Tigers wrap up 10th straight title
PICKERINGTON — This was supposed to be the year that somebody took the Ohio Capital Conference Ohio Division championship from rebuilding Pickerington Central.
The whispers became even louder when the injury-ravaged Tigers lost their starting quarterback and a game at rival Lancaster on Sept. 18.
Somehow, some way, however, Central’s players and fans were on their home field celebrating a 10th consecutive title after a 35-22 victory over Gahanna on Thursday night at Tiger Stadium.
“Our guys came out and played like they wanted a 10th championship in a row,” coach Jay Sharrett said. “We went through some adversity this year and needed some people to step up, but these kids always came through when the chips were down.”
Pickerington Central (8-2, 6-1) gained a playoff spot with the victory. Gahanna (7-3, 5-2) already had sewed up a spot.
Central came out with relentless defensive pressure on Gahanna quarterback David Miller, who was making his first start in place of injured Mason Blancett.
Gahanna managed just one first down and was minus-15 total yards in digging itself into a 21-7 halftime hole.
“That was the game plan,” Tigers sophomore defensive back Jeremiah Wood said. “We knew the sophomore hadn‘t played much and that he scrambled a lot. We wanted to go after him. We did what we needed to do against him.”
The Tigers had the Lions backed up from the outset.
On Central’s second series, quarterback Darius Coker — making his first appearance since being injured at Lancaster — came in off the bench and connected on a 46-yard pass to Danny Foster that set up a 13-yard TD run by Terry Simuel.
The same scenario played out again two minutes later. Into the game came Coker, who hit starting quarterback Seth Currens for 44 yards. Logan Smith then scored on a 16-yard run to make it 14-0.
Gahanna got on the board on the first play of the second quarter when Jaleel Byrum tipped a Coker pass and Austin Torr intercepted it in the end zone.
The Tigers’ third score followed a familiar script. Coker completed a pass of 36 yards to Trenton Gillison, opening the way for a 1-yard TD run by Noah Burk in the final minute of the half.
“We put the whole season on Seth Currens,” Sharrett said. “He carried us for five games. We used both guys tonight in specific roles, and they did great.”
Central outgained Gahanna 218 yards to minus-15 in the lopsided half.
Gahanna gained some footing in the third quarter when coach Bruce Ward turned to Blancett in a catch-up mode, but it was too little too late.
“Mason was cleared in midweek, but we didn’t want to pull a guy who had done the first-team reps all week,” Ward said. “They were blitzing and made it really tough on us. We just came to play too late. It’s tough to come in to Titletown and win if you’re not playing your ‘A’ game.”
Sharrett said Pickerington Central got cautious with its lead.
“We sat back a little and wanted to run some clock,” he said. “I wasn’t real happy with some of the mistakes and some of the sloppy play in the second half, but we kept it at a two-score game, so I wasn’t too worried.”
Central led 35-7 after Burk tiptoed down the sideline on a 68-yard TD run early in the third quarter.
Gahanna pulled to 35-22 late in the third on a Blancett pass to Derek Marcum, but the Tigers defense stiffened from there.