SHELBY — The Shelby football team hasn’t met much resistance this fall, but the Whippets were ready for it when drama arrived on Friday night.
Playing in wet, frigid conditions on their home turf, coach Rob Mahaney’s squad trailed for a large swath of its Division IV, Region 14 semifinal against previously undefeated Sandusky Perkins.
But quarterback Michael Shepherd ran for three touchdowns, two in the fourth quarter, to claim a tense, 20-14 decision. The senior’s final TD was a 6-yard slant off right tackle, in which he carred multiple defenders with him to reach the end zone with just 54 seconds remaining in the game.
A Pirates’ fumble on their final possession put the finishing touches on a thrilling playoff encounter.
It was not for the faint of heart.
Third-seeded Perkins (11-1) proved a truly worthy adversary. The Pirates broke on top when Grant Kuhnle tossed a 40-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Legando for a 7-0 lead with 6:55 showing in the first quarter.
Second-seeded Shelby (12-0) knotted the game on quarterback Michael Shepherd’s 36-yard scoring dash with 1:09 to play in the first quarter.
The Pirates again nosed ahead, taking a 14-7 lead into halftime thanks to Jojo Moore’s 1-yard plunge with 4:45 blinking on the scoreboard clock.
Shelby’s best threat in the third period was turned away when Perkins’ defender Dante Shipp intercepted a pass near the goal line, maintaining the seven-point margin heading to the final 12 minutes.
The Whippets knotted the game on a crucial snap. Shepherd dove in on 4th-and-goal from the 1 and the PAT made it 14-14 with 5:12 remaining.
That set up the senior standout’s late heroics.
Shepherd finished the game with 74 yards rushing and 3 TDs on 19 carries. He also completed 9-of-18 passes for 99 yards. Teammate Gavin Baker chipped in 51 yards on seven carries, while Brady Bowman added four catches for 46 yards.
The game was tight in the statistics, too. Perkins had the edge in first downs (12-11) and passing yards (127-99). The Whippets enjoyed the advantage in rushing yards (128-72) and total yards (227-199).
Shelby will meet Clear Fork for the second time this season in next week’s regional championship game at a neutral site to be announced on Sunday by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
The Whippets beat the Colts 28-21 on Oct. 3 in Bellville.
(Photos by Diane Bemiller)
