NEWARK – The Newark football team’s explosive offense forced defenses to chase it all over the field last season.
This season, Newark is taking a more straightforward approach. The Wildcats slammed their backs right between the tackles over and over Aug. 21, and it delivered them a 16-12 victory against visiting Licking Heights in the season opener at White Field.
“It feels great because it’s everything we worked for,” senior running back Kolton Peterson said. “We have a young team. We had a lot of seniors graduate, so it feels good, letting those young guys get some reps and us coming out on top. There is so much grit involved in the Newark program now.”
Peterson capped off the drive of the night, scoring on a 14-yard run to give the Wildcats a 16-6 lead with 3:28 left in the game. Clinging to a three-point lead, Newark marched 86 yards, chewing up the final quarter’s first nine minutes.
After Heights quickly answered, senior Michael Kopachy recovered an onside kick for the Wildcats. They then ran six more plays to burn the Hornets’ three timeouts and the final 2:24.
“Each week’s a gift, and we told these kids Dec. 1 – those that weren’t in a winter sport – and we told them June 1 that what we need is what we have,” Newark coach Bill Franks said. “We are truly a group that is trying to make the most of who we are and what we have, and we are just trying to literally stick together and grow daily.”
Heights trailed 9-0 in the second quarter but capitalized off a muffed punt to eventually score on a 14-yard TD pass from sophomore Kendryk Hampton to classmate Stone Fenton to cut the halftime deficit to 9-6. The Hornets scored late on a 1-yard run from senior Jaydyn Powell after sophomore Tyquan Crawford made a circus catch to get them in the red zone.
The Hornets lost the opener 56-21 to Newark a season ago. Despite the loss, this one certainly had a different feel under new coach Ryan Sayers.
“For us, we are not here for moral victories,” Sayers said. “We are here to win games, but honest to God, we just sat in there as a staff and said we are more proud of our kids than we ever imagined we could be. They fought to that very last second.”
Peterson caught a 16-yard TD pass from sophomore Jace Hodges early in the second quarter after the Wildcats had scored their first two points on a safety, resulting from a mishandled punt snap in the end zone. Peterson carried a heavy load, but he had a lot of help on a night when cramping had Wildcats frequently coming in and out of the lineup as Hodges ran for a key first down on the game’s last drive and seniors Aires Jones and Roy Price Jr. also spelled him
With the result still in doubt, the Wildcats put it on the shoulders of their rebuilt offensive line. The quintet of senior Dakota Howard, juniors Grant McMullen and Israel Fraizer and sophomores Madden Mautz and Max Donchess helped deliver the program’s fourth consecutive Week 1 win.
“It’s a feeling you can’t really replace,” McMullen said. “I would do anything to do this every single week, and I am going to do my best to make sure it happens.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Newark football wins fourth consecutive season opener
Reporting by Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate | USA TODAY Network
