Freshman kicker leads CHS to win

By Carol McIntire

Editor

In the game of high school football, special teams play is one aspect of the game that does not get a lot of attention. 

For the Carrollton Warriors Saturday at Akron, it was the special teams that lifted the Warriors to a 10-7 win over the Garfield Rams. 

When asked following the game how important special teams play is, Carrollton Coach Storm Hill’s reply was simple, “Very important.”

“I’m very proud of our freshman kicker,” Hill said of Paycen Havens, who broke a 7-7 first half tie with a 35-yard field goal with no time on the first half clock.

“He’s worked his tail off. I got hold of him during the fair and he wasn’t sure if he was going to play football at that point. We are pretty happy that he decided to. He’s invested a lot of time since he made the decision. Props to Paycen for getting us the victory today.”

The Division II Rams came out ready to face the Warriors and wasted no time putting points on the board. After returning the opening kickoff their own 41-yard line, Garfield marched down the field and capped the drive off with a four-yard touchdown. The extra point was good, and the hosts enjoyed a 7-0 lead. 

All of Carrollton’s points came in the final minute of the second quarter. With 3:04 remaining in the first quarter, Carrollton started a drive on the Garfield 46-yard line. After a short run by running back Levi Kiko and two incomplete passes, the Warriors were facing a fourth-and-nine on the 46-yard line. The offense lined up to punt. But instead, Isaac Husted took the snap from center and threw a strike to Hunter Morgan who was dragged down on the Rams’ 25-yard line.

There was 1:38 on the second quarter clock. 

Whitmore ran the ball for no gain on first down and threw a pass to Braylen Murphy in the end zone. He was ruled to have caught the ball out of the back of the end zone and the ball came back to the 25.

This time, Murphy ran a pattern to the left and found himself all alone in the end zone. Whitmore lofted the ball over the Ram defense and into his hands for the touchdown. 

Havens added the extra point to tie the score 7-7 with 56 seconds left in the first half.

The Carrollton defense forced a Garfield punt which was blocked by senior Levi Crider.

With 16 seconds left in the first half, Carrollton set up shop on the Garfield 37-yard line. On a first down-play after a penalty, it appeared Hunter Allison had scored a touchdown on a pass from Whitmore as time expired. The official ruled Allison juggled the ball as he went out of bounds and called the pass incomplete. However, a roughing the passer call on Garfield gave the Warriors an untimed down. Havens sent the field goal kick over the crossbar and put the final points of the game on the scoreboard.

The second half was a defensive battle on the hard dirt surface. Neither team could mount a substantial drive with the exception of Carrollton’s final possession of the game when the Warriors moved the ball to the Garfield 11-yard line with just over a minute remaining in the contest. Whitmore was able to take a knee three plays in succession to run out the clock.  

Hill said he told his team after the game, “Sometimes its better ugly than good.”

Hill said the coaching staff preached to kids all week, it was the only game they would play on grass, and it was the only Saturday game, and they could not allow those elements to affect them.  

“We told them they had to overcome those things because you don’t know when or where you could have to play later in the season,” Hill noted. “Garfield was very aggressive on film. They blitz well and that put some dampers on our run game schemes. We knew that coming in.”

Kiko was the offensive work horse for Carrollton in the backfield. The sophomore rushed for 116 yards on 14 carries. Dalton Sweeney added 19 yards on four carries and Whitmore 10 yards on six carries. Murphy’s lone catch was the longest for the Warriors. Husted caught one for 24 yards and Hunter Morgan one for 20. Whitmore completed three of nine passes for 54 yards.

Defensively, Dalton Naylor was credited with seven tackles, two tackles for loss (TFL) and a forced fumble. Josh Rhiel tallied seven tackles, three TFL and two sacks. Crider had six tackles, one TFL and the blocked punt. 

Carrollton’s 219 total yards compared to 155 for the Rams, who converted only one third down-play. The Warriors were flagged three times for 34 yards and the Rams seven times for 55 yards.   

The Warriors head to Marlington Friday to open Eastern Buckeye Conference play. 

Hill said his team must be ready.

“Marlington has a dynamic passing attack. They have a good returning quarterback and a decent defense. We have to be able to stop the passing game if we are going to be successful.”