BY CHUCK DOWLING
Special to the Telegraph-Times-Monitor
In a Battle of 1-6 football teams, it would be the Keystone Heights Indians that would emerge from the contest with their second win of the season.
Taylor High School, a 1R classification team out of Pierson in Putnam County, was simply outsized and over-matched on a night when the Keystone Heights boys weightlifting team (which consists of many members who also play football) were awarded their state championship rings. The Indians used that brute strength to their advantage to overpower the Wildcats on their way to a 38-0 home victory on Oct. 21.
KHHS, which travels to play District 6-2S opponent Tocoi Creek on Friday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m., amassed 321 yards in the win, 302 of which came on the ground.
“I thought the line blocked well, and the running backs ran hard tonight. I think last week gave them some confidence,” Keystone Head Coach Chuck Dickinson said, adding, “Our offense is a matter of being physical. That’s the bottom line for us.”
Taylor won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Freshman Jackson Parmeter would return the opening kickoff to the Indian 45, and after a 7-yard run by senior halfback Bryar Schenck (12 carries, 90 yds), Keystone was into Wildcat territory one play into the game. Schenck and junior running back Cartez Daniels would get the lion’s share of carrying the offense on the night. The two backs would literally alternate carries on the first drive before Daniels (21 carries, 189 yds) would punch it in from 3 yards out to put the punctuation on the nine-play, 55-yard drive that took 5:55 off the clock. Schenck was stopped short of the goal line on the two-point conversion attempt, but the Tribe found themselves with a 6-0 lead with 6:05 remaining in the opening quarter.
Junior Pelayo Riendas-Martinez’s kickoff was bobbled and fielded at the 22-yard line by Anthony Miller, who was able to return it to the 29, but a 15-yard late-hit penalty against freshman Bryce Miller would give THS the ball at its own 44. The Wildcats came out throwing, but after two incomplete passes, quarterback Wess Henry spun out of trouble, but was brought down after just a gain of 1. Taylor lined up to go for it before calling a timeout and changing their mind. Junior Darrion Grady would let the punt take a bounce, and it was downed at the 21, where Keystone would take over.
The duo of Daniels and Schenck went right back to work. After a Daniels fumble out of bounds on first down, Schenck took it 15 yards to the 38. One play later, Schenck would go 11 yards to cross midfield and take it down to the 42. This theme would continue before Daniels would take it in from 5 yards out to put his side up 12-0 with 33 seconds still to go in the first quarter. This time, the two-point attempt would not fail as Daniels would go off tackle for the conversion.
Having been outgained 124 yards to 1 in the first quarter, the ‘Cats decided to pull out all the stops on the ensuing kickoff. The kick was actually fielded by quarterback Anthony Miller, who then threw a lateral across the field to Nikko Dozier, but the trickery was quickly sniffed out by freshman Colton Hollingsworth at the 32-yard line. The Taylor possession would again be unfruitful in a desperation move to stay in the game. Taylor would go for it on fourth down, with the pass being broken up and nearly intercepted by junior Wyatt Van Zant. Keystone would take over at the THS 38.
A Daniels 12-yard gain began a short six-play drive that was finished off when freshman quarterback Baylor Ford executed a play-action roll-out pass to hit Schenck for the 8-yard score. Daniels would then punch it in for two to put the good guys up 22-0 with 7:35 remaining in the first half.
Martinez’s kick would bounce out of bounds and give the Wildcats possession at their own 35. On second down, an 11-yard completion would result in Pierson Taylor’s first first down. On the next play, however, Miller was met in the backfield by juniors Jayden Goodman and Garrison Teague. Two plays later, the ‘Cats looked to be punting the ball away again. Instead, they ran a fake punt, and while the concept was good, the execution was not. A streaking wide-open receiver attempted a home plate-style feet-first sliding catch to no avail. The home team would once again find itself with the ball in great field position at the Taylor 46.
The deadly duo for the Tribe would continue their ground attack. On first down, Daniels shot through a hole opened by sophomore Brayden Wester and hit the sideline in a full gallop before being pushed out at the 15 after gain of 31. A few plays later, Schenck would take it in from 8 yards out. Daniels would convert the two to make it 30-0 with 3:01 still left in the half.
The Indians were not done. On the ensuing Taylor drive, the Wildcats were facing a third-and-4 from their own 46 when senior Noah Branch hit the quarterback and forced a fumble that would be recovered by sophomore linebacker Davin Adams. Keystone now had the ball at the THS 40 with 1:25 remaining in the half, which would prove to be more than enough time for the Indians to strike again. After an incomplete pass, Daniels would go 17 yards, followed by a gain of 11. Dickinson would call a timeout with 56 seconds still left in the half to draw up a play. The next play saw Ford hit Wester for the 11-yard score. Ford wasn’t done as he rolled out and kept it himself to complete the two-point conversion that had the home side carrying a commanding 38-0 lead into the locker rooms.
With a running clock in the second half, it began in much the same fashion as the first one did. The ineptitude of the Taylor offense continued with the ‘Cats turning the ball over on downs and KHHS taking over at the visitors’ 38-yard line. Freshman Jackson Parmeter, now in at quarterback, would run a keeper down to the 30. After a Schenck run, the Indians were threatening again, but a bad quarterback-center exchange coughed the ball up and gave THS the ball back at their own 14.
The clock would continue to run throughout an uneventful second half that saw Keystone insert its second string. The game’s final whistle would sound with the scoreboard reading the same as it did at the end of the first half, 38-0.
“We’re young, and we’ve had some issues with certain things and players at some key positions that haven’t played all year. That’s why some of these young guys have to step up.” Dickinson said. “I guess the good thing is a lot of these guys are getting playing time, and that’s going to make them so much better next year, you know, because you can’t substitute playing time for experience. You’ve got to get in there and get it done.”
Sophomores Andrew Lowery II and Kyle Perkins would lead the Tribe with five tackles each. Senior Tyler Anthony-Rozier would have four tackles as would Hollingsworth.
Despite pitching the shutout, Dickinson still looks at the defense as a work in progress.
“Defensively, we are still learning, but I think the kids are learning what we are trying to do, but we still have things to work on,” he said.
Upcoming opponent Tocoi Creek is ranked 22nd in Class 2S. The Toros (5-3) lost 27-0 to top-ranked 2S Bradford in their last outing.
