GAHS trips Athens 52-34 in opener

[jottings]

Strong second half pushes
GAHS past Athens Bulldogs

In a game that was much closer than the final score indicates, visiting Gallipolis Gallia Academy finished strong in the second half to post a 52-34 non-league grid victory over the Athens Bulldogs on Rutter Field in renovated Briggs Stadium at The Plains before a packed house Friday night.

It was the season opener for both teams. The Blue Devil triumph snapped Athens 10-game regular season winning streak.

It was a topsy turvey contest until the final 1:33 left to play. That’s when Gallia Academy’s Dylan Saunders booted a 20-yard field goal to give the Gallians a 11-point advantage, 45-34.

Logan Allison recovered an Athens fumble on the Bulldogs 36 with less than a minute to play. Ty Warnimont iced the victory with a 36-yard scamper at the 0:56 mark. Saunders booted his seventh straight extra point, giving the Blue Devils a hard-earned win.

It was a long game that totaled 36 first downs (19 for GAHS and 17 for AHS). The two teams combined for 808 total yards rushing and passing—GAHS had 517 total yards in 69 plays from scrimmage while Athens finished with 291 total yards in 58 plays from scrimmage. The contest lasted a little over three hours under a perfect half-moon night in the University City.

Athens will hit the road this coming Friday at Watkins Memorial, a team that lost 13-12 to Gallia’s next foe, Licking Heights, who will visit Memorial Field Aug. 31.

Leading GAHS rusher in a well-balanced offense was Ty Warnimont who picked up 153 yards in nine trips (17.0) with two touchdowns. Wade Jarrell added 93 yards on 12 carries (7.8). Luke Pullins rushed for 33 yards in nine tries (3.7) and scored one touchdown, Logan Allison totaled 33 yards in four trips (8.2), Cody Russell had 22 yards in nine trips (2.4) and one touchdown, Cody Call lost 11 yards in one run and Nick Craft lost three yards in five trips, but scored a touchdown.

Sophomore Trae Williams paced Athens runners with 64 yards in 11 carries (5.3) and one touchdown. Another Bulldog sophomore, Joey Burrow, rushed for 21 yards in 12 attempts (1.7) and one touchdown. Dakota McFee had eight yards in two tries (4.0).

Blue Devil junior quarterback Wade Jarrell completed 10 of 16 passes (none intercepted) for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Cody Call was 0-1 and no interceptions when he replaced Jarrell the final two plays in the second period.

Williams and Burrow completed 21 of 29 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns for the Athenians. Skyler Schwarzel had 98 yards on nine catches. Ryan Luehrman had eight catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler McIntosh finished with three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Clagg returned three kickoffs for 88 yards and Allison had two for 40. Schwarzel led Athens with 96 yards on three returns.

Defensively, Allison and Warnimont recovered Bulldog fumbles while Devin Elliott recovered a Blue Devil fumble.

GAHS had 128 return yards (5) and Athens gained 249 yards (9). The Blue Devils were penalized twice for 20 yards. Athens was penalized seven times for 46 yards.

Allison punted four tomes for 97 yards (one blocked) while Alex Goldsberry punted five times for 143 yards.

Scoring summary:

First period:
G—Cody Russell, 1, run. Dylan Saunders, kick, 9:41. Drive covered 69 yards in six plays with 64-yard pass from Wade Jarrell to Nick Clagg the big gainer.

A—Joey Burrow, 7-run, point after failed, 4:16. Drive was 50 yards in six plays. Big gainer, 21-yard pass from Trae Williams to Ryan Luehrman.

G—Ty Warnimont, 60-yard run, Dylan saunders kick, 2:49. Drive covered 60 yards on one play.

A—Ryan Luehrman,10-yard pass from Joe Burrow, points after, Luehrman, pass from Burrow, 0:26. Drive covered 36 yards in six plays. Big gainer was a 35 yard run by Trae Williams. TD set up by Skyler Schwarzel’s 54-yard kickoff return.

Second period:
A—Tyler McIntosh, 7-yard pass from Joey Burrow, pass failed, 9:12. Drive covered 77 yards in seven plays. Big gain was 27-yard pass to Skyler Schwarzel from Joe Burrow,

A—Ryan Luehrman, 17-yard pss from Joey Burrow, extra points, Skyler Schwarzel, run, 5:24. Longest gain, 17-yard pass from Burrow to Ryan Luehrman, drive covered 36 yards in six plays.

G—Luke Pullins, one-yard run, Dylan Saunders, kick, 3:07. Longest gain, 33 yards on pass from Jarrell to Reid Eastman. Drive covered 73 yards in seven plays.

Third period:

G—Nick Clagg, 2-run, Dylan Saunders, kick,7:04. Drive covered 44 yards in eight plays after Warnimont recovered Athens fumble.

A—Trae Williams, 8-yard run following blocked punt. Pass for extra points failed, 2:30. Drive took two plays, covered 14 yards following Athens penalty.

G—Nick Clagg, 31-yard pass from Wade Jarrell, Dylan Saunders, kick, 0:12. Drive covered 65 yards in five plays after Logan Allison returned a kickoff from his 11 to the GAHS 35. Big gainer was the 31-yard TD pass.

Fourth period:
G—Cody Russell, 13-yard pass from Wade Jarrell, Dylan Saunders, kick, 8:47. Big gainer in seven play drive was 16-yard pass from Jarrell to Logan Allison.

G—Dylan Saunders, 20-yard field goal, 1:33. Drive covered 80 yards in 12 plays. Big gainer was a 34-yard run by Ty Warnimont.

G—Ty Warnimont, 36-yard run after Logan Allison recovered AHS fumble on Bulldog 36. One play drive, 0:56. Saunders, kick.

Score by quarters:
Gallipolis….14 7 14 17 -- 52
Athens…….14 14 6 0 -- 34

[bluedevil]

wow gallia academy 517 yards of offense

[Blue_Steel]

http://www.gahssports.com pictures from game are here

[dewdrinker]

Probably no records set but that has to be up there pretty high for a Gallia team. Anyone have where this ranks ? Hope we put this kind of numbers up each game or at least close to it .

[GalliaGrad78]

No team or idividual records, and I think that the rankings dont come out until after week 4.

Records can be found at http://www.gahssports.com/gallia_academ ... ecords.htm

[dewdrinker]

568 vs Athens is the record

[edforshey]

Congrats to Coach Mike Eddy and his team.

[GalliaGrad78]

568 vs Athens is the record

Yes, in 1994.

[jottings]

It was 60-7 in 1994. It was 52-0 in 2006.