Unioto Improves To (11-0) with 21-12 Decision Over Columbus East

Article Presented By Adena Health…

Unioto scored on their first possession of each half Friday night in their 21-12 Division 4/Region 15 Playoff win over the Tigers of Columbus East. It is the second playoff football game victory in school history for the Shermans, who improve to (11-0) as they will head to the region’s top seed New Lexington next Friday in the regional semis.

The Tanks defense held East on their first drive of the game, then got the ball and drove 51 yards in their own first possession for a 7-0 lead. Cody Braden scored on a 2 yard run for the first of his two touchdowns on the night at 2:23 of the first period.

East answered the bell at 7:47 of the second quarter, driving 57 yards for a touchdown, capping it off with a 49 yard pass from Dior Hansard to Ta’john Rosyer. The two-point conversion attemp failed, leaving Unioto in the lead at 7-6.

The Tigers’ Jabarri Ray picked off a Shermans’ pass and returned it to the Tanks’ 30 yard line. East grabbed their only lead of the contest at 1:19 of the second quarter on a 3 yard pass from Hansard to Darion Matlock for a 12-7 advantage. The PAT was no good, and that score held-up as the halftime score.

Unioto opened the second half with a big kickoff return, followed by a 42 yard scoring drive capped off by Isaac Coy’s quarterback keeper at 8:52 of the third period. The PAT kick made it 14-12 Unioto.

The Shermans defense was stellar most of the night, showing that with a big stop with 3 minutes left in the third quarter when they halted an East drive at Unioto’s 30 yard line.

Unioto put the icing on the cake following a Brayden Harsha 30 yard punt return to the East 25 yard line. The Tanks’ scored on an 8 yard run by Cody Braden for thr 21-12 lead which held up as the final score.

Braden carried the ball approximately 40 times in the game for over 130 yards rushing.