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Rebels remain King of the Hill
Gallery
Crestview’s quarterback leads 35-14 romp
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
COLUMBIANA — Just like last fall, the road to the Inter Tri-County League Tier One championship goes past Crestview High School.
Paving that road in Friday’s 35-14 victory over previously unbeaten East Palestine were linemen Aaron Bussard, Logan Cope, Payton Elwonger, Tyler Dickey and C,J, Collins, who cleared the way for quarterback Carter Hill to rush for 278 yards and four touchdowns.
“All the credit goes to [those] up front,” said Hill who also tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Adam Coppock. “They were pushing on both sides, making plays, swatting down passes on defense and making big seams on offense.
“This is a very good win — [they are] a very good football team. The defense was outstanding — they made a lot of third-down stops. We couldn’t have put those points up there without them.”
Hill rushed 27 times and scored the Rebels’ last four touchdowns on runs of 47, 3, 42 and 54 yards.
“We just kept on pushing, making seams up front,” Hill said. “All the long runs, all the short runs [just] got the big guys excited and they just kept on pushing.”
His performance was not flawless. On Hill’s final scoring run, he couldn’t resist diving into the end zone to earn a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
“It was a dumb decision [influenced by] adrenaline rush,” Hill said. “I’ll probably going to have [to do] some [extra] pushups for that one tomorrow, but think it was a little bit worth it.”
Crestview coach Paul Cusick said, “Carter is just a big-time player. He’s a great leader and he steps up and makes plays.
“Everybody knows he is going to run the ball,” Cusick said. “He responds to what the offensive line is doing.”
Despite being ranked eighth in this week’s Associated Press state poll of Division V teams, the Rebels (6-0, 3-0 ITCL Tier One) took the field with a chip on their shoulders, convinced they were huge underdogs.
“So many people were [asking] us ‘how were we going to beat such a good team?’ ” Rebels defensive lineman Nick Marnejon said.
The Bulldogs high-powered offense had generated five straight wins to propel them to the third spot in the state poll and the top spot in the Region 17 computer playoff ratings. (The Rebels were fourth).
“It was just amazing, hitting them in the mouth,” said Marnejon who contributed more than his share of tackles. “Our defense made our reads and we shut them down.”
The Bulldogs rushed 28 times for 88 yards. Quarterback Shane Peterson completed 13 of 24 passes for 95 yards, including a 5-yard scoring toss to Christopher Sokolich in the fourth quarter. Peterson also scored the Bulldogs’ first touchdown on a 15-yard run.
“They beat us every way they could,” East Palestine coach Jeff Sharkey said. “They were better than us. They did a good job adjusting on defense. And we just couldn’t stop them.”
The game started with the appearance of a shootout. The Rebels marched 81 yards on 11 plays with Hill hitting Coppock for the first score.
Triggered by Paul Salyers’ 49-yard kickoff return, the Bulldogs tied the game at 7-7 on just seven plays. The drive was capped by Peterson’s run up the middle.
After each team exchanged punts, Hill escaped for a 47-yard touchdown.
“He plays with tremendous passion and heart, and I think our guys just feed off of that,” Cusick said. “As he got physical, our kids got physical.”
Trailing 14-7, the Bulldogs drove deep into Crestview territory. But the ball was stripped from running back Ryan Dilworth and recovered by the Rebels’ Brian Orr at the 22 yard line.
Right before halftime, the Rebels seized control with a 32-yard scoring drive capped by Hill’s 4-yard run.
“Carter Hill is a tremendous ballplayer,” Sharkey said. “Any time you turn the ball over in a game like this, it’s a killer.”
Hill’s third-quarter touchdowns opened up a 28-point lead.
“It was crazy,” Marnejon said. “When we scored those touchdowns, it was amazing. No one gave us a chance.”
The Rebels are tied with Mineral Ridge for the league lead and will host the Rams on Oct. 23.
“It feels real good,” Cusick said. “Not too many people believed in these kids. We’ve come a long way since we opened camp. We really didn’t have an identity but we earned one tonight.”
williams@vindy.com