Big Red rolls to open postseason
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STEUBENVILLE -- The red keeps rolling.
Opening what it hopes will be another deep playoff run at home at Harding Stadium Friday night, Big Red jumped on visiting Buckeye Valley on both sides of the ball and did not look back, rolling to a 47-7 opening round victory.
No. 2 seed Big Red jumped ahead 21-0 with three first-quarter touchdowns, forced the 15th-seeded Barons to turn the ball over on downs three times in the Steubenville end of the field and pulled ahead 35-0 by halftime, putting the running clock in place for the second half.
Big Red, now 11-0, advances in the Division III, Region 11 playoffs to host No. 7 seed Athens next Friday night back at Harding Stadium. The Bulldogs (10-1) defeated No. 10 Linden McKinley in their opening round game Friday night, 21-8.
"It was a great night," Big Red head coach Reno Saccoccia said. "Our coaches had the players prepared and the players had themselves prepared and they executed the plan. We had a great week of practice, but there's a difference in having a great week and taking it onto the field on Friday night and we did that.
"We've had really good preparation, and the focus has been really good. This team has made itself a better team every week."
Jalen Minniefield scored a pair of touchdowns and racked up 91 yards on 11 carries. He had 80 of his yards and both scores in the opening quarter.
Ca'Juan Bryant also had a pair of rushing touchdowns, and Aiden Davis went 12 of 15 passing for 147 yards, spreading the ball to eight different receivers, while also rushing for a TD.
Big Red racked up 303 of its 328 yards of offense before halftime.
Buckeye Valley, while held to negative rushing yardage in the first two quarters, was able to move the ball and had it in the Big Red end three times in the opening half thanks to a strong passing attack led by quarterback Nathan Huss (206 yards), including getting down inside the 10 once, but all three scoring threats were ended by fourth down stops by the Big Red defense.
Minniefield got Big Red on the board first, capping a 6-play opening drive with a 5-yard scoring run. He accounted for 43 of the 63 yards on the drive, rushing the ball five times on the march.
Ryan Bise and Landon Crosier recorded back-to-back sacks to end a promising Buckeye Valley drive, and Big Red marched right back down the field, this time Bryant powering in to cap it and make it 14-0.
After a three-and-out, Brody Saccoccia returned a punt to the Barons' 37 and Minniefield broke free to score from there on the next snap to make the lead 21-0.
Buckeye Valley turned it over on downs at the Big Red 10 and the Big Red 16 on its next two drives. Steubenville's offense, after having to punt a couple times, then got rolling again, marching 84 yards on eight plays, Davis capping the drive with a QB sneak on fourth and goal to make it 28-0.
Crosier got his second fourth down sack of the game to end the next Barons' drive and give Big Red the ball back with under two minutes to play in the half, which was more than enough time for a four-play drive that ended with Bryant scoring from 6 yards out to make it a commanding 35-0 halftime lead for Steubenville.
Crosier added to the lead on the first play of the second half as he intercepted a Huss pass at the 27 and returned it for a pick-six, making it 41-0 before the Big Red offense even touched the ball in the second half.
Buckeye Valley got on the board with a 6-yard Huss run later in the third quarter before Big Red backup QB NyZier Birden fired a 3-yard TD pass to Braidyn Edwards in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
Division III, Region 11 Playoffs
at Harding Stadium
No. 2 Steubenville 47,
No. 15 Buckeye Valley 7
Buckeye Valley 0-0-7-0 - 7
Steubenville 21-14-6-6 - 47
SCORING PLAYS
First Quarter
S:Minniefield 5 run (Bowers kick) 9:26
S: Bryant 1 run (Bowers kick) 3:01
S: Minniefield 37 (Bowers kick) 1:18
Second Quarter
S: Davis 1 run (Bowers kick) 1:53
S: Bryant 6 run (Bowers kick) :29
Third Quarter
S: Crosier 27 interception return (kick failed) 10:51
BV: Huss 6 run (Gentner kick) 5:47
Fourth Quarter
S: Edwards 3 pass from Birden (kneel down) 4:39
RUSHING: Buckeye Valley 22-38-TD (Huss 9-(-14)-TD; Ross 10-57; Popovich 1-(-7); Samuel 2-2); Steubenville 34-178-5TD (Minniefield 11-91-2TD; Bryant 7-33-2TD; Hopkins 2-30; Taylor 1-5; Davis 2-(-3)-TD; Birden 4-(-5); Hython 7-37)
PASSING: Buckeye Valley 17-29-223-2INT (Huss 16-28-206-2INT; Popovich 1-1-17); Steubenville 13-17-150-TD (Davis 12-15-147; Birden 1-2-3-TD)
RECEiVING: Buckeye Valley Popovich 4-42; Hall 1-27; Schall 1-29; Jones 1-14; Furr 8-99; Burwell 1-6; Mays 1-6); Steubenville 13-150-TD (Blackburn 1-20; Hopkins 1-15; Wiggins 2-13; Adams 2-18; Gaschler 1-1; Bryant 2-28; Saccoccia 2-40; Taylor 1-12; Edwards 1-3-TD)
FIRST DOWNS: Buckeye Valley 12; Steubenville 15
PENALTIES-YARDS: Buckeye Valley 2-2; Steubenville 5-38
FUMBLES-LOST: Buckeye Valley 1-0; Steubenville 0-0