By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
If anyone thought that the Peebles varsity football program was going to have a big drop off after losing their remarkable senior class from last season, they might have to think again. If last Saturday’s season opener for the Indians is any indication, coach Mike McDonald’s squad is primed for yet another dominant run through the Southern Ohio Independent League. The Indians have won three consecutive SOIL championships, losing just one game in those three seasons, and they got their 2023 campaign off to a rousing start on Saturday.
The Indians traveled to Koehler Field near Russellville to battle the Southern Buckeye Warriors, the team they handled in last year’s SOIL title game. With a roster of many new faces, the Peebles team did not miss a beat as they scored on their first eight offensive possessions and dominated the Warriors from start to finish on their way to a season-opening 56-8 victory.
“Everything went according to plan and for the first regular season game, it went as I hoped it would go,” said Coach McDonald after the win. “We have had some changes at a lot of positions.”
“We have enough guys that can make a difference in multiple positions and it’s great to have that flexibility.”
The Indians wasted no time on Saturday, getting a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Josh McClary to speedy wideout Brandon Rayburn less than two minutes into the game. A two-point run by Nathaniel Cummings made it 8-0 Peebles. The initial Southern Buckeye possession ended ended in a turnover on downs when Grady Knechtly made a tackle and stop on fourth down. Peebles took over on their own 37, got first down runs from Knechtly and Jayce West, with the drive culminating in a 35-yard TD throw from McClary to Knechtly and another Cummings conversion run made it 16-0.
The ensuing Warriors’ possession saw Peebles’ Ashton Burke pick up a quarterback that forced a Southern Buckeye punt as the first quarter closed in somewhat bizarre fashion. The punt on the final play of the first period set the Indians up at the Buckeye 31, but for some reason the officials did not flip the field after the quarter and instead gave Peebles the ball at their own 31. It made little difference as the Indians proceed to march the 69 yards for the score, getting a 16-yard TD run around end from McClary. The bizarre few minutes continued on the two-point attempt as a Warriors defender stripped the ball away and rumbled all the was to the house to give Southern Buckeye its first two points of the night, with Peebles now up 22-2.
The visitors quickly added to that big lead when Rayburn stepped in front of a pass from Buckeye quarterback Jordan Blevins and turned it into a 50-yard pick six. Rayburn also tacked on the two-point conversion run for a 30-2 lead and after the Warriors fumbled it away when they got the ball back the Indians capitalized with a Jayce West touchdown run that made it 36-2 with 3:17 to go in the first half.
A Knechtly QB sack forced another punt from the home team and again the Peebles offense used the short field to get another quick score, overcoming a quarterback sack with a 39-yard screen pass to Cummings that took the ball to the one, where Cummings took it in on the next play. A McClary two-point run sent the Indians to the halftime break with a commanding 44-2 advantage.
With the running clock rule now in effect, the Warriors came off the mat early in the third quarter with their only scoring drive of the game, getting a long pass from Jordan Blevins to Donovan Blevins to get close, then Jordan taking it in from two yards out to make it 44-8.
Peebles answered the Southern Buckeye sore with a 61-yard drive of their own, ending in a 32-yard touchdown run by Cummings that ended the third quarter. After yet another Warrior turnover early in the final stanza, the Indians closed out eh day’s scoring with a 40-yard scoring pass from McClary to Knechtly, who made a nice leaping catch over a defender and then scampered into the end zone.. The Warriors stuffed the two-point try but the visitors held a quite comfortable lead. The last two possessions of the game ended in turnovers, Peebles’ Christian Gerth picking off a pass from Buckeye’s Matthew Hurley and the home team recovering a Cummings fumble deep in their own territory.
“Our big guys up front always stand out to me but today I have to tell you- Josh McClary, Grady Knechtly and Brandon Rayburn- are just the type of guys that if you don’t pay attention to them you’re in trouble and when you do pay attention to them it makes my job easier because I then have guys like Nathaniel Cummings and Jayce West , who will both just run like a horse.”
With the huge opening win under their belt, the Indians are slated to travel to North Adams on Friday, August 25 for a 7:30 match up with the Green Hornets.
SCORING SUMMARY
Peebles
16 28 6 6 —56
S. Buckeye
0 2 6 0 —8
First Quarter
Peebles- Rayburn 36-yd, pass from McClary (Cummings run)
Peebles- Knechtly 35-yd. pass from McClary (Cummings run)
Second Quarter
Peebles- West 16-yd. run (conversion failed)
S. Buckeye- Fumble returned on two-point conversion
Peebles- Rayburn 50-yd. interception return (Rayburn run)
Peebles- West 4-yd. run (conversion failed)
Peebles- Cummings 1-yd, run (McClary run)
Third Quarter
S. Buckeye- J. Blevins 2-yd. run (conversion failed )
Peebles- Cummings 3-yd. run (conversion failed)
Fourth Quarter
Peebles- Knechtly 40-yd. pass from McClary (conversion failed)