ASHLAND – The Wooster Generals were in the wrong place at the wrong time Friday night.
Following a pair of hard-to-swallow Ohio Cardinal Conference losses, the Ashland football team was looking for any way it could to take out its frustrations.
On Senior Night at Ashland Community Stadium, the Arrows were relentless on both sides of the ball in a start-to-finish smackdown of the Generals, 34-0.
Senior running back Cayden Spotts had a career night, exploding for 196 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries.
His rumbling, 85-yard TD run down the right sideline midway through the third quarter gave Ashland a running clock the rest of the way – a very welcome sight during a season of off-and-on offensive disappointment for the Arrows (5-4, 3-3 OCC).
“You’re only a senior one time and you only have a Senior Night one time, so I was taking it in as I went; it was a super special game to end on (at home),” said Spotts, who also scored on 8- and 3-yard runs in the first half and is the only Ashland football player with four varsity letters in the last 50 years.
“Having two tough losses in a row, we’re a young team, but we stuck with each other and when you look up at the scoreboard, 34-0, we put it to them.”
While Spotts was busy writing a chapter of dominance against Wooster (2-7, 1-6), the Ashland defense was busy writing a book.
Guided by the dominant play of senior Josh Pancake, who gathered a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery, the Arrows posted their first shutout of the season and handed the Generals their first shutout loss in OCC play since 2012.
“We’re always trying to get better,” Pancake said of the defense, which forced three turnovers Friday, including a fumble recovery by Gunner Lacey and an interception by Gavin Hoffman.
“We have little mistakes here and there … but it’s just small mistakes. As long as we get rid of those and we focus on not getting too cocky out there and doing our assignment, our job, we’re all good.”
Six different Ashland players had at least a half-sack against the Generals, including Pancake, Lacey, Spotts, Tyler Holt, Joey Isenhart and Brandon Briggs. Wooster quarterback AJ Likowsky (18-for-28, 146 yards passing) was able to get a little bit going in the pass game with receiver Ethan Shetler (7 catches, 65 yards), but a lot of that came late.
The Arrows had allowed just 126 yards of offense before triggering the running clock midway through the third quarter.
“I’m so happy for our seniors and our kids because we had two tough (losses) there in a row and they kept battling and came out tonight and got the job done,” Ashland coach Scott Valentine said.
Impressively, the Arrow defense now has played four consecutive games in which it has held its opponent to their respective OCC-low total in points. If Ashland holds Lexington below 30 points next week, it will mark the first time since 2015 that the Arrow defense hasn’t allowed a 30-point game in the regular season.
“Everybody on defense is a heck of a player and we have a great defensive coordinator (Ryan Stackhouse),” Spotts said. “So those two together, it showed on the scoreboard tonight.”
Wooster running back Julian Franklin chipped in 51 yards on 17 carries for the visitors, who never scored despite getting inside the Ashland 40-yard line five times.
Back on offense, it was an efficient, big-play bonanza for the Arrows, who had struggled recently in breaking loose for large gains.
In addition to Spotts’ 85-yard touchdown, Ashland boasted a 57-yard catch-and-run over the middle from Gabe Baith to set up the game’s second touchdown, as well as a 51-yard TD reception for Michael Franz late in the first half.
On that play, the junior took a screen on the right side, wriggled out of a few would-be tackles and beat the rest of the Wooster defense down the sideline. It was the 40th reception and eighth touchdown catch of the season for Franz, who also eclipsed 500 receiving yards for the season on the play.
Arrows quarterback Nathan Bernhard did all he needed to do in the game, finishing 4-for-4 for 115 yards and a touchdown passing while running in a 4-yard score in the third quarter. The sophomore now has 2,700 yards and 19 touchdowns passing in his first two seasons behind center.
“(In recent weeks) we just weren’t making plays and we were waiting for somebody else to do it,” Valentine said. “Tonight, as we came out, I said, ‘Within the scheme, everybody’s got an opportunity to make plays.’ And tonight we had a lot of guys take advantage of that opportunity.”
The Arrows improved to 4-1 on their home turf on a night when the focus was entirely on the seniors.
“(Pancake) does a great job defensively getting downhill and I think Isaac Stewart in the secondary and Austin Downing on offense and defense were seniors that stood out,” Valentine said. “Them, along with (senior linemen) Conner Crunkilton and Owen Repp, had great games to help us spring big plays.”
Next week at Lexington (4-5, 3-3), Valentine will be coaching his 200th game with the Arrows at the end of his 18th regular season leading the program. An Ashland win guarantees a spot in the playoffs, according to joeeitel.com, which would be the 11th postseason trip under Valentine.
Elsewhere in the OCC on Friday, Mansfield Senior (7-2, 6-0) locked up at least a share of the league title with a 31-0 shutout of Mount Vernon. A win next week over Madison (1-8, 1-5) will crown the Tygers outright.
