Ironton Tigers Club Liberty Center 28-17 In D-5 OHSAA Football State Final

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*Following article was written by the OHSAA*

(Canton) – Ironton’s Shaun Terry caught 10 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns, ran for a 67-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and intercepted a pass to end Liberty Center’s final possession as Ironton claimed a 28-17 win in the Division V state championship game.

Ironton won its third state championship (1979, 1989) in school history. Liberty Center is runner-up for the second straight year and fourth time overall to go along with a 1997 state title.

Terry took control of the game early, catching touchdown passes on both of Ironton’s first two possessions.

Ironton drove the field with the opening kickoff and converted three third downs, the last of which was Terry’s 35-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Quarterback Braden Schreck hit Terry on a slant route, who leapt over a diving tackler and ran untouched into the end zone. 

Liberty Center punted and pinned Ironton at its own 5-yard line to open the second quarter, but Ironton covered the 95 yards in 11 plays and Schreck scored for a second time. On second-and-9 from the Liberty Center 46, Terry motioned to his left before the snap, caught a push pass in the backfield, broke two tackles past the line of scrimmage, and reversed course to the far right side of the field on his way to the end zone. Schreck and Terry hooked up for a 15-yard gain on third-and-12 three plays before the touchdown to keep the drive alive.

Liberty Center responded with a nine-play, 70-yard drive that Waylon Rentz finished off with a 1-yard scoring plunge. All nine plays were runs; Garrison Kruse’s 35-yard carry to the 1 set up Rentz’s touchdown.

Ironton went three-and-out, and Liberty Center’s Max Walker converted a 39-yard field goal on the final play of the half to draw Liberty Center within five points, 14-9.

That score held until the fourth quarter, when Ironton covered 93 yards in nine plays to stretch its lead to two scores. On second-and-10 from the Ironton 37, Schreck, under pressure, threw deep to Terry who made a diving catch at the Liberty Center 17. Schreck scored on a 4-yard run two plays later, and Ironton led 21-9 with 5:25 remaining.

Liberty Center answered, with Kaiden Kreinbrink throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass to Kruse with 1:52 remining, and the extra point drew LC within 21-17. Ironton fumbled the ball back to Liberty Center two plays after the kickoff, but Liberty Center fumbled on third down from the Ironton 32 and Ironton recovered. 

Terry provided the exclamation point, out-running the defense for a 67-yard touchdown in the final minute and intercepting a pass on the next snap to secure the win for Ironton.

Terry finished with 291 all-purpose yards (148 receiving, 75 rushing, 35 punt return, 33 interception return) on 14 total touches. Schreck completed 15 of 21 passes for 171 yards and the two touchdowns to Terry, and he rushed for 43 yards and a score.

Kruse led the Liberty Center offense, rushing for 86 yards and catching four passes for 43 yards and a score. Kreinbrink and Grady Miller combined to complete 12 of 19 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown for Liberty Center.