Carrollton, OH -- A week after Canfield handed West Branch its first loss of the season, the Warriors needed a response. They got one in a hurry.
West Branch scored 31 points in the first half and rolled past Carrollton 31-7 on the road Friday night. The win was the 50th of Coach Tim Cooper's career as head coach of the Warriors.
First Half
West Branch wasted no time. Less than two minutes in, Grady Hirst lofted a 38 yard touchdown pass to Gavin Marshall, then tucked the ball and ran in the two point conversion himself. From there, Hirst mostly kept it. He scored from 5 yards out later in the quarter and added another conversion run to make it 16-0 after one.
Carrollton never found an answer. Hirst slipped in from 10 yards out early in the second quarter, with Alex Kash adding the extra point, and punched in a 1 yard score just before the break. Drake Stryffeler ran in the conversion, and the Warriors headed to the locker room up 31-0.
Second Half
The offense that had scored on seemingly every trip in the first half couldn't find the end zone after halftime. The Warriors moved the ball but left points on the field in the third and fourth quarters.
The West Branch defense held up its end. Carrollton managed just 87 rushing yards on 29 carries and didn't score until a 26 yard touchdown pass with 37 seconds left.
Offensive Highlights
- Grady Hirst completed 15 of 22 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown, and ran for three more scores
- JJ Marra led the ground game with 52 yards on seven carries, and caught a pass for 16 yards
- Drake Stryffeler caught four passes for 45 yards, and Matthew Burnett caught two for 41
- Damon Edwards caught two passes for 40 yards and ran for 19 more
- Gavin Marshall caught a 38 yard touchdown pass
- West Branch finished with 339 total yards and 18 first downs
Defensive Highlights
What's Next: West Branch (6-1, 3-0 EBC) travels to Minerva (3-4, 0-3 EBC) next Friday, Oct. 9. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
