Spartans put an end to streak
Alexander knocks off Nelsonville-York in football for the first time in school history
By JASON ARKLEY
Messenger staff writer
Published: Saturday, October 10, 2009 10:05 AM EDT
ALBANY — Now this is a zero the Spartans can enjoy talking about.
Cody Lawson scored on three short touchdown runs, and blocked a punt, as Alexander ended four decades of frustration by blanking visiting Nelsonville-York 21-0 Friday night.
Yes, you read that right. The Spartans shut out the Buckeyes.
“I was thinking ‘Is this happening? Is this real?’ For a second I had to stop and collect myself,†said Alexander senior defensive back Wes Meadows when asked what he was thinking as the final seconds ticked off the clock. “We just shut out the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes, the bully of the TVC.
“It’s amazing, the experience of a lifetime.â€
For the first time in the program’s history, Alexander can finally claim a victory over Nelsonville-York. In 37 previous meetings, the Buckeyes had won 36 times and there was one tie. The two teams have played every season since the series began in 1972.
But never before had the Buckeyes tasted defeat.
“They won it up front,†said Nelsonville-York coach Dave Boston. “Alexander played a whale of a ballgame. They had the size, and with the weather we had tonight — they man-handled us up front.â€
The Spartans (6-1, 2-1 Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division) had more than an ugly losing streak on the line. The victory kept Alexander in the TVC-Ohio title hunt and, perhaps more importantly, stamped the program as a physical ballclub willing to mix it up with anybody.
For years, county rivals have labeled the Spartans as ‘soft’ or even worse a ‘soccer school.’ Those monikers didn’t apply to the Alexander squad on the field Friday night. The Spartans lined up, played smash-mouth football in the mud, and beat the league’s best team over the last six years.
The Buckeyes (6-1, 3-1 TVC-Ohio) didn’t lose on a fluke play or call. Nelsonville-York was held to just 42 total net yards on 40 plays. On this night at least, the Spartans were bigger, stronger and tougher in the trenches.
Alexander head coach Sean Arno took the customary Gatorade-cooler shower from his team inside the closing minute. He watched players and coaches take turns doing belly slides across the gooey mess of mud that was the playing surface. And while he’ll always be known as the first Alexander coach to ever best the dreaded Buckeyes, Arno was much at ease when discussing what the win means for the Spartan faithful.
“I’m happy for this community that has had to live through a long time of…stuff,†he said. “The nastiness, the stuff said about our kids and players. They’ve had to endure a lot.â€
Both teams had to endure a slick, sticky and uneven playing surface. Rain the past two days left the turf on Alexander’s field a swampy mess.
“It was pretty rough. Any time you tried to cut you were sliding backwards,†said Alexander fullback Jake Hedrick. “You couldn’t really run that fast. It was a mess.â€
The Spartans adjusted to it better than the Buckeyes. Nelsonville-York standout tailback Derek Arnold, who entered with better than 1,100 yards, was held to just 43 yards on 15 carries. Arnold couldn’t get the footing, or speed, to get to the corner, and the Spartans clogged up the middle with defensive linemen Michael Douglas, Devin Norman and Jerry Dixon.
N-Y quarterback Nathan Dean had just as much trouble. The mud-coated football proved to be tough to throw. When Dean was on the mark, the Buckeyes couldn’t come up with catches. Dean hit just 2-of-16 passes for 14 yards.
“We didn’t catch the ball well, we didn’t run it real well, we didn’t block well,†Boston said. “We have to regroup and figure out a way to win in these kind of conditions.â€
The Spartans dialed back their offensive approach. Eschewing sweeps and wide counters, the Spartans stuck to isolation plays inside the tackles and quick traps up the middle. Lawson finished with 79 yards on 23 carries, while Hedrick added 68 yards on 17 tries.
Alexander finished with just eight first downs and 186 total yards, but it was enough on this night as the Buckeyes didn’t cross midfield until inside the final three minutes.
Hedrick said his offensive line, which included Norman, Douglas, Dixon, Ryan Elliott and Lucas Deeter, was the difference.
“Those are big boys. They can dig in deep in that mud,†he said. “It gives them a little bit of an advantage.â€
The teams traded punts throughout the first quarter. The Spartans finally found traction early in the second. Alexander marched 53 yards, on seven straight run plays between the tackles, to take the lead after Lawson bowled in from a yard out with 6:33 left in the first half.
The Buckeyes’ punting game cost them two more scores. Nelsonville-York’s next series ended when Lawson blocked Dustin Young’s punt and the Spartans took over on the Buckeyes’ 21-yard line. Seven plays later, again all runs, Lawson scored on another 1-yard plunge and Alexander had a 14-0 lead at halftime.
It didn’t get any better for the Buckeyes in the third. Nelsonville-York’s first series ended with a three-and-out, and this time another low punt snap resulted in a 15-yard loss. Alexander took over on the N-Y 3-yard line and Lawson scored on the next play to make it 21-0 with 2:48 left in the third.
The Buckeyes were never able to threaten. Their only first down of the second half came with less than three minutes remaining when Arnold reeled off a 16-yard gain.
“All we had to do was what we did all night — stop Arnold,†Hedrick said.
The win positions Alexander for a run at the state playoffs. Three more wins could have the Spartans eyeing a possible week 11. But for this weekend at least the Spartans won’t worry about the postseason.
“I can even think of a word to describe how big this is. We made history tonight,†Meadows said.
It’s a stinging loss for the Buckeyes, and it doesn’t get any easier. Nelsonville-York travels to undefeated Athens next week in another titanic TVC-Ohio clash and then will visit annual power Ironton on Oct. 23.
It’s similar to what the Spartans faced this week. Coming off a tough loss to Athens, Alexander rebounded with the biggest win in the program’s history.
“It’s like coach said, it’s FIDO — Forget It, Drive On,†Hedrick explained. “We didn’t focus on last week at all, we focused on Nelsonville.â€
Boston said his team will rebound.
“We’ll regroup and get ready for next week against Athens,†he said.
My prediction was wrong and now I am going to go cry but not externally. I will keep it inside. 
