Sandusky wants to snap losing streak against Ross

SANDUSKY — Sandusky and Fremont Ross will meet on the football field for the 121st time Friday at Don Paul Stadium. It's the second-oldest rivalry in the state of Ohio and the Blue Streaks have lost five straight in the series after winning five in a row from 2016 to 2020. Sandusky coach Jamaris Brown, who joined the Streaks' staff in 2016, isn't shying away from the history of the rivalry. "I don't feel like they respect us," Brown said. "We gotta send a message right away to make sure they respect, then go ahead and finish it from there. "I think it's great for the game and players. It's gonna be a great atmosphere. It's a nice stadium and people are gonna be expecting a dog fight." Sandusky is coming off a 42-16 loss to Amherst Steele in its season opener. The Streaks trailed just 21-13 at halftime before Steele wore them down and finished with 317 rushing yards. Thirteen of Steele's 16 first downs came on the ground. "You could definitely see it (in the third quarter) that guys were pressing and you started seeing guys go down," Brown said. "That was significant in us falling away in that game. "We had a few guys coming back and they gotta get in shape. Those types of things come into play." Ross totaled 520 yards in last year's 48-14 win at Strobel Field and has averaged 36 points in its last five outings against Sandusky. "(Defense is) not a concern. We've gotta make some adjustments," Brown said. "Fourteen of those (Amherst) points last week came off bad snaps. It wasn't entirely on the defense. There are some things we're tweaking." Ross defeated Columbian 22-21 last week, scoring the go-ahead points on Zacarius Burel's late kickoff return for a touchdown after the Little Giants gave up a long touchdown drive. Ross returns quarterback Breylen Garza and standout receiver Mason England. "They're big," Brown said. "Defensively they seem kind of scrappy; they bring a lot of looks. They got their quarterback back and a great receiver. He scored against us last year so we'll have to make sure we have eyeballs on him. "They have a solid team. We'll have to respect that and come with our best." Sandusky had some positives in its Week 1 loss. Sophomore quarterback Zion Henlon threw for 85 yards and a touchdown in his first varsity start. Running back Daviyon Jackson carried 15 times for 104 yards, including a 35-yard gain. Raymond Peake caught a 48-yard touchdown pass and was all over the field. "He played six positions last week — kicker, punter, quarterback, running back, receiver and defensive back," Brown said. "He stood out being able to be flexible in all those areas." Terrance Randleman led the defense with eight tackles. Denarea Swain and Terrell Ruiz also had strong games on defense. Ruiz made an interception last year against Ross and caught passes covering 30 and 50 yards. Sandusky was hurt by three turnovers last week and converted just one of 10 third downs into first downs. Brown, in his third season as head coach and 11th on staff, understands how intense the Ross game can get. "There's a lot of history that goes into it. Guys still to this day feel some type of way about this game," he said. "You want to represent those people in the right way and understand the gravity behind this." Sandusky's last win in the series was a 36-30 triumph in the last game of the 2020 season. The Streaks played four games after losing their playoff game in early October during the abbreviated COVID season. Brown is hoping his team makes a big jump from Week 1 to Week 2. "The experience will help. Some guys went out there for the first time last week," Brown said. "I'm expecting big jumps from guys like Zion and others." Brown, interviewed Tuesday, can't wait to take the field in Fremont. "I'm ready to get to this game," he said. "When you come off a loss in football you have a whole five days to get it corrected. In basketball you might have a game the next day so you can get it corrected right away. In football you have to keep waiting. I know we can get things corrected. Now I want to see it."