New Lexington defense answers challenge in victory vs. Philo
· Yahoo Sports
NEW LEXINGTON — Tanner Toth and his New Lexington teammates heard the number 342 all week.
It was the yardage Philo's Slade Sprankle churned up against Heath in Week 1.
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The Panthers ensured Sprankle did not repeat his historic effort on Friday.
The New Lex defense kept the Philo senior in check, while Toth's 53-yard pick six in the second quarter sparked a 36-14 victory at Jim Rockwell Stadium.
"Hearing 342 put a fire under us. Our defense wanted to show what we could do," Toth said. "Our coaches focus on preparation. They had us ready for what we were going to see.
"(On my interception), they ran a RPO earlier with that slant route. I talked to the coaches and made an adjustment," he said. "We played to the backside, and I slipped underneath to make the play. It gave us the momentum we needed."
Toth's touchdown made it 21-8, and Lane Ratliff capped a strong first half with a 26-yard touchdown run to put New Lex up 27-8 at the half.
It was one of three rushing TDs for Ratliff, who had 86 yards on eight carries. He also completed 13-of-19 passes for 147 yards, including a 25-yard scoring strike to Brayson Lee, his first varsity TD, to open the game's scoring.
New Lex coach Kevin Board credited a balanced offensive approach. The Panthers had 184 yards passing and 183 on the ground.
"We felt like we could take advantage of matchups against the backend of their defense. Lane did a good job with his reads and spreading the ball around," Board noted. "We want to be more balanced. Colton (Mathias) gave us good yards on the ground, and we made big plays in the passing game. There's still things we can improve on."
After Ratliff found Lee, the Electrics answered when Sprankle scored from 19 yards out. He added a two-point run to tie the game at 8 in the first quarter.
Ratliff scrambled from 7 yards out to find the end zone early in the second quarter to put New Lex up for good at 14-8.
Defense carried the way, holding Philo to 177 total yards. Sprankle finished with 170 yards on 32 carries and chipped in a 1-yard scoring dive in the fourth, but those yards didn't come easy.
That defensive effort, including Toth's game-changing play, was praised by Board. It was also the second straight week that his team had a defensive score.
"Tanner has great instincts and every tool in the tool box. He has a great eye for the ball, and he worked on his speed this offseason," Board said. "Having a guy that understands the game like he does allows everyone to do their job.
"Our defense also wanted to make a statement," he added. "They rose to the challenge. They were good in Week 1, but I thought they played great in this one."
Mathias finished with 91 yards on 18 carries and Tyson Spicer led the New Lex receivers with five receptions for 68 yards.
While there were many positives, Toth knows his team has room to grow.
"We left some chances out there," Toth said. "We have to cut down the penalties and mistakes. It starts with improving our technique and moving our feet. We just need to be more sound."
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: New Lexington defense answers challenge in victory vs. Philo