JOHNSTOWN ― Granville’s soccer crew headed into the season with a slew of recent starters and quite a lot of questions.
But in an early Licking County League crossover showdown at Johnstown on Sept. 5, the unbeaten Blue Aces had all the precise solutions. And retained “The Jug” for the eighth consecutive 12 months within the a hundred and tenth assembly between the neighboring rivals.
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“It’s just efficiency,” mentioned Kyle Kirby, who ran for 165 yards on 21 carries and, for the third straight sport, scored 4 touchdowns in Granville’s spectacular 33-14 win at Frank Chambers Stadium. “We’re still learning, but we’re getting better. We’re eliminating mistakes as we go,” Kirby mentioned.
The Blue Aces (3-0) used a two-touchdown swing to grab management, placing on a goal-line stand ending the primary half and instantly scoring to start out the second. Granville by no means punted and answered a game-opening, 12-play scoring drive by the Johnnies (2-1) with a 17-play landing march of its personal and went on to attain 33 unanswered factors.
“It’s happened the last two weeks, and we have to do a better job of stopping that first drive,” coach Heath Hinton mentioned. “But it’s never give up, and our offense always responds. We’ve done well during what many say are the most important parts of the game, at the end of the first half and starting the second half.”
Johnstown even combined in 4 passes on its opening drive. Luke Carter related with Cristian Campese for 17 yards and tight finish Greyson Goodman for 14 earlier than scoring on a 28-yard keeper halfway by way of the primary quarter. The kick failed and the Johnnies went up 6-0, however the guests then ran almost 9 minutes off the clock in overlaying 89 yards.
Granville’s Kyle Kirby makes an attempt to interrupt the deal with of Johnstown’s Tyler Sheets in the course of the visiting Blue Aces’ 33-14 victory at Frank H. Chambers Stadium on Sept. 5, 2025.
Kirby did many of the work, carrying 9 occasions together with a 5-yard TD run with 9:08 left within the half whereas additionally snagging two 9-yard passes. Jackson McMillan hit Jakob Culver and Luke Bosse for a pair of 14-yard features as Granville tied it 6-6 with the PAT run stopped brief.
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“That’s football,” Kirby mentioned of the answering drive. “We heard all week that Granville wasn’t as physical as Johnstown. I just don’t like them. And they don’t like me.”
The Blue Aces rapidly took the lead for good shortly later, Kirby ripping off a 23-yard run, then bursting 29 yards for a rating on 4th-and-2 with 4:11 left within the half. Bode Shoaps’ kick made it 13-6. Then, the sport swung after one other prolonged Johnstown possession.
The Johnnies methodically ran 10 consecutive occasions to first-and-goal on the Granville 10, with Ryan Sager pickup up 9 yards on 4th-and-1. But with the clock working down, Bosse broke up two passes, Carter scrambled for five yards to the 5, and on fourth down, Luke Priano introduced fullback Landon Myers down by his ankles for only a 1-yard achieve.
Johnstown’s Preston Carey follows the block of Ryan Sager on a kickoff return throughout visiting Granville’s 33-14 victory at Frank H. Chambers Stadium on Sept. 5, 2025.
“That’s the second week in a row, right before halftime,” Kirby mentioned. “We talk all the time at practice about that situation, and it’s worked for us so far.”
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Boosted by the cease, McMillan instantly attached with a large open Garrett Hannahs for 44 yards beginning the third quarter, establishing one other 29-yard TD run by Kirby as he swept the precise sideline and powered into the tip zone. A nasty snap foiled the PAT kick, however the Blue Aces had momentum and a 19-6 lead.
“It’s bodies on bodies,” coach Hinton defined. “If the first one or two just get a hand on Kirby, he doesn’t go down, and by the time he gets to the secondary, those guys are usually smaller than him.”
Another 4th-down cease, at its 28, had the winners in enterprise again, and McMillan discovered Jakob Culver for 30 yards to the 32, with 15 yards tacked on for roughing the passer. Five performs later, Kirby sliced in from the three with 11:52 left and Shoaps added the kick to make it 26-6.
Landon Goss then made a leaping, tumbling interception on the Johnstown 46.
Johnstown’s Ryan Sager makes an attempt to interrupt by way of the Granville protection in the course of the visiting Blue Aces’ 33-14 victory at Frank H. Chambers Stadium on Sept. 5, 2025.
“Our front line has really stepped up the last couple of weeks and has stopped the run,” Goss mentioned. “We knew they would keep running the ball, but the coaches told us it (the pass) was coming, because they were behind, and to not fall asleep. I had been waiting for them to pass it all night. (Assistant) coach (Alan) Varrasso always says to be like a receiver, and I was all in once it was in the air.”
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Observed coach Hinton: “What a catch. End over end and rolling over. He even played a little jayvee his junior year, and now he’s a senior captain, and it’s great seeing him show everyone his leadership.”
In a giant second for the Granville offense, McMillan hit Culver down the left sideline and he refused to go down, working his method into the tip zone for a noteworthy 35-yard landing.
“It was the first time someone else (other than Kirby) has gotten into the end zone,” coach Hinton mentioned. “We’ve been working on it, and finally. Really, Kirby and Bosse are the only two going both ways, so we’re usually pretty fresh going to the fourth quarter.”
Added Culver: “It was also our first passing touchdown. I have gotten so close the last two games. I’ve been trying and trying, and I was going to do everything I could to get in there.”
Johnstown’s Landon Myers makes an attempt to interrupt the deal with of Granville’s Rory McShane in the course of the visiting Blue Aces’ 33-14 victory at Frank H. Chambers Stadium on Sept. 5, 2025.
Granville received a 3rd 4th-down cease later when Aryan Amirtabar hit Carter for a 3-yard loss, however Johnstown went 80 yards in 13 performs to attain with 19 seconds left on Sager’s 18-yard run. Tyler Sheets ran for 2 factors.
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“We were flat out the more physical team, and we showed it on defense,” Goss mentioned. “The starters only allowed one touchdown.”
McMillan continues to progress and accomplished 9-of-15 passes for 162 yards and no interceptions, with Culver grabbing 5 for 94 yards.
Sager picked up 114 yards in 21 makes an attempt, largely within the second half, whereas Carter added 84 yards in 12 tries and hit on 8-of-16 passes for 80 yards. Campese caught three for 42 yards and Goodman three for twenty-four.
Johnstown coach Mike Carter mentioned Granville’s fourth-down stops have been massive momentum changers.
“First off, they’re a very good team, and hats off to them,” he mentioned. “Number 1 (Culver) and 15 (Kirby) are a couple of standouts, but they also play well together as a team. Against great teams, you can not miss opportunities, and we’re going to work hard as a group and make sure we don’t miss those opportunites in the future. I’m proud of our effort. We’ll re-group, re-focus and work on the little things, learn them and get better every single day.”
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This article initially appeared on Newark Advocate: Efficient Granville seizes momentum and ‘The Jug’ again from Johnstown