SMCC dominates McKinley early in 40-0 win

SANDUSKY — St. Mary Central Catholic put the game away early. The Panthers scored touchdowns on their first six possessions, blasting Sebring McKinley 40-0 in Northern 8 Conference action Saturday at Strobel Field. "We talked to the kids all week and even before the game that we're bigger, stronger, faster and quicker than they were," SMCC coach Toby Hammond said. "We had to go out and do what we could do. Things got a little easy last week when (Bryan) Gibson ran the kickoff back. I think our kids learned an awful lot from that — that the game isn't over after a quick score. Hopefully we're growing." It didn't take long for SMCC (2-0, 2-0 N8) to get going. Gibson exploded for 42 yards on the first play from scrimmage. Two plays later, quarterback Grant Swain matriculated through traffic and into the end zone for a 13-yard score. Matteo Di Rosa added the extra point just over a minute in. After the Bulldogs (1-1, 0-1) went three-and-out, Swain opened the Panthers' second drive with a 9-yard run. Then, he hit Josh Will for a long pass. Will went up and over the defender and hauled in what became a 59-yard touchdown. "We practice that a lot, but sometimes we don't hit the deep ball," Will said. "Grant hit it this time and I knew how to catch it. I took it in and scored." McKinley's next possession ended in a punt, but the snap was bad, giving SMCC the ball at the McKinley 31. It took the Panthers five plays to cash in, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by Will. "This was a big game for us, but I think we came in ready like we do every game," Will said. "We didn't want to play on their level. We wanted to play on our level. That's how we won." The Bulldogs fumbled the ball away on the first play of their next drive. That allowed SMCC to start at the 7-yard line. Swain covered that distance on the next play. Di Rosa's point after made it 27-0 with 3:53 to go in the first quarter. Gibson added an 18-yard rushing touchdown after a nice punt return by SMCC on the Panthers' next offensive series. McKinley did not pick up a first down in the first quarter, finishing with negative-6 yards on 14 plays. "They couldn't handle us on the line of scrimmage," Hammond said. "That's the bottom line. We were more athletic than them in our secondary. I didn't think they could move the ball well against us. We just had to make sure we didn't turn the ball over and give them good field position." McKinley punted after a first down early in the second quarter. This time, SMCC went 52 yards in eight plays, capped on a 1-yard score from Rylan Wikel. Neither team scored in the second half, but the Panthers forced a couple turnovers to keep the shutout alive. Eli Dinsmore recovered a fumble while freshman Jace Lane picked an interception. SMCC twice kept McKinley off the scoreboard despite the Bulldogs being inside the 5-yard line. "You want to see the focus and intensity," Hammond said. "I think the best thing about this group of seniors is they go into games ready to take care of business. It's just another business trip for us." The Panthers hit the road for a two-hour drive Saturday to take on Kennedy Catholic in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. McKinley beat Kennedy Catholic in Week 1. "We have to keep getting better," Hammond said. "We have some tougher teams down the road. The best thing these last two weeks is we got all of our young kids in." McKinley 0 0 0 0 — 0SMCC 34 6 0 0 — 40 SMCC — Grant Swain 9 run (Matteo Di Rosa kick)SMCC — Josh Will 59 pass from Swain (kick failed)SMCC — Will 2 run (Di Rosa kick)SMCC — Swain 7 run (Di Rosa kick)SMCC — Bryan Gibson 18 run (Di Rosa kick)SMCC — Rylan Wikel 1 run (run failed)