their screen game,” he said. “They ran the ball. It was simple, they didn’t do anything special. They pushed us around and ran downhill. That part of it was strictly smash-mouth football. I know their coach will be excited with that performance out of their run game.

“You have to tackle, you have to block and you have to make good decisions. We didn’t, and that right there killed us.”

After receiving the opening kick, the Golden Bears marched 58 yards on nine plays, capped by Shuman breaking tackles and plowing in from the 11.

On Perry’s second offensive snap, Michael Lemley stepped in front of a Tre’shaun Barron pass. Nine plays later, Patterson scampered in from the 10 to make it a quick 14-0 lead.

The Panthers got on the board with a 3-yard run by Damontae Everett. After an Oak Glen fumble and a Perry turnover on downs, Shuman capped a 10-play drive with a 3-yard plunge of his own to make it 21-6.

The Patterson big play made it 28-6. Then, after a snap over the punters head set the Golden Bears up at the 9, Chaney connected with Zach Taylor — who finished with four catches for 62 yards — on fourth and goal to make it a 35-6 halftime lead.

Shuman added a 5-yard plunge to cap a seven-play drive and make it 41-6 in the third. Barron then hit Tyreese Fearbry, who made a spectacular catch, for a 6-yard touchdown before the third quarter ended and closed the scoring.

Oak Glen’s leading receiver was Gage Patterson, who hauled in five catches for 65 yards.

BIGGER THAN

FOOTBALL

Taylor, who normally wears No. 24, wore No. 80 to honor Roane County football player Alex Miller, who tragically passed away. There also was a moment of silence between the first and second quarters.

“Zach is a big-hearted kid,” Arneault said. “I’m very proud of how he has matured over the last four years. He is one of our captains and one our senior leaders. He really wanted to be the guy who wore No. 80 in honor of Alex Miller from Roane County. We were really happy that he did that, went out for the coin toss, represented our team and stood up for one of our fellow West Virginia schools that is going through a hard time right now.”

UP NEXT

Perry: Returns home for a Pittsburgh City League game against Alderdice on Friday night.

Oak Glen: Travels across the river to face rival East Liverpool, who defeated Beaver Local 26-7, on Friday night.

(Grimm can be reached at agrimm@heraldstaronline.com)

Oak Glen 41, Perry 14

Perry 6-0-8-0 — 14

Oak Glen 14-21-7-0 — 41

OG: Shuman 11 run (Mozingo kick)

OG: H. Patterson 10 run (Mozingo kick)

P: Pioleau 3 run (kick failed)

OG: Shuman 3 run (Mozingo kick)

OG: H. Patterson 79 pass from Chaney (Mozingo kick)

OG: Taylor 9 pass from Chaney (Mozingo kick)

OG: Shuman 5 run (kick blocked)

P: Fearbry 6 pass from Barron (Barron pass)

RUSHING: Perry 18-47-TD (Prioleau 13-37-TD; Barron 3-(-10); Arrington 2-20); Oak Glen 38-280-4TD (H. Patterson 9-103-TD; Shuman 14-79-3TD; Chaney 1-2; Brown 4-27; Geisse 3-22; Goodlin 5-28; Greenlief 2-19).

PASSING: Perry 18-39-141-TD-2INT (all by Barron); Oak Glen 13-21-216-2TD-INT (all by Chaney).

RECEIVING: Perry 18-141-TD (Fearbry 3-17-TD; Oaks 8-87; Henderson 6-28; Prioleau 1-12); Oak Glen (G. Patterson 5-65; H. Patterson 2-81-TD; Taylor 4-62-TD; Mozingo 1-8).

FIRST DOWNS: Perry 15; Oak Glen 18.

PENALTIES-YARDS: Perry 10-60; Oak Glen 13-118.5.

PUNTS: Perry 2-29.5; Oak Glen 0.

FUMBLES-LOST: Perry 3-0; Oak Glen 2-2.

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