WEEK 6: SBC Lake, Bay play gets going

The final first week of Sandusky Bay Conference play for many area teams is here. Four of the SBC Lake Division schools and four of the SBC Bay schools open league play this week. With five teams in each division, there's one crossover game each week. This week, that is Vermilion (Bay) traveling to Norwalk (Lake). Next year, the Lake and Bay schools will leave the SBC to form the Northern Ohio Conference. Perkins has won the SBC Lake title the last three years while Edison has taken home the SBC Bay title the last two seasons. The SBC Lake does not have a single team with a winning record through the first half of the season and has tallied an overall 7-18 record. That includes three wins last week in crossover games against the Bay. The SBC Bay is a cumulative 16-9 at the midway point of the regular season. "We're in league play now," Bellevue coach Alex Shepherd said. "Winning a conference championship and having a chance to beat teams that have had playoff runs should be motivating." A look at the area games in Week 6: Columbian at Sandusky The Blue Streaks (1-4) continue to struggle on the defensive side of the ball. Sandusky has allowed at least 44 points in each of its four losses, including a 44-6 drubbing by Vermilion last week. Dale Johnson has completed 28 of 79 passes for 487 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions this season and leads the team with 109 yards rushing. Sandusky is averaging just 57 yards rushing per game. Columbian (2-3) enters after a 16-13 win over Huron. Logan Gooding is 69 of 115 passing for 925 yards and 10 touchdowns. Masen Seitz leads the Tornadoes with 53 rushes for 235 yards and three touchdowns, but hasn't played the last two weeks. Last year, Sandusky clubbed Columbian, 41-13. Clyde at Perkins Two teams that picked up big wins last week look to make it two in a row when the Fliers (1-4) travel to Perkins (2-3) for the second year in a row. Clyde was winless before a wild 55-48 victory at Port Clinton. After struggling the first four weeks, Jonathan Lantz completed 27 of 35 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns against the Redskins. He has nine interceptions this season. Running back Adam Young missed last week. Linkin Mullens tallied 21 carries for 149 yards and Hector Garza added 15 rushes for 113 yards and three touchdowns for Clyde against PC. Perkins thumped Bellevue 41-0 last week. Sam Schweinfurth is 74 of 129 passing for 1,105 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. Blake Parker leads the Pirates with 31 catches for 598 yards and four touchdowns. Perkins defeated Clyde last season, 28-7. Bellevue at Edison Two teams trending in opposite directions meet to open SBC Bay play when the Redmen (3-2) travel to Edison (4-1). Bellevue lost 41-0 to Perkins last week. Through four games, Ike Brown had completed 29 of 68 passes for 360 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Evan Bova led the Redmen with 54 carries for 286 yards and five TDs. Edison made it two wins in a row when it beat Norwalk 45-14. The Chargers got a boost from the return of bruising running back Bryson Wittmer, who was injured in a Week 3 loss to Hopewell-Loudon. Against Norwalk, Wittmer ran 12 times for 101 yards and a touchdown. Cayden Clere also had 101 yards and a touchdown versus the Truckers. Edison slipped past Bellevue last year, 21-6. Port Clinton at Huron After losses in Week 4, Port Clinton (3-2) and Huron (2-3) look to get off to good starts in SBC Bay action. The Redskins lost a wacky 55-48 home game to Clyde. Landon Leis threw three touchdown passes while Malakii Pinkelton ran 14 times for 157 yards and a touchdown. Leis has completed 40 of 87 passes for 703 yards, 14 touchdown and one interception. Pinkelton has amassed 434 yards on 70 carries with five touchdowns on the ground. Huron dominated the first half against Columbian before being blanked in the second half in a 16-13 loss. For the season, Landon Hohler is 98 of 130 passing for 1,357 yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. He has eight rushing touchdowns for the Tigers. Last year, Huron scored a 9-6 win over the Redskins. Vermilion at Norwalk The lone SBC crossover game happens at Contractors Stadium in Norwalk as Vermilion (4-1) takes on the Truckers (1-4). Vermilion bounced back from a Week 3 loss to clobber Sandusky 44-6. Evan Kuhns continues to put up big numbers for the Sailors. After missing Week 1, Kuhns has racked up 67 carries for 906 yards and 12 touchdowns. Brock Meyers has caught nearly half of the completed passes for Vermilion with 12 catches for 265 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Norwalk was within striking distance late in the second quarter against Edison, but lost 45-14. For the season, quarterback Brady Singer is 23 of 47 for 179 yards. AJ Weilnau has 34 carries for 87 yards while Gavin Lepley adds 16 carries for 85 yards. Vermilion grinded out a 21-0 win over Norwalk last year. Margaretta at Woodmore SBC River play continues in a big way as Margaretta (4-1, 2-0) travels to Elmore to take on Woodmore (5-0, 2-0). After 20 and 21 points the first two weeks of the season, the Polar Bears have scored 48, 42 and 49 points the last three weeks. Judah Keller leads Margaretta's tough ground game with 55 carries for 512 yards and eight touchdowns. Quarterback Jake Bouy adds 30 rushes for 280 yards and seven touchdowns. The Wildcats are averaging 50.6 points per game. Landon Rich paces Woodmore with 99 carries for 935 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. Last year, Margaretta picked up its first win of the season against Woodmore, 26-7. Monroeville at Western Reserve Monroeville (3-2, 2-0) travels to Collins to battle the Roughriders (4-1, 2-0) in a game with huge Firelands Conference ramifications. The Eagles have bounced back from losses to Tiffin Calvert and Seneca East with big wins over South Central (67-0) and New London (55-13). After Western Reserve, Monroeville faces Mapleton and Plymouth before road games against Ashland Crestview and St. Paul. Western Reserve took care of business in a big way last week, thumping St. Paul 46-14. The Roughriders have scored at least 43 points in each of its four wins. Monroeville blasted WR last year, 48-0. St. Paul at New London The Flyers didn't get much going in the 46-14 loss to Western Reserve while New London was blown out by Monroeville, 55-13. Grant Kuhnle has completed 60 of 115 passes for 921 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions for St. Paul (2-3, 1-1 Firelands Conference). Landon Fries has four rushing touchdowns while Nick Pocos and Casey Fries each have scored three times on the ground. New London (2-3, 0-2) has been outscored 97-13 over the past two weeks. St. Paul dominated New London last year, 55-0. 8-MAN Cardinal Stritch at Danbury The Lakers look to bounce back from their first loss of the season when they host Cardinal Stritch for homecoming in Northern 8 Conference action. Danbury (4-1, 1-1 N8) couldn't get much going offensively in a 33-8 loss to St. Mary Central Catholic last week. Against the Panthers, quarterback Tommy Dean completed 9 of 12 passes for 31 yards while running 11 times for 23 yards. Drake Turinsky tallied 19 carries for 110 yards for the Lakers. Stritch (0-5, 0-4) has been on the wrong side of running clock losses every week this year. The Cardinals have allowed at least 34 points in each game. Fremont SJCC at SMCC (Sat.) St. Mary Central Catholic extended its dominance this season with a 33-8 win at Danbury in Northern 8 Conference play last week. The Panthers (5-0, 4-0 N8) lost quarterback Grant Swain to an injury in the second quarter, but didn't miss a beat with Cullen Dillard behind center. Dillard, Bryan Gibson and Josh Will all had rushing touchdowns against the Lakers. SJCC (3-2, 2-1) has improved behind quarterback Zach Ohms, who has completed 50 of 87 passes for 867 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. Liam Thiessen has caught 23 passes for 418 yards and three touchdowns.. SMCC defeated the Crimson Streaks twice last year, 40-6 at home and 31-13 in Fremont. ---------- SBC Lake Team Conf. All Columbian 0-0 2-3 Perkins 0-0 2-3 Clyde 0-0 1-4 Norwalk 0-0 1-4 Sandusky 0-0 1-4 Friday, Sept. 26 Clyde at Perkins Columbian at Sandusky Vermilion at Norwalk SBC Bay Team Conf. All Edison 0-0 4-1 Vermilion 0-0 4-1 Bellevue 0-0 3-2 Port Clinton 0-0 3-2 Huron 0-0 2-3 Friday, Sept. 26 Bellevue at Edison Port Clinton at Huron Vermilion at Norwalk SBC River Team Conf. All Hopewell-Loudon 2-0 5-0 Woodmore 2-0 5-0 Margaretta 2-0 4-1 Gibsonburg 1-1 3-2 Calvert 1-1 2-3 Lakota 0-2 3-2 Northwood 0-2 2-3 Willard 0-2 2-3 Friday, Sept. 26 Gibsonburg at Calvert Hopewell-Loudon at Lakota Margaretta at Woodmore Northwood at Willard Firelands Conference Team Conf. All Western Reserve 2-0 4-1 Crestview 2-0 3-2 Monroeville 2-0 3-2 St. Paul 1-1 2-3 New London 0-2 2-3 Mapleton 1-1 2-3 Plymouth 0-2 0-5 South Central 0-2 0-5 Friday, Sept. 26 Monroeville at Western Reserve Plymouth at Crestview South Central at Mapleton St. Paul at New London Northern 8 Team Conf. All St. Mary CC 4-0 5-0 Chalker 2-0 4-0 Danbury 1-1 4-1 Holgate 1-2 2-2 Fremont SJCC 2-1 3-2 Sebring McKinley 1-2 3-2 Stryker 1-2 2-3 Cardinal Stritch 0-4 0-5 Friday, Sept. 26 Cardinal Stritch at Danbury Saturday, Sept. 27 Fremont SJCC at SMCC Stryker at Chalker