Everything seemed to come together tonight for a certain Athens-area high school football team. It wasn’t the Alexander Spartans.
Playing in front of a packed, enthusiastic homecoming crowd, the Athens Bulldogs routed the Spartans 40-7 to remain undefeated and to avenge a one-point loss at Alexander last year.
It was a complete team effort, as the defense shut down Alexander’s explosive attack and the offense complemented its strong ground game with a balanced aerial attack. The special teams unit even recorded a blocked punt.
Athens set the tone on its first defensive series, registering a tackle for loss on the first play and forcing a fumble in the backfield on the next. It was the first of Alexander’s five turnovers and led to an Athens touchdown.
Alexander quarterback Trey Bennett was injured on the fumble-causing hit, which was a huge blow for the Spartans. He did not return to the game.
Running back DeVon Sharp led the Bulldogs’ offense with 99 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. He often ran out of the wildcat formation or lined up in the slot, also throwing a 43-yard pass and catching another for a 39-yard completion.
Sharp broke at least one tackle on nearly every run of the night and produced a breathtaking moment when he jumped over an Alexander defender on his way to the end zone.
Quarterback Josh Skinner had possibly the best game of his career, as he threw for 117 yards and a touchdown in the first half alone. He had completions to five different receivers and was on target with nearly every pass before the Bulldogs turned to backup Michael Germano to start the second half.
Athens’ defense was equally impressive and nearly pitching a shutout until Alexander scored late in the game against the second team. The Bulldogs were extremely physical and flew to the football on all three levels. The defensive line was particularly disruptive and camped out in the Spartans backfield all night.
The secondary was led by cornerback Nick Stanley, who laid some huge hits and took an interception back for a touchdown in the third quarter after jumping the route perfectly. Tyler McIntosh added two interceptions for the Bulldogs.
Athens travels to Wellston (4-4) next week as reeling Alexander (6-2), the loser of two straight, faces Nelsonville-York (8-0) at home.
as506610@ohiou.edu
