Wheelersburg quarterback Braylon Rucker (4) scores the Pirates’ only touchdown during Friday night’s non-league season-opening football loss against Ironton at Ed Miller Stadium.

Courtesy of Terry Stevenson of www.burgsports.com

WHEELERSBURG — With Wheelersburg scoring for perhaps a surprising second-quarter tie, Ironton senior standout Shaun Terry took matters into his own hands.

And his feet, and almost his arm.

That’s because the reigning Southeast District Division V Offensive Player of the Year Terry, an official University of Missouri commit, torched the Pirates for a second consecutive season —as Ironton opened its football season on Friday night with its recent regular-season run of success against archrival Wheelersburg.

The talented and highly-touted Fighting Tigers scored the game’s final 30 points over the final 27 minutes and 46 seconds, with Terry going for a hat trick of touchdowns and a final two-point conversion reception —and Ironton amounted an impressive 37-7 non-league victory over the Pirates inside Ed Miller Stadium.

The win was the Fighting Tigers’ fifth in a row over the Pirates in their annual season opener —as the two did not play during the coronavirus-impacted 2020 campaign.

Wheelersburg’s last win in the series was in the 2021 Division V Region 19 semifinals, as Ironton opens up a now 22-14 advantage in the all-time series.

Entering Friday, the two tradition-rich and storied Southeastern Ohio programs —which are indeed well-known on the statewide stage too with a combined four state championships (Wheelersburg in 1989 and 2017 and Ironton in 1979 and 1989) —had combined for 1,344 wins, with Wheelersburg winning 600 and Ironton at 744 (now 745).

The five-foot and 10-inch and 180-pound Terry, who went off on Wheelersburg last season in the Fighting Tigers’ 17-14 win, totally had the control buttons going again on Friday night.

On the game’s third play, he intercepted Pirate quarterback Braylon Rucker.

As part of the Ironton onslaught over the final 27:46, Terry tallied a pair of touchdown receptions from fellow senior Braden Schreck —now the starting quarterback for the Fighting Tigers after last season’s all-district first-team selection as a wide receiver.

With the score deadlocked at 7-7, a poor Pirate punt shanked for only a four-yard result —and squarely at midfield.

On the first play following, Schreck connected with Terry on a quick and short slant route — and Terry raced untouched to the end zone at the 3:46 mark of the second quarter.

David Fields scored the following four Ironton points —his subsequent extra-point kick and a 34-yard field goal with three-and-a-half seconds left in the first half —before Terry hit the highlight reel again.

As Ironton faced 2nd-down-and-9 at the Pirate 32, Terry took an inside running handoff from Schreck —and initially stopped and set as if he planned to fire a halfback pass.

Instead, he faked the throw and darted back to his right — deking and ducking and juking and jiving —and evaded Pirate tacklers until he was in the center of the field again, and in the clear.

Terry took off into the secondary for a 32-yard touchdown run, capping a seven-play and 59-yard drive that made it 23-7 —and only three minutes and 47 seconds into the third frame.

Then, only a minute and 41 seconds into the fourth period, Schreck went deep to Terry for 43 yards —as he made the catch inside the Pirate five-yard line, with his momentum carrying him into the end zone.

Finally, it was a true coming out party for heralded Ironton sophomore Kayden Edwards, who returned a Pirate punt 63 yards — and did so untouched for the final Fighting Tiger touchdown.

That was with 7:42 to play, but oh no, Terry — by far the best player on the field for Friday night — wasn’t quite finished.

Schreck found Terry for the two-point conversion pass, and with that now 30-point (37-7) lead, the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s running-clock rule went into effect.

In all, Terry carried twice for 30 yards, but he simply — and spectacularly — dazzled with seven receptions for 128.

He had six catches for 85 yards in the opening half, as the like-athletic Schreck completed 14 passes on 23 attempts for 190 yards and Terry’s two touchdowns.

The Fighting Tigers turned the ball over none and punted just once on their opening possession, while Wheelersburg punted six times —testing Terry in the process of whether or not he would return each kick.

Of Ironton’s 37 points, the all-purpose performer Terry tacked up 20.

Wheelersburg senior Xander Mowery (12) tackles Ironton senior Shaun Terry (4) during Friday night’s non-league season-opening football game at Wheelersburg’s Ed Miller Stadium.

Courtesy of Terry Stevenson of www.burgsports.com

“He (Terry) is as good as it gets. It’s a testament to him and his work ethic and the way he conducts himself on the field, off the field, on the practice field and in the classroom. Everything,” said seven-year Ironton coach Trevon Pendleton. “He is as good as it gets. And it translates right to the football field and I’m glad to see Shaun reap the benefits of it.”

Last season, Terry took a jet sweep handoff in the first quarter against Wheelersburg —and sprinted 85 yards for the Fighting Tigers’ first score.

He carried four times in that game for 98 yards.

Per 17-year Wheelersburg head coach Rob Woodward, the Fighting Tigers “put together some good athletes” — Terry being one of them.

“When you put together good athletes, that makes for a good football team and we just have to be better. We have to be better in all aspects and every phase of the game,” said Woodward. “They were better in all phases. They have some good athletes that executed and we didn’t.”

Indeed, Ironton’s athletes provide depth — and several different looks for opposing teams.

“That’s what people don’t realize. We have four running backs and five receivers that are really truly capable of scoring just about any time they touch it. Just a matter of getting them the ball,” said Pendleton. “Sometimes games are shortened and there isn’t enough balls to go around. But everyone is going to have those times. Each and every night, somebody different is going to have to step up. I think these guys have the maturity to do that.”

Terry took the headlines on the offensive end for Friday, although Ironton amassed 189 rushing yards on 27 carries — and doubled up the Pirates in first downs (17-8).

But the Fighting Tigers’ team speed is more than just Terry, and it’s even more impactful perhaps for the defensive effort.

Of the six Pirate punts, which were three in each half, all but two were of the three-and-out variety —mixed in with penalties which were either false starts or holds.

Ironton shut down, and shut out, Wheelersburg in the second half —stymieing the Pirates for only 29 yards on 17 plays.

Wheelersburg sophomore Stephen Hall (22)

Courtesy of Terry Stevenson of www.burgsports.com

Wheelersburg was trailing 17-7 at halftime, but only gained two second-half first downs — the first on an Ironton personal-foul face mask penalty and the other with the game out of reach, and the running clock in operation.

The Fighting Tigers got to Rucker all evening, and laid some licks upon him —as Wheelersburg wanted to shorten the game offensively, and keep the fast Fighting Tigers on the sidelines.

Running only 42 plays, rushing for only 97 yards on 28 tries and only passing for 47 yards —those numbers were not exactly in the Pirates’ playbook of flavors.

Rucker rushed for 43 yards on 13 attempts, and completed 8-of-12 passes for 39 yards and the early Terry interception.

Wheelersburg junior quarterback Braylon Rucker (4)

Courtesy of Terry Stevenson of www.burgsports.com

“We had a really nice scoring drive after facing some early adversity, and I thought defensively we played well in the first half, but the second half we just really fell apart,” said Woodward. “We just have to mature and be better.”

Pendleton praised his Fighting Tigers’ ironclad defensive effort.

“Those guys played really tough. They just get after it and are really relentless. It’s nice that we don’t have to play a lot of guys both ways, so in practice we get to see a lot of reps. I mean one-on-one and best-on-best reps. Those guys are playing at a much higher level because of it,” said the coach. “Hats off to them and the way we practice is a translation to how we played tonight. We talked about winning the turnover battle in this game, and we knew there were going to be some penalties, just because of the emotions and the atmosphere and the jitteryness on both sides. We know that there’s going to be mistakes. But it’s about limiting those and then capitalizing when you have the opportunity to make a play.”

Ironton took advantage of its defense, both early and late, including the 20 second-half points over the final 20 minutes and 13 seconds.

The Fighting Tigers struck first for a 7-0 lead late in the opening stanza, as Zayne Williams took a toss sweep and scurried in from six yards away —with 3:48 showing and capping a seven-play, 37-yard and three-minute and dozen-seconds march.

But the Pirates immediately answered —for their only scoring drive of the night, and only real offensive series worth speaking about.

Wheelersburg went an impressive 13 plays and 80 yards in six minutes and 56 seconds, converting five first downs as Rucker called his own number —and made it in from 16 yards out.

Cooper Heimbach had the tying extra point with 8:52 before halftime —as the Fighting Tigers then drove nine plays between the 35s, but turned the ball over on downs with five-and-a-half minutes left in the second quarter.

However, Heimbach sky-balled his punt three plays later — and it went out of bounds exactly at midfield.

From there, Schreck struck quick with Terry, he scored from 50 yards out, and officially there and then his star-studded show was on for the remainder.

“We won in all three phases of the game and it ends up equaling a win on the scoreboard,” said Pendleton. “We have some things to clean up, but we’re very happy.”

Ironton will return to the road — at Division III stronghold Jackson for Friday night (Aug. 30).

Wheelersburg, conversely, will look to bounce back —at non-league and Division III Cincinnati McNicholas in week two (Friday, Aug. 30).

The Pirates have won the first two meetings the past two years, but Wheelersburg will need to be better in ALL aspects — if it wants to make it 3-of-3.

“Just communicate better and get better,” said Woodward, simply and bluntly.

* * *

Ironton 7 10 6 14— 37

Wheelersburg 0 7 0 0 — 7

I — Zayne Williams, 6-yard run (David Fields kick), 3:48, 1st (7-0 I)

W — Braylon Rucker, 16-yard run (Cooper Heimbach kick), 8:52, 2nd (7-7 tie)

I — Shaun Terry, 50-yard pass from Braden Schreck (David Fields kick), 3:46, 2nd (14-7 I)

I — David Fields, 34-yard field goal, :03.5, 2nd (17-7 I)

I — Shaun Terry, 32-yard run (kick failed), 8:13, 3rd (23-7 I)

I — Shaun Terry, 43-yard pass from Braden Schreck (pass failed), 10:19, 4th (29-7 I)

I — Kayden Edwards, 63-yard punt return (Shaun Terry pass from Braden Schreck), 7:42, 4th (37-7 I)

Team Statistics

I W

First downs 17 8

Scrimmage plays 50 42

Rushes-yards 27-189 28-97

Passing yards 190 47

Total yards 379 144

Cmp-Att-Int. 14-23-0 9-14-1

Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0

Penalties-yards 9-75 9-57

Punts-Ave. 1-43 6-31.7

——

Individual Leaders

RUSHING —Ironton: Dedrick Graves 6-59, Braden Schreck 6-34, Zayne Williams 5-23 TD, Tyler Carmon 4-15, Jesse Copas 3-16, Shaun Terry 2-30 TD, Kayden Edwards 1-12; Wheelersburg: Braylon Rucker 13-43 TD, Stephen Hall 11-45, Ison Emnett 2-6, Elijah Brown 1-2, Landon McGraw 1-1

PASSING — Ironton: Braden Schreck 14-23-0-190 2TD; Wheelersburg: Braylon Rucker 8-12-1-39, Jack Doerr 1-2-0-8

RECEIVING— Ironton: Shaun Terry 7-128 2TD, Nick Sites 2-16, Braydon Baker 2-7, Tyler Roach 1-23, Kayden Edwards 1-12, Jesse Copas 1-4; Wheelersburg: Xander Mowery 3-27, Landon McGraw 3-18, Kenyon Evans 2-7, Braylon Rucker 1-(-5)

Reach Paul Boggs by email at [email protected], or on X @paulboggssports © 2024 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved