East Liverpool rolls past OG in battle of the bridge
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EAST LIVERPOOL -- East Liverpool has struggled at times this season to put points on the board, but in its 41-0 win over Oak Glen on Friday it got the spark it needed in Tyler Kirby.
The junior defensive back and wide receiver had two interceptions including one for a touchdown and hauled in a 48-yard touchdown reception to push the Potters their third straight win.
“I saw my opportunity and I had to go get them,” Kirby said. “Today was the day.”
East Liverpool coach Paul Cusick was happy to see everything click for the Potters a week after having to eek out a 7-3 over Edison. He said Kirby was a big part of that on Friday.
“He’s a special player and he’s an unbelievable defensive back,” Cusick said. “He’s a lightning rod for us. When he makes big plays it excites everybody. He’s turned into a heck of a player.”
The Potter defense -- led by a menacing front that included James Madison University recruit Dre’Keim Abercrombie and senior Maleek Goatley -- held the Golden Bears to 61 yards of total offense.
“Defense is the main factor to everything,” Kirby said. “Once we get going on defense it gives us momentum.”
The Potters move to 6-2, while the Golden Bears fell to 3-4.
Potter running back Xavier Lara had 113 of his 116 rushing yards in the first half and scored on runs of 6 and 4 yards. Abercrombie also had an 11-yard touchdown catch.
Kirby caught a 48-yard pass from Myers with 1:56 left in the first half to put the home team up 21-0. His 45-yard interception return for a touchdown off Oak Glen quarterback Maddox Bowen made it 28-0 with 5:08 left in the third. After Oak Glen inadvertently kneeled down on a punt attempt at their own 4, the Potters put it in running clock territory with Lara’s 4-yard run with 2:49 left in the third quarter.
“I was excited how we responded because we have kind of been flat offensively and we created some momentum tonight,” Cusick said.
The Potters were able to do all of the damage despite turning the ball over four times in the first half. Oak Glen, however, never capitalized.
“They were going straight man coverage against us and it was difficult to move the football,” Oak Glen coach Derrick Stickles said. “They have really good athletes and they made the plays they needed to. It’s tough to move the ball against a team like that.”
Sophomore running back Jacob Everett was the lone highlight on offense for the Golden Bears as he made some tough inside runs and ended with 16 carries for 61 yards.
“(East Liverpool) is very comparable to the teams we’ve lost too,” Stickles said. “They were slightly more athletic and not as one dimensional as the teams that beat us. They’re a good football team and I’m proud of the way my boys played against them.”
The Potters were in the eighth position in the Div. IV, Region 15 computer rankings at the end of Friday and have a solid chance at winning out.
“The big thing is don’t lose focus,” Cusick said. “All we have been preaching is 1-0, it’s the old coach’s clichè. It has been working and our kids have been responding.”
GAME NOTES
• This was the final away game for the Golden Bears this season. The team hosts Tyler, Southern of Oakland, Maryland and Hampshire of Romney, West Virginia to close out the season.
“It’s going to be nice to be at home,” Stickles said. “We’ll go back to the drawing board and start getting ready and just move forward.”
• East Liverpool had two more West Virginia schools to close the season. The Potters are at winless Weir High next Friday and will host Brooke in the season finale.
• Izzy Buchheit was crowned the East Liverpool homecoming queen at halftime.
• Tyler’s older brother D’Shawn Kirby plays on the defensive line at Youngstown State.
“He’s doing really well,” Tyler Kirby said. “I go see him a lot up there.”