Logan Stretches Winning Streak VS Zanesville to Four Games

Click Here for Pictures from the Game

There was a time when the Logan-Zanesville game was all but a sure loss for the Logan football program. Zanesville rolled to an 8-0 series record prior to the 1999 meeting. Then Wayne Bateman led Logan to a 20-14 OT victory, and since then, the rivalry has been ALL Logan.

Friday night was proof of that. A rebuilding team from Logan took it to the Blue Devils of Zanesville, rolling up 383 yards of total offense, while limiting the Blue Devils to just 182 yards. It was by far the best effort of the young 2002 season for the Chieftains.

The game started surprisingly similar to the week two win at Nelsonville. The Chieftains were able to capitalize on a Zanesville fumble on the kick-off, and Logan was in business. The Chieftains took the ball over 50-yards in nine plays. The drive culminated in a 18-yard Ellis to Dicken TD Pass. Pippen's PAT put the Chieftains on top 7-0.

Neither team was able to score until late in the half. The Blue Devils and Chieftains punted back and fourth, gaining various amounts of yards in between. Logan's Josh Sturgell came up with a huge diving interception to stop one of the Zanesville threats.

The Logan defense faltered right before halftime though. The Chieftains allowed the Blue Devils to drive down the field, and pretty much bull they're way into the endzone in a drive that ended with QB Jordan Young's 3-yard TD plunge. Jordan Lear, who missed a long field goal earlier in the game, nailed the PAT to even the score with 1:14 left in the first half.

Logan's two-minute offense Completed several passes, and Logan go all the way inside the Blue Devil forty yard line. But an offensive pass interference call stopped the drive. Logan punted away with two seconds to go. The two teams went to the locker room even at seven.

Logan made two statements early in the second half that distanced them from the Blue Devils. First, Logan went 80-yards in 13 plays straight out of the locker room, and took a 13-7 lead on a 12-yard TD pass from Ellis to Dicken. The Pippen PAT put Logan on top 14-7. But the ensuing defensive stand really put the Chiefs over the top.

A gamble by Coach John Lucas of Zanesville enabled the Chiefs to pull away. On fourth and one from the Zanesville 29, the Chieftain defense made a stop in the backfield to take over on downs at the ZVille 28 yard line. Austin Rohr picked up three yards, and on the second play of the drive Ellis found Senior Brandon Metzler for a 24-yard TD pass. Once again it was Pippen booting the PAT, and Logan led 21-7.

Zanesville answered with a TD on their following drive though. The Blue Devils scored on a 3-yard TD run by Brandon Wallace with 10:30 to go. The Jordan Lear PAT was good, and the 64-yard 12 play drive was over.

Logan had one more answer. I guess you could call Austin Rohr the answer man. Rohr ripped the Zanesville defense for a 76-yard TD run just 25 seconds later, and Logan had a cushion once the Pippen PAT was through. Logan led 28-14. It was all they would need.

Logans defense would put the clamps on the Zanesville offense in the final 10:00 minutes of the football game. The Chieftains physically dominated Zanesville until time ran out. Logan could have easily scored one more TD late in the fourth quarter, but chose to take a knee instead, ending the blood-letting.

Logan rolled up a great night statistically. Perhaps no one's stats looked better than Senior QB David Ellis. Ellis completed 14 of his 23 passes. Those fourteen completions went to seven receivers for 211 yards and 3 TDs.

Jason Dicken was the big receiver, catching 4 balls for 83 yards and 2 TDs. Sophomore B.J. Hughes was the high catch man, pulling in 5 passes for 62 yards. Two other "Super Sophs" caught passes as well. Patrick Howe had one grab for 4-yards, and TE Cole Resler snared one ball for eleven yards.

Austin Rohr continued his great start for 2002. The Junior carried 23 times, gaining 151-yards including a 76-yard TD run.

Logan will return to action Friday, when Jackson comes to town for the first SEOAL contest of the season for both squads. Jackson will come in 2-1. The Ironmen pulled out a 28-27 win over Wellston in week one and a 33-6 thumping of Vinton County on Friday. The Ironmen lost a disapoint game to Waverly in week two 42-7. The Ironmen are led by a strong O-Line, a stable of backs, and Sophomore QB Jared Humphries. Kick-Off is slated for 7:30 on the hilltop.

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