POTTERS BOW OUT IN ROUND TWO

EAST LIVERPOOL OH- East Liverpool fans were buzzing all week, excited for a rare home playoff game in Week 2 of the OHSAA playoffs. The Potters, seeded 12th, probably didn’t see this coming, but thanks to a Round 1 upset by 13-seed West Holmes, the home field advantage landed in their lap. Unfortunately, West Holmes kept their Cinderella story rolling, coming into East Liverpool and knocking out the Potters with a 24-13 win.

In the first quarter, East Liverpool struck first with D’Shawn Kirby capping off a 92-yard drive with a 5-yard TD run, though the PAT was no good, putting the Potters up 6-0 with 3:14 left. In the second, West Holmes got on the board with a 27-yard field goal from Alex Pringle, cutting the lead to 6-3. Right before halftime, West Holmes quarterback Morgan Smith kept it on 3rd-and-goal from the 1, finding the end zone with only three seconds left and no timeouts. The PAT was good, sending West Holmes into the locker room up 10-6.

East Liverpool came out strong in the third quarter. On their first possession, Gavin Wright found Blake Adkins for a 28-yard touchdown strike, regaining the lead 13-10 after the PAT. But West Holmes answered right back, with Lynn Cline powering in for a 9-yard TD run to make it 17-13. Just minutes later, Smith connected with Logan Zollars on a 64-yard bomb, extending the Knights’ lead to 24-13.

The fourth quarter stayed quiet on the scoreboard, and the Potters’ playoff journey ended there. Final score: East Liverpool 13, West Holmes 24.