Dominant defense helps Ironton dispose of Blue Devils

IRONTON — The Ironton Fighting Tigers gave a totally negative performance on Friday night.

It wasn’t a loss. It wasn’t even a bad effort on both sides of the football, In fact, it was completely opposite.

It was the defense shutting down the Gallia Academy Blue Devils to an offense of all negative yardage as Ironton rolled to a 51-0 win.

Gallia Academy (3-6) finished with a minus 77 total yards with negative 43 yards rushing and a negative 34 yards passing.

Ironton (8-1) had 359 total yards offense with 292 rushing and quarterback Wyatt Wolfe completed 3 of 10 passes for 67 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The Fighting Tigers got the ball to start the game and it took all of 2 plays to score. Wolfe scrambled and hit Tyson Harvey who battled through the defense for 7 yards.

With the ball at the 47, Wolfe threw a screen to Kayden Edwards who sliced through the Blue Devils defense and went 53 yards for the touchdown.

Beckham Waginger kicked the extra point and it was 7-0.

Following a Gallia punt, Ironton had the ball at the Blue Devils’ 39 and Wolfe scrambled for 24 yards on the first play to the 15. Harvey carried on the next 2 plays and ran 5 yards on the second for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Another punt had Ironton in Gallia territory anti took 6 plays to score. Edwards had a 14-yard run and Wolfe ended the drive as he found Biggs who fought his way into the end zone for a 7-yard TD catch and it was 21-0 with 3:40 left in the quarter.

Ironton went 71 yards in only 3 plays for its next score. Harvey ran for 11 yards, Wolfe ran for 30 more yards, and Harvey finished the drive with his own 30-yard scraper and it was 28-0.

The defense had the Blue Devils back at their own 14-yard line and set up to punt again. The punt was returned to the 8-yard line but penalties back the ball up and eventually Ironton attempted a 32-yard field goal that tailed to the left and it was still 30-0.

Tackles for a loss left the ball at the 12-yard line and when the Blue Devils were forced to punt, the ball sailed into the end zone and the punter was tackled for a safety to make it 30-0 with 5:57 left in the half.

Ironton got the ball at the Gallia 22-yard line after the free kick, and on the first play Ayden Justice bolted passt the defense for the score and it was 37-0 with 5:22 on the clock.

With a running clock, Ironton got a 1-yard touchdown run by Madden Clark in the third quarter and Barrett Waginger — Beckham’s brothers — kicked the conversion and it was 44-0.

The Fighting Tigers capped the scoring when Clark took off on a 65-yard touchdown run and Barrett Waginger’s kick made it 51-0.

The game marked the final regular season home games for seniors Kayden Edwards, Ethan Sutton, Braiden Linn, Silas Edwards, Bryson Kerns, Brycen Mullins, Ashton Layne, Landon Deer, Tyson Harvey, Nolan Wolfe, Ethan Rice, Asher Keyes, Jase Williams, Carson Akers, and Carter Bridges.

Ironton visits Portsmouth on Friday in the season finale before getting a bye week and then beginning postseason play in the Division 5 Region 19 playoffs.

Gallia Acad. 0 0 0 0 = 0

Ironton 21 16 7 7 = 51

First Quarter

Irn — Kayden Edwards 53 pass from Wyatt Wolfe (Beckham Waginger kick) 11:04

Irn — Tyson Harvey 5 run ( (Beckham Waginger kick) 7:41

Irn — Brock Biggs 7 pass from Wyatt Wolfe (Beckham Waginger) 3:40

Second Quarter

Irn — Tyson Harvey 30 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 11:52

Irn — Safety (tackle punter in the end zone) 5:57

Irn — Ayden Justice 22 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 5:25

Third Quarter

Irn — Madden Clark 1 run (Barrett Waginger kick)

Fourth Quarter

Irn — Madden Clark 65 run  (Barrett Waginger kick)