Aerial attack aids Maysville in season-opening win
NEWTON TOWNSHIP - Connor Sidwell had to battle for Maysville's starting quarterback role.
The junior showed why the coaches chose him, tossing three touchdown passes in the Panthers' 35-23 win over Crooksville in Thursday's Muskingum Valley League opener at the Maysville Athletic Complex.
Sidwell, who was just 3-for-10 for the game, had scoring tosses of 36 and 40 yards in the first half to put Maysville up 14-3 at the half, and then his 77-yard touchdown to Caden Ashcraft late in the third sealed the win.
Despite some early struggles, Maysville coach Craig Clarke complimented Sidwell's effort. He also ran seven times for 55 yards.
"There's jitters in the first game, but he got settled in," Clarke said. "He directed the offense well and ran the ball well. Our play-action pass has to work for us. We use the running game to suck in the defense, and Sidwell has to be a weapon for us."
Crooksville quarterback Landon Hinkle sprinted for 40 yards on the Ceramics' first series. It set up Chip Russell's 23-yard field goal at the 7:40 mark of the first quarter for an early 3-0 edge.
The Panthers used some defense to offset the offense's slow start.
Maysville held Crooksville to two first downs and 69 yards in the first half. Kaige Rucker also intercepted Hinkle midway through the second quarter after the Panthers had taken a 14-3 lead.
Crooksville coach Chad Mickey credited Maysville's defensive line for limiting his team's attack.
"We knew they were big up front, but we weren't sure of their speed," Mickey said. "They have good interior linemen, and we have trouble moving them. They're solid and played well."
Clarke saw positives on his defense, but also areas to improve with a trip to New Lexington next Friday.
"We have a young defense. They made some big stops, but gave us some big plays," he said. "We have to find that consistency. We're going into a hornets nest against a strong New Lex team. We have to get a lot better.
"Only half the teams start 1-0, and we're glad to be one of them," he added. "I definitely see some possibilities."
Sidwell was intercepted on his second series by Caden Miller, but came back and found Evan Brown for 36 yards and the touchdown. After Austin Alice's kick, the Panthers led 7-3 with 19 seconds left in the first quarter.
Maysville capped the next series with a score when Sidwell found Carson Jarrett for a 40-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-1 play. Alice's point after stretched the advantage to 14-3.
Jarrett started the scoring in the third quarter, collecting Brown's fumble and running the final 15 yards for the score.
Later, Brody Williams made an outstanding run, officially running 74 yards for the touchdown for the Ceramics. The senior back covered more than 100 yards after taking the ball about 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
Sidwell answered when he found Caden Ashcraft, who broke a few tackles, to run 77 yards for the score, and a 28-9 lead late in the third.
Hinkle, who had two touchdown runs in the fourth, finished with more than 160 total yards, while Caden Mercer had a 3-yard TD run to cap Maysville's scoring in the fourth.
Though Mickey was disappointed with the loss, Crooksville has room to grow.
"I thought our defense played lights out besides a few big plays," he said. "We have some young guys up front, but we have a lot of playmakers. We will get better, and I was proud of our effort."
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