SHELBY, Ohio — It’s the showdown everybody has been waiting for.
Unbeaten Sandusky travels to Skiles Field on Friday to tangle with undefeated Shelby in a game that will go a long way in determining the final Northern Ohio League champion.
The Blue Streaks have won all five meetings since joining the NOL in 2011, but the abbreviated series has been competitive. Two of the five games have been decided by six points.
The Streaks beat the Whippets 41-28 last year and are coming off a 64-12 win at Willard. Shelby coasted to an underwhelming 29-15 win at Norwalk.
“If we don’t get tremendously better in a week, Sandusky is going to name the score,” Shelby coach Erik Will said after last week’s game. “You can’t count the amount of missed tackles and missed assignments. We’ve got to clean that stuff up.”
Sandusky (4-0, 1-0) at Shelby (4-0, 1-0): Sandusky is led by quarterback Javez Alexander, who has completed 33 of 58 passes for 614 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 376 yards and six TDs. Running back Eian Sherman carried the ball just five times against Willard, but rumbled for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Sherman has rushed for 386 yards and seven scores on the year. Receiver Cavon Croom has 15 catches for 236 yards.
Do-it-all junior quarterback Brennan Armstrong has thrown for 487 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 385 yards and seven scores. Shorty Brooks leads the NOL in rushing with 709 yards on 80 carries, while Carter Brooks has caught 18 passes for 251 yards and two TDs. Defensive end Derek Rose leads the NOL with 6.5 sacks among his 35 tackles.
Ashland (2-2, 1-0) at Wooster (4-0, 1-0): The Arrows have won nine of the 15 meetings since the formation of the Ohio Cardinal Conference. The Generals held on for a 21-7 win last year, snapping Ashland’s six-game winning streak in the series. Ashland junior Keagan Armitage has performed admirably in place of injured quarterback Grant Denbow, a senior and three-year starter who was injured early in Ashland’s Week 3 win over Tiffin Columbian. Armitage has completed 22 of 32 passes for 321 yards and seven touchdowns in Denbow’s absence, including four in last week’s 35-7 win over West Holmes. Kamrin Knowlton-Goings has five TD catches in four games.
Wooster has surrendered just eight points in its last three games and is coming off a 38-0 win at Madison. The Rams managed just 124 yards for the game and were limited to seven yards on the ground. Running back Trey Mathis rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Peyton Bennington completed 20 of 28 passes for 235 yards and three TDs. Six different receivers had at least two catches.
Northwestern (4-0, 1-0) at Hillsdale (4-0, 1-0): The Huskies are atop the Division V, Region 18 computer rankings while the Falcons are fourth in Division VI, Region 21. The winner will inherit a windfall of computer points and be in the driver’s seat in the chase for the Wayne County Athletic League title. Hillsdale quarterback Trey Williams threw for 221 yards and four first-half touchdowns in last week’s 56-6 win over Waynedale. Andrew Wolf had 154 receiving yards and three TDs, while Gunnar Richter returned an interception for a score.
Northwestern roughed up previously unbeaten Smithville 41-22 last week. The Huskies won last year’s meeting 28-8.
