CHS win over Salem sets up battle of Warriors

By Dan Ries

CCM Sports Reporter

The Carrollton Warriors overcame a sluggish first half to defeat Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) foe Salem 21-7 Oct. 6 at Community Field on senior night.

Salem came in with the same game plan as the Warriors – ball control. The visitors used a mixture of running and short passing to control the ball. The Quakers ran 13 plays and took five minutes off the clock on the opening drive but came away empty handed when the drive stalled at the CHS 28-yard line.

After a three-and-out by both teams, Carrollton began its second drive on the 23-yard line at the 3:01 mark of the first quarter. Utilizing the familiar “ground and pound running game” the hosts ran six plays to move the ball to first and 10 on the CHS 45-yard line. 

On the next play, Jacob Whitmore connected with Gunnar Burgett on a 31-yard pass to the Quaker 24-yard line. A roughing the passer call moved the ball to the Salem 12-yard line. Three plays later, Ryan Kiko scored from 5 yards out with 10:24 left in the second quarter.

Quentin Rosenberger, who also plays on the soccer team, kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Carrollton lead. It was Rosenberger’s 100th extra point.

The Quakers returned the kickoff to their own 27-yard line. Eight plays later, the Quakers punted the ball back to the Warriors.

Here’s where things got sloppy.

On the second play, a Carter Matoszkia fumble gave Salem the ball on the Warriors 37-yard line with 7:17 left in the first half. With the ball on the 28-yard line, Salem went for it on a fourth-and-one play. The running back slipped, falling short of the first down.

The Warriors took over on their own 30-yard line. On a second-and-six play, Kiko fumbled. Salem recovered on the 33-yard line.

With 4:43 left in the half, Salem had its best field position of the game. On the first play, Dalton Naylor dropped running back Marcus Phillips for a seven-yard loss. Three plays later, the Quakers turned the ball over on downs. 

Carrollton 7, Salem 0 at the half.

“The first half was sloppy,” Coach Jim Tsilimos said after the game. “Couple dropped passes and two fumbles. We told them at half we can’t be doing that up only seven (points).”

The Warriors began the second half with a bang. Kiko returned the kickoff 50 yards to the Quakers’ 39-yard line. Carrollton mounted a six-play scoring drive capped off by a Whitmore run to give Carrollton a 14-0 (Rosenberger kick). 

On their next drive, the Warriors used the ground game to march to the Salem 19-yard line. Whitmore connected with Matoszkia for a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line. A touchdown on third down was nullified by a penalty. On fourth-and-goal from the 26-yard line, found Braylen Murphy in the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown ending a 15 play, 63-yard drive that took 6:47 off the clock. A Rosenberger kick gave the Warriors a 21-0 lead.

Salem’s lone pass of the game came on a 99-yard drive capped off by a three yard run by quarterback Galvin Colbert with 42 seconds left in the game making it a 21-7 (Gibson kick) Warrior Victory.

Carrollton led in first downs 14-10. Rushing Carrollton was 43 for 162 yards compared to Salem’s 24 for 110 yards. Kiko carried 16 times for 64 yards and a touchdown. Levi Crider was 12-50 and Whitmore was 12-29 and a touchdown. 

Whitmore completed three of seven passes for 69 yards and one touchdown. Colbert was 17-27 for 131 yards. Burgett had one catch for 31 yards. Matoszkia had one catch for 14 yards and Murphy had one catch for 26 yards and a touchdown.