Shamrocks show killer instinct in decisive win over Seminoles | News, sports, jobs

Photo by: Kim North

Monroe Central’s Tucker Howell (1) receives a pass as Barnesville’s Luke Taylor (54) applies pressure Friday night at Memorial Park in Woodsfield. The Shamrocks won the battle of the undefeated 44-14.

WOODSFIELD – Barnesville’s ability to finish its offensive possessions and Monroe Central’s inability to do the same made the difference in a battle of undefeated small schools Friday night.

The Shamrocks (8-0) scored in six of their eight-game series and handed the Seminoles (7-1) their first setback, 44-14, at a crowded Memorial Park.

Monroe Central managed 339 yards of total offense and moved the first-down sticks 18 times, but had zero points at halftime despite 15 more offensive snaps and two trips inside the Barnesville red zone. An interception in the end zone prevented the Seminoles from further advancing early in the third quarter.

“We moved the ball, but we couldn’t turn it in,” Monroe Central head coach Jonathan Calder said. “We knew all week that they would get their goals because they are a strong, physical team, but the ball didn’t bounce our way a few times and they took advantage of that.

“I thought it was a hard-fought game on both sides. We’re just not ahead.”

Tailback Trey Toliver did the most damage to the Shamrocks. The sophomore ran the best yardage of his career and scored two touchdowns. He now has 993 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. His scoring runs came of 24 and 48.

He had 10 runs of 11 yards or more.

“He is something. He’s tough to beat and unfortunately he’s only a second year,” Calder said. “We’ll have to deal with him for a few more years.”

“He’s special,” Barnesville head coach Blake Allen said of Toliver. “Tonight he shined, but he will be the first to give credit to the offensive line and the other defenders for their blocking. It was an absolute team effort.”

The Shamrocks ran for 322 yards while Koby Jones had 60 on seven totes and a 9-yard TD rusher. Quarterback Casey Carpenter only failed on two of his 12 attempts, covering 153 yards, while the visitors totaled 475 yards on offense. The southpaw threw three TD passes to three different receivers. Cam Carpenter had a 22-yarder that scored first; Eli Messenger threw a 40-yard fly pattern for six and Bradey McIntire caught a 10-yarder.

Barnesville’s streak of 14 consecutive scoreless quarters. AJ Rutter added a 3-yard scoring run and Wyatt Cohen had both finishes.

One area that is overlooked for Barnesville is its special teams, particularly kickoff coverage.

“This is huge. Evan (Lough) and the kicking staff did a good job of pushing them deep and getting Howell to work with long fields,” Allen said. “It gives our defense a head start.”

Tucker Howell accounted for 302 of the Seminoles’ total yards. He ran for 133 and passed for 169. AJ Rutter had a 3-yard scoring run and Max Demchak caught a 33-yard scoring strike.

“He’s special,” Calder said of Howell. “He made some plays tonight. I really wanted that for the seniors, but we just couldn’t get it done.”

Cooper Howell caught five passes for 34 yards. Demchak had three receptions for 44.

With the win, Barnesville extended its consecutive regular season winning streak to 34 games. It hasn’t lost since Week 4 of the 2021 season.

The Shamrocks finish the season with home games against Shenandoah and Union Local. Meanwhile, Monroe Central ends at Frontier and Shadyside.