ZANESVILLE – Imposing its will is Zanesville’s focus, especially with upperclassmen in the trenches.
An experienced group of linemen allowed the Blue Devils to dominate in Friday’s 30-13 season-opening win over Maysville at John D. Sulsberger Memorial Stadium.
The victory ended a 26-game losing streak for second-year coach Zach Clapper and Zanesville.
Seniors Demarcus Goins and Evan Woerner led the charge up front, as the Blue Devils ran for more than 230 yards, while the Panthers were held to 144 total yards.
Clapper noted the offensive line features three seniors and two juniors. Their play will determine Zanesville’s success.
“We want to be the more physical team,” Clapper said. “We’re going to lean on them to control the line of scrimmage. Our guys did that, and that will be our focus week in, week out.”
Zanesville had balance in the running game. Junior quarterback Kason Hazlett ran 20 times for 82 yards, sophomore Quinzy Chason added 70 yards on 20 carries and classmate Taevyn Butcher totaled 77 yards on eight attempts.
Hazlett added a touchdown pass, a 23-yard strike to Ashton Gaiters with 8:25 left in the second quarter, to get Zanesville on the board. Hazlett’s first of three 2-point runs followed to put Zanesville up for good at 8-7.
After a Maysville three-and-out, Chason capped the ensuing drive with a 5-yard scoring run. Hazlett’s two-point run made it 16-7 with 3:19 left in the second, a lead Zanesville took into the locker room.
Clapper praised his group for fighting through the early adversity.
“We showed incredible grit and toughness,” he said. “We have a lot to clean up, but we overcame a lot of things, including some self-inflicted ones. Our guys proved what they’re capable of, and now, we need to build on this effort.”
Hazlett added a 4-yard TD run late in the third as the lead grew to 22-7, but Keaton Bryan returned the ensuing kickoff 77 yards to the end zone to pull the Panthers within 22-13. However, a missed extra point kept the Zanesville advantage at two possessions.
Maysville struggled to get moving on offense, especially in the second half. Sawyer Bailey’s fumble was recovered in the end zone by Zanesville’s Connor Johnson early in the fourth to extend the Blue Devils’ lead to the final margin after another Hazlett two-point run.
Losing the line of scrimmage was the difference, according to Maysville coach Chase Bowman. He credited Zanesville for its dominance, while noting it will be an area his team must improve on entering a Week 2 matchup with Lakewood.
John Harper’s 66 yards on 18 carries highlighted a tough night for the Panthers.
“They punched us in the mouth, and we will see how our guys respond,” Bowman said. “We have to find more consistency on both sides of the ball. We made some good plays, but we couldn’t hold to the momentum when we had it.”
Clapper hopes his team can carry the momentum into next week’s home game with Bellville Clear Fork. But, this will also be a challenge for a team still learning how to win consistently.
“Getting this win takes the pressure off. Now, we can go play our game,” Clapper said. “We need to stay dialed in and correct our mistakes. We have a tough schedule with great teams so we need to stay after it.”
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Physical Zanesville controls trenches to end 26-game losing skid
Reporting by Brandon Hannahs, Special to the Zanesville Times Recorder / Zanesville Times Recorder
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By Brandon Hannahs, Special to the Zanesville Times Recorder | USA TODAY Network
