HIGH SCHOOL-OHIO

'Pounding the rock is the equation here': Winton Woods football downs West Clermont

Landon Bartlett
Cincinnati Enquirer

WINTON WOODS, Ohio – Winton Woods football played three different quarterbacks on the way to beating Eastern Cincinnati Conference rival West Clermont Friday night 21-13 in a Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown matchup.

Taking over the quarterback role in the second half were the multi-positional Zae Jennings, who changed the dynamic of the Warriors' offense on the ground, and Bryshawn Brown, who was brought on for the passing game.

“(Brown) is going to be really, really good,” Winton Woods head coach Chad Murphy said. “He’s got a ton of talent; he’s a great kid. And Zae Jennings out of the Wildcat (offense) is what sparked us there in the second half. That dude was a player-of-the-year type of guy.”

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Winton Woods defense swarmed visiting West Clermont offense, only allowing two first downs the entire game. Winton Woods won, 21-13.

Warriors quarterbacks threw four interceptions, including momentous back-to-back interceptions. Toward the conclusion of the first half, starting QB Vance George threw a pick 6 then on the first set of downs in the following drive threw an interception to Wolves defender Hayden Jones. West Clermont scored shortly after, giving the visitors the lead and all the momentum. It was 13-6, West Clermont lead, heading into halftime.

The Wolves were unable to find the endzone for the rest of the game.

Winton Woods's running backs found their collective footing in the second half and never turned back. Between junior Tyler Gooding, freshman Isaiah Garrett and miscellaneous rushers, the Warriors scored three touchdowns and gained 221 yards.

West Clermont defender Hayden Jones intercepted Winton Woods late in the first half, an interception that quickly led to a touchdown. Winton Woods overcame the deficit, and won 21-13.

Keys to victory

  • Overwhelming defense. West Clermont garnered just two first downs all evening. The Warriors only allowed the Wolves to gain 51 yards of total offense. The Warriors also caught an interception en route to the second-half shutout.
    • “Defensively I felt like we did a lot of good things,” Warriors defensive coordinator Carlton Gray said. “I can’t be disappointed (in the defense), but I’m always looking for perfection out of our kids. Overall, the kids made plays and we limited them offensively.”
  • The run game. Gooding shined with 120 yards, a touchdown, and countless momentum-building plays. The Warriors' other running back, Garrett, found the endzone twice and excelled in the fast-paced, fast-subbing backfield offense. Garrett was named Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown player of the game for his two touchdowns.
    • “We’re going to have to run it a little bit more, it sounds like,” Murphy said after the game. "Pounding the rock is the equation here.”

Standout performers

Isaiah “Zeek” Garrett, Winton Woods: Garrett found the endzone twice in the rush, including the decisive five-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth. Garrett’s night was capped off by a 28-yard rushing touchdown, and the announcement that he was player of the game.

Tyler Gooding, Winton Woods: Gooding rushed for 120 yards on 13 attempts, and put one in the endzone. Gooding was a constant source of positive offense for the Warriors when the aerial game wasn't clicking. The running back duo were the far-and-away stars of the contest.

Areas for improvement

Penalties were a source of headaches for the home team Friday. Winton Woods suffered 13 penalties for 97 yards and still managed to come out on top.

“We’re trying to get over these penalties,” Murphy said. “We’ve got some big guys, large humans, and those large humans get seen a bit quicker than the average Joe when it comes to penalties … overall, to be able to learn lessons like this in valuing the football, and still win a game, it says a lot.”

West Clermont intercepted Winton Woods on two consecutive drives, scoring on both. It would be the only scoring West Clermont did all night, as Winton Woods won, 21-13.

What’s next

Winton Woods, now 3-0, travels to Turpin next Friday. Turpin dropped its opening ECC game to Kings and beat Little Miami Friday. Last season Winton Woods dominated Turpin, who posted a 1-9 season, 46-6.

Next week West Clermont, 1-2, travels to Walnut Hills for its fourth game of the season. A year ago, West Clermont bested Walnut Hills, 28-7.

Winton Woods wide receiver Tra'Mar Harris caught for 84 yards on eight receptions in Winton Woods' 21-13 victory over West Clermont Friday night.

Winton Woods 21, West Clermont 13

Winton Woods 0 7 7 7 ‒ 21

West Clermont 0 13 0 0 ‒ 13

WW: Tyler Gooding 4-yd rush TD

WC: Aidan Turner pick-6 TD

WC: Bryson Early 8-yd rush TD

WW: Isaiah Garrett 28-yd rush TD

WW: Isaiah Garrett 5-yd rush TD