Perkins rushes past Huron, 41-6

PERKINS TWP. — Perkins hasn't been the most successful this season when it comes to running the football. Entering Friday's game against Huron, the Pirates were averaging just under 108 yards per game through eight weeks. By halftime against the Tigers, Perkins had more than twice that. The Pirates finished with 328 yards on 31 carries, defeating Huron 41-6 in Sandusky Bay Conference crossover action. "It was all about the matchup," Perkins coach Jalen Santoro said. "We liked the matchups up front. Schematically, we liked it as well. We came out and ran the ball effectively. All three backs had a pretty good game." Perkins improved to 6-3 overall while staying 3-0 in the SBC Lake Division. The Pirates wrap up the regular season next week at Tiffin Columbian (5-4, 3-0) with the outright league title on the line. "It's been us and them for the last few years," said Santoro of the Tornadoes, who beat Clyde 49-20 on Friday. "They've always been the team we're battling. We have a lot of respect for what they do. At the end of the day, there won't be a lack of motivation. We'll be ready to go." Perkins fumbled on its first drive, but the Pirates' defense forced a second three-and-out and took advantage. They had a first down via the ground before Braxden Martin exploded through the middle of the line. He outran defenders for a 48-yard touchdown. Grant Hickman added the extra point and Perkins led 7-0 with 3:29 left in the first quarter. "He was a guy that took all the carries early in the year while Levi (Jackson) and Jojo (Moore) got their legs underneath them," Santoro said. "Levi and Jojo have taken more of the carries in the last couple weeks, but Braxden looked fresh tonight. It's going to be a three-headed monster. "Some nights, it's going to be Braxden, some nights it might be Levi and some nights might be Jojo." Huron (3-6) moved the ball on next drive, getting three first downs to get inside the Pirates' 10. As the second quarter started, Perkins forced a pair of incompletions to get a turnover on downs. The Pirates started at their own 4, but it didn't faze them. Despite a pair of holding calls, the Pirates methodically moved down the field. Sam Schweinfurth hit Blake Parker for 30 yards before Martin went for 19. Facing fourth-and-9, Schweinfurth connected with Parker for 12 yards. Three plays later, Jackson used his explosiveness for what became a 15-yard touchdown. "We felt like if we would have scored on the one possession when we got down there, it would have made a difference," Huron coach Sam Hohler said. "Maybe it would have made it a little more of a game. They took that away from us and they made some big plays." Huron punted on its next drive and the Pirates kept the ground game churning. Starting at its own 12, Perkins quickly flipped the field when Martin burst through to the outside for a 73-yard gain. Martin added a four-yard run before a five-yard touchdown run by Jackson and Perkins led 21-0 at halftime. Perkins racked up 222 yards on 19 rushes in the first 24 minutes. "They have a lot of nice athletes," Hohler said. "It's hard with how they play up front. They're big and physical and then with their speed and athleticism. We tried to take some things away from them, but eventually they hit a couple of big plays." The Pirates kept the rushing going in the third quarter. Their opening drive went 63 yards, and 60 of those yards came on the ground. Martin had a 17-yard run before a 15-yard touchdown run from Moore. Hickman's point after extended the margin to 28-0 with 8:18 left in the third quarter. Perkins' defense kept tough against the high-powered Huron offense, forcing another punt. Schweinfurth kept playing consistently for the Pirates on offense. He connected with Parker for a 28-yard catch, which was Parker's 100th of his career. After Moore picked up a first down on an 18-yard run, Parker hauled in a five-yard touchdown pass from Schweinfurth to put Perkins up 34-0 with 1:37 to go in the third quarter. The Pirates were able to empty the bench on their final full offensive drive. Perkins went to the trick bag as it executed a hook-and-lateral with Joey Ziegler being on the end of the lateral for the final 3 yards and touchdown. Danny Buga's extra point pushed the lead to 41-0. Huron got on the board late with a one-yard touchdown run by Hayden Wilson. The Tigers (1-2 SBC Bay) travel to Edison (6-3, 2-1) next week. "Our kids are still with us," Hohler said. "We asked them to stick together and play as a team and they did. We have good leadership. It's another rivalry game for us. We've been in this boat for a while where every game matters and so does this one." The night served as Senior Night for 13 Pirates. Perkins will likely have at least another home game in the playoffs, but the Pirates seniors are 24-1 on their home field since starting as freshmen. "I didn't even know we were 24-1, but that's pretty sweet," Santoro said. "They like playing here. It's obviously better than traveling two hours. We'll enjoy this one." Huron 0 0 0 6 — 6Perkins 7 14 13 7 — 41 P — Braxden Martin 48 run (Grant Hickman kick)P — Levi Jackson 15 run (Hickman kick)P — Jackson 5 run (Hickman kick)P — Jojo Moore 15 run (Hickman kick)P — Blake Parker 5 pass from Sam Schweinfurth (kick blocked)P — Joey Ziegler 3 run (Danny Buga kick)H — Hayden Wilson 1 run (pass failed)