Beloit, OH - After earning a first round bye, the West Branch football team hosted the fifth-seeded Norton Panthers in the second round of the Division IV, Region 13 playoffs. Some media outlets picked the Warriors to lose, but that only added fuel to the fire as West Branch responded with a convincing 35–14 victory.
First Half
Right from the opening kickoff, the Warrior offense came ready to play. Quarterback Grady Hirst led his team down the field, and near the goal line, Jeremiah Thomas took a direct snap and powered in from three yards out to give West Branch a 7–0 lead after the extra point by Gavin Clemens.
On Norton's first possession, the Panthers ran three straight plays before the Warrior defense forced a punt. West Branch struck again, this time through the air, as Hirst connected with Gavin Gregory, who weaved through the defense for a 32-yard touchdown to make it 14–0.
It appeared the Warriors were in full control, but Norton answered with a strong drive capped by a Marcus Brown touchdown to make it 14–7. After a Hirst interception, the Panthers seemed to have momentum, but Thomas made a game-changing play by jumping a route, intercepting Trey Kersten, and taking it to the house for a pick-six to extend the lead to 21–7.
Norton responded again with another long drive, finished off by Brown's 23-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 21–14. However, with just 51 seconds left in the half, Gregory forced and recovered a fumble for a touchdown, a huge momentum swing that gave West Branch a 28–14 advantage heading into halftime.
Second Half
The Warrior defense dominated after the break, flying around and making plays at every level. Gavin Hange and Zach Coffee led the charge up front, consistently pressuring the Norton backfield. With 10:55 remaining, Hirst followed his blockers, including a key seal from Damon Edwards, and scored from seven yards out to extend the lead to 35–14.
From there, the defense shut the door, not allowing a single point in the second half to secure the 35–14 win and advance the Warriors to the Regional Semifinals.
Key Contributors/Stats (Offense)
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Grady Hirst: 10-for-17, 171 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 14 carries, 54 yards, 1 TD
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Jeremiah Thomas: 11 carries, 50 yards, 1 TD; 4 receptions, 37 yards
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Gavin Gregory: 2 receptions, 57 yards, 1 TD
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Drake Stryffeler: 3 receptions, 26 yards
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Jake Weingart: 1 reception, 45 yards
Defense
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Jeremiah Thomas: Interception returned for a touchdown (Pick Six)
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Gavin Gregory: Fumble recovery returned for a touchdown
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Gavin Hange: 2 sacks
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Zach Coffee: 2 sacks
What's Next
West Branch will travel to Perry on the Lake next Friday for the Regional Semifinals. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. as the Warriors take on the top-seeded Perry Pirates.
