Out of Range: Ironton can't keep up with Raiders' rushing attack

Dec. 3—CANTON, Ohio — Ironton announced its presence in the Division V state final with a lightning-like 66-yard touchdown strike from Tayden Carpenter to Lincoln Barnes on its first offensive play.

Sustaining that isn't usually the Fighting Tigers' idea of an ideal game plan, though, and Canfield South Range forced Ironton to continue populating the air.

Despite a comparable work rate in passing statistics, the Raiders outrushed the Tigers, 233 yards to 21, in a 53-27 victory at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Friday afternoon.

South Range went ahead by two scores on the third play of the second quarter and was up by 19 points just over three minutes into the second frame. That didn't allow Ironton to settle into its ground game, coach Trevon Pendleton said.

"Obviously we realize that's where most games are won as the games get bigger and bigger," Pendleton said, "and a little bit of that is, stuff happens on the field and falling behind ... and having to change our approach and playing from behind, it seemed like, the whole game after we dug ourselves a hole a little bit. Unfortunately, that happens."

Raiders quarterback Billy Skripac paced the South Range effort. He completed 12 of 24 passes for 331 yards and rushed 13 times for 52.

Skripac threw for three touchdowns without a pick and also rushed for three short first-half TDs.

South Range stared down Ironton, whose reputation as a stout physical specimen preceded it even to the Raiders, located a four-and-a-half-hour drive away.

"We knew that Ironton was really big," Skripac said. "Just looking at them, they pass the visual (test) and have multiple D-I commits.

"They're physical as well, but I just think when the Raiders play as a team, we're more physical than anybody."

South Range (16-0) was playing in its first state championship game in school history, while Ironton (15-1) competed in that round for the 11th time in school history — the seventh-most of any state school.

The Tigers looked the part early. After Raiders broke on top on Skripac's 7-yard scoring run two and a half minutes into the game, Ironton responded with cold efficiency.

Carpenter pulled the ball on play-action on the first play of the Tigers' first drive and found Barnes wide open in the South Range secondary. He set sail 66 yards for a TD just 17 seconds after South Range's opening salvo.

Three possessions later, Ironton took over with the score still 7-7 at the Raiders' 30-yard line after a short South Range punt. But the Tigers encountered three straight unfulfilling offensive drives, while the Raiders got back in rhythm.

In succession, Ironton committed a turnover on downs at the South Range 30, fumbled at their own 37 on the first play of the second quarter, and had a punt blocked by Bailey Ryan and recovered by Tristan Toy at the Tigers' 8.

Skripac needed only one play to power to paydirt for his third scoring run in less than 12 minutes of game time, and despite a second missed extra point South Range was in control, up 26-7.

"Obviously it's hard to overcome any time you're giving (opponents) great field position and an extra possession," Pendleton said. "It's hard to overcome, and they were able to capitalize on it.

"It wasn't anything that we couldn't overcome; we just weren't able to do it today."

Ironton countered with Ty Perkins's 31-yard scoring reception from Carpenter on fourth-and-4 with 5:19 to go in the second frame, but that left plenty of time for South Range to tally again before intermission on Blake Ewert's 31-yard push just two minutes later.

The Tigers got the ball first in the second half but came away empty again on their first two trips of the third period, and South Range went ahead by four possessions midway through the third.

The Raiders' Shane Lindsrom caught a pass over the middle, collided with the umpire, kept his feet, got to the left sideline, broke a tackle and powered past two more Tigers on his way into the end zone for a 65-yard TD.

Ewert rushed 19 times for 142 yards and a score. Aidan Dominguez added a TD on the ground for South Range.

Lindsrom caught five passes for 176 yards and a touchdown, and JD Crouse made three catches for 71 yards and a house call. Dean Depizzo added a scoring reception.

Carpenter connected on four scoring passes and hit 21 of 36 passes for 314 yards and one interception. Perkins caught two TDs among seven receptions for 120 yards, Barnes made two catches for 80 yards and Landen Wilson snagged five passes for 61 yards. Amari Felder also caught a touchdown pass.

Evan Williams was 3 for 3 on extra points for Ironton. Her first, at the 8:13 mark of the first quarter, made her the third girl to score in an OHSAA state championship game.

Twenty-eighth-year Raiders coach Dan Yeagley experienced his first state title and was dumped with the contents of the cooler in celebration.

He didn't seem to mind much, despite blustery conditions. The game started at 10:37 a.m. and featured winds that at one point blew a spotted ball several yards along the artificial turf.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," Yeagley said in the postgame press conference. "Still a little cold from the shower. ... When it hit zero, it was more or less a relief that these guys accomplished what they set out to do."

(606) 326-2658 — zklemme@dailyindependent.com