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WARRIORS ADVANCE TO 3-0
Another solid
performance in 47-0 win over Northwest Ohio
Raiders.
By Joel Renner
Lima Warriors Chief Staff
Reporter
6/17/07
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CLYDE, Ohio
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Coming off a big win against Akron and a week to go
before the showdown against the Cleveland Lions, Lima
played like a team with a purpose and never let up
throughout the game.
A
shutout was posted as the Warriors rode another big
game by the defense and two touchdown passes from
Justin Henderson to Kaene Runion to beat Northwest
Ohio 47-0 on Saturday.
“All around it was a great game,” coach John Parkins
said. “We came out and took care of business.
Honestly I don’t think we played to the best of our
ability out there and we can play a little better.”
Parkins' constructive criticism was referring to a
slow start by the Warriors standards, which are always
high. The Warriors may have started the first quarter
a bit sluggish, but as the game went on, the whole
team picked up steam. Much of it was supplied by the
defense, which had eight sacks while holding Northwest
Ohio (0-3) to 18 yards on 27 rushes.
The
defense was pleased with their performance and if not
for the shifty feet of Raider’s quarterback Johnny
Alridge, even more sacks would have been tallied from
players like Yansey Donald, Barry Peel and Isaac
Melton who each had two sacks in the game.
“The defense did a heck of a job out there, but give
Johnny a lot of credit,” Parkins said. “He’s slippery
and we had to contain him. Any time he could of broke
it and he would have been gone.”
Joe
Butcher, Jeremy Bott, Runion and Henderson did the
rest offensively in the first half to build a solid
lead.
Much like in its 28-0 win over Akron last week, Lima
(3-0) was overpowering when it had to be and always
seemed to come up with a big play at the right time.
The Warriors got better every quarter and it was just
a matter of time until the offense exploded.
The
Warriors didn’t have a firm grip on the game until
Runion who finished with 73 yards on four catches,
raced 16 yards to the corner of the endzone and snared
a catch for a score with five minutes remaining in the
second quarter to make it 20-0.
“I
knew that coming in here we couldn’t overlook
Northwest Ohio,” Parkins said. “I think we were
looking forward to next week, thinking that the
Raiders were going to lay down for us.”
Henderson completed 10-of-16 passes for 164 yards and
four touchdowns before taking most of the second half
off.
“The offensive line played terrific and we allowed
Justin (Henderson) time to throw the ball and find
receivers all game,” said offensive lineman Tyler
Covert.
Joe
Butcher, a Defiance native, was limited to two catches
for 64 yards, but he scored from 20 yards out and
helped draw attention from Runion and Jeremy Bott.
Linebackers Barry Peel and Eric Siefker both ended
drives by the Raiders by recovering fumbles. Dustin
Hunt and Pierre Jackson also had a sack for the
Warriors, who face a powerhouse offense next week at
home against the Cleveland Lions.
Leading 27-0 at the half, Lima got some more breathing
room at 8:42 of the third quarter. With the ball at
the 7, Glenn White powered up the middle for the
touchdown. White led the Warriors in rushing with 51
yards and averaged almost nine yards per rush.
After Dion Pearson barreled his way for a touchdown
late in the third quarter, Lima cruised down the field
in a short amount of time in the fourth at 8:16 -with
mostly subs on the field- to score on Wayne LeGrant’s
10-yard run.
The
opening quarter may not have been easy for the
Warriors but they finished the stanza nicely. Lima
drove 68 yards after forcing NW to punt, taking a 7-0
lead on Joe Butcher’s 20-yard catch and Ryan Elliot’s
extra point.
NW’s Johnny Alridge, who finished 3-of-11 for 35
yards, couldn’t find consistency in the passing game
as the Warriors’ defense attacked from all sides of
the field.
The
Raiders were not able to muster much yardage on its
next possession and was forced to punt before the
Warriors finally got on track in the final minutes of
the opening stanza.
"We
started slow, but put together a nice drive at the end
of the first quarter,” Parkins said. We picked it up
in the second quarter and then shut them out in the
last.”
Henderson connected on his passes in various
impressive drives that built the lead and the Warriors
never looked back. The key plays were Henderson’s
41-yard pass to Runion, who pulled down the catch in
dramatic fashion, and the 2-yard TD pass to a diving
Jeremy Bott that capped off another march with 42
seconds left in the first half.
Amid all the big plays, Lima’s offense was hurt by
penalties. They were flagged six times for 45 yards,
but can be overlooked due to another impressive
victory in shutout fashion.
“I
was impressed with the victory and the three shutouts
in a row,” Parkins said. “We’re going to have to play
better ball next week against the Cleveland Lions
though.”
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