First Half
To begin the game, Carrollton came out strong, making several plays and even converting a big third-and-long to keep their opening drive alive. As they moved into West Branch territory, the Warriors' defense stood tall on fourth down, forcing a turnover on downs after Carrollton had taken more than five minutes off the clock.

Following the stop, the West Branch offense went right to work. With 3:48 remaining in the first quarter, Jeremiah Thomas powered in from five yards out to put the Warriors on top 7-0. Then, with just 34 seconds left in the quarter, quarterback Grady Hirst showed his dual-threat ability, keeping it himself and sprinting 76 yards to the end zone. The extra point was missed, keeping the score at 13-0.

Moments later, after a Carrollton turnover gave West Branch excellent field position, Thomas punched in his second rushing touchdown of the night from three yards out to extend the lead to 20-0 following Gavin Clemens' extra point. Coach Cooper's team wasn't done yet, scoring three more times in the second quarter — senior Jake Weingart caught a nine-yard touchdown pass, Thomas turned what looked like a short gain into a 40-yard score, and senior Clayton Day found the end zone from four yards out.

Carrollton's lone touchdown came with 3:42 left in the half, when Hunter Allison connected with Isaac Husted for a one-yard score on a drive extended by a few West Branch penalties.

Second Half
With a running clock in effect, the second half moved quickly and gave some younger Warriors a chance to shine. After a scoreless third quarter, running back Damon Edwards showed off his speed, bursting through for a 19-yard touchdown to cap off the night and secure a commanding 48-7 victory for West Branch.

Offensive Highlights