Ironton scores 42-straight points to knock off Bulldogs
- Staff
- Aug 31
- 3 min read
IRONTON — The Ironton Fighting Tigers turned the Liberty Christian Bulldogs’ 29-game winning streak into a mere blur.
Ironton dominated on both sides of the football and they routed the two-time defending Virginia christian schools state champions 42-3 on Saturday night in the final game of the fourth annual Gridiron Classic.
In the two earlier games, Mt. Carmel of Chicago scored on the final play of the game and elected to go for the two-point conversion and beat Cincinnati Moeller 43-42 while Columbus Bishop Watterson edged Middletown, Delaware, 14-13.
Ironton (2-0) limited Liberty to 80 total yards and just 29 rushing, thanks mainly to a heavy pass rush that saw Mason Wheeler register 2 quarterback sacks and Braiden Linn and Easton Caudill notch one each as quarterback Luke Gaither finished with minus 38 yards rushing.
“Obviously the defense was stellar tonight. They bowed up and played really well,” said Ironton coach Trevon Pendleton. They’ve got a good football team. You don’t win 29 in a row without being a good football team. I’m really proud of our guys.
“Our kids play with that aggression, that controlled rage. If they win their ears back and be aggressive then good things will happen.”
On the offensive side of the ball, Ironton quarterback Kayden Edwards ran 10 times for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns and was 11-of-15 passing for 148 yards and 2 more touchdowns.
Maddix Markel had a big game for the Fighting Tigers with 3 receptions for 97 yards and a score.
The Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead on a 31-yard field goal by Jett Johnson with 3:52 left in the first quarter.
But on Ironton’s ensuing possession, Zayne “The Diesel” Williams ran 18 yards and Edwards bolted 37 for the touchdown and Beckham Waginger’s conversion kick put the Fighting Tigers ahead for good at 7-3.
On Ironton’s next possession, Edwards threw an interception at the end of the quarter. Pendleton said he just tried to relax Edwards and let him get back to being the player is capable of being.
“Kayden was probably the best athlete on the field. He’s got to keep that confidence and play like that. That’s the message we send” said Pendleton.
“He’s got to understand that he has to go out and exude that presence and that confidence about him. That’s what we talked about to everyone else. He has to stay on that confidence high.
Edwards went back to being that player as he raced 54 yards for a touchdown with 5:47 left in the half. Brycen Mullins threw to Markel for the conversion and a 15-3 lead.
But the Fighting Tigers were finished just yet.
After forcing a fourth straight 3-and-out, Ironton used 6 plays to score with Edwards hitting Braydon Baker with a 29-yard touchdown pass in the back corner of the end zone on a fourth-and-11 play.
Waginger’s kick made it 22-3 with just 45 seconds left in the half.
A flanker pass from Mullins to Markel covered 43 yards and set up a 1-yard scoring run by Kylan Grace and it was 29-3 to start the third quarter.
Another 3-and-out set up Ironton’s next drive with Tyson Harvey going the final year for the touchdown. The conversion was blocked and it remained 35-3.
With a running clock for the second straight week, Edwards hit Maddix Markel on a 30-yard touchdown pass and the lead was 42-3.
Ironton travels to Cincinnati McNicholas next Friday.
Liberty 3 0 0 0 = 3
Ironton 7 15 13 7 = xx
First Quarter
LC — Jett Johnson 31 field goal 3:52
Irn — Kayden Edwards 37 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 2:48
Second Quarter
Irn — Kayden Edwards 54 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 5:47
Irn — Braydon Baker 29 pass from Kayden Edwards (Beckham Waginger kick) 0:45
Third Quarter
Irn — Kylan Grace 1 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 9:44
Irn — Tyson Harvey 1 run (kick blocked) 3:00
Fourth Quarter
Irn — Maddix Markel 30 pass from Kayden Edwards (Beckham Waginger kick)
———
LC Irn
First downs 6 12
Rushes-yards 25-29 30-214
Passing yards 51 191
Total yards 80 405
Cmp-Att-Int 8-19-1 12-17-1
Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 7-57 10-105
Punts-average 7-32.1 2-32.5
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Individual Leaders
RUSHING–Liberty Christian: Luke Gaither 6-minus 38, Jayden Cowart 7-29, Silas Nesselrotte 6-13, Harry Maier 2-12, Austin Tremblay 4-13; Ironton: Kayden Edwards 10-121, Zayne Williams 8-47, Kylan Grace 6-35, Brock Biggs 1-1, Tyler Carmon 1-2, Tyson Harvey 1-1, Easton Caudill 2-8, Tyson Cox 1-minus 1.
PASSING–Liberty Christian: Luke Gaither 8-19-1; Ironton: Kayden Edwards 11-15-1 148 2-TD, Brycen Mullins 1-1-0 43, Brock Biggs 0-1-0.
RECEIVING–Liberty Christian: Nate Davis 2-7, Harry Maier 1-10, Montgomery Burns 2-8, Jayden Cowart 1-16, Austin Tremblay 1-1, Roman Aronson 1-9; Ironton: Maddix Markel 3-97 TD, Braydon Baker 4-37 TD, Brycen Mullins 3-21, Tyson Harvey 1-8, Zayne Williams 1-28.
MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.
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