SHELBY — Brennan Armstrong and his Shelby teammates put an exclamation point on arguably the greatest regular season in school history.
Armstrong threw four touchdowns to four different receivers and ran for another score as the Whippets steamrolled Vermilion 53-0 on a rainy Friday night at W.W. Skiles Field.
Shelby improved to 10-0, capping the fifth unbeaten regular season in school history and first since 1998. At 5-0 in the Sandusky Bay Conference’s Bay Division, the Whippets won their first conference title since sharing the Northern Ohio League crown with Bellevue and Tiffin Columbian in 2000.
“How could you not be proud of these kids and the way they competed tonight?” asked Shelby coach Erik Will, who played on Shelby’s unbeaten 1998 team. “Going undefeated is special. It’s only happened five times in the history of our school.”
Slow Start: While the final score suggests otherwise, Shelby actually got off to a sluggish start. Shorty Brooks intercepted a pass on Vermilion’s second play from scrimmage, but the Whippets couldn’t capitalize and turned the ball over on downs.
“Give Vermilion some credit. They did a nice job and they are very well-coached,” Will said. “You try to guard against a slow start, but you’ve got to understand we’re dealing with 15- to 18-year-old kids and they’re not always going to start fast.”
Shelby finally got untracked midway through the initial period when Armstrong hooked up with Carter Brooks on a 16-yard scoring strike. Brady Hill added a 5 yard touchdown run as the Whippets built a 14-0 first-quarter lead.
The advantage would balloon to 20-0 on the first play of the second quarter when Armstrong and Hill connected on a 41-yard TD pass. Armstrong tossed a 4-yard touchdown to Uriah Schwemley and a 22-yarder to Tyshaundre Hall with 1:13 remaining in the first half as the Whippets opened a 34-0 halftime bulge.
“All my guys out there make plays for me all the time,” Armstrong said. “I love them all.”
Armstrong ran 39 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter and Shorty Brooks added a 30-yarder late in the third. Freshman Owen Fisher capped the scoring with a 3-yard dash early in the fourth.
Statistically Speaking: Shelby outscored its opponents 504-54 this fall. The defense pitched four shutouts, while the offense scored no fewer than 41 points in any game.
“We had a running clock in every game and we started (the second half) with a running clock in every game except two,” Will said. “These kids have a lot to be proud of.”
Postseason: The Whippets will host a playoff game for the second straight year against an opponent to be determined. The Ohio High School Athletic Association playoff pairing will be released Sunday.
“We were 2-8 as freshman and 5-5 as sophomores,” Armstrong said. “We had to grind through it and now we are being rewarded.”
