Beloit, OH -- The 9-1 West Branch Warriors return to action this Friday night after earning a first-round bye in the OSHAA playoffs. West Branch, the No. 4 seed, will host the No. 5 seed Norton Panthers at beautiful Clinton Heacock Stadium.
Norton enters the matchup at 10-1 after a dominant 63-13 win over Edgewood last week. It marks the Panthers' sixth consecutive playoff appearance, while the Warriors make their fifth straight trip to the postseason.
In their last outing, West Branch defeated rival Salem 27-13 to claim their sixth consecutive EBC championship. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM.
QUICK HITTERS
Coach Cooper's squad enters Friday's matchup averaging just over 40 points per game and 401 total yards of offense per contest... Under Cooper, who holds a 6-3 career playoff record, the Warriors have consistently shown the ability to rise in big moments... Quarterback Grady Hirst continues to lead the charge, throwing for 2,256 yards and 24 touchdowns with only two interceptions... Offensively, the Warriors have been powered by the versatility of Jeremiah Thomas, who has 851 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns, 350 rushing yards and 12 scores, plus 97 passing yards and 2 more touchdowns... Norton will have a tough time slowing him down, as they haven't faced a player with his all-around impact all season... Tight end Gavin Gregory has also been a key playmaker, hauling in 617 yards and 7 touchdowns... Receivers Jake Weingart and Grady Close will look to make big contributions, while freshman running back Gavin Marshall continues to impress each week and add balance to the offense.
Norton enters the matchup averaging roughly 48 points per game, with their closest contest coming in a 23-13 win over now 9-2 Streetsboro... The Panthers feature an explosive rushing attack led by the duo of Jason Beverly and Markus Brown, who have combined for 1,417 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground... The key for West Branch will be the much-underappreciated Warrior defensive line, which has been a strength all season... Look for Gavin Hang, Tyler Sprowl, Zach Coffee, and Gavin Gregory to play major roles in controlling the line of scrimmage and slowing down the run game... Linebackers Clayton Day and Lukas Black have been reliable playmakers all year, while the secondary of Grady Hirst, Jake Weingart, and Drake Stryffeler continues to shine in coverage... The Warriors have forced 21 total turnovers this season and will look to keep that momentum rolling on Friday night. West Branch's opponents this season have a combined record of 45-46, while Norton's opponents sit at 49-65, giving both teams similar strength-of-schedule marks heading into the matchup.
Location:
Clinton Heacock Stadium
14277 Main St. Beloit, OH 44609
Kickoff:
7:00 PM
Tickets:
Tickets can be purchased at the gate with cash or online. There will be no pre-sale tickets.
Adults- $12
Students- $5
You can purchase tickets online by clicking here: West Branch vs. Norton Online Tickets
Gates will open at 5:30 PM
Streaming
The Game will be broadcast on the WB Hudl Fanpage. The Talented team of Alli Kanagy and Michael Ginocchi will be on the call.
Broadcast Link
Radio
AM 1310 and Q92 out of Alliance will be in attendance to provide radio coverage.
Important Reminder
*Due to Friday's forecast, there will be no parking on the grass by the north end of the stadium.
