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Shelby Whippets
vs.Bellevue Redmen
By XBellevueplayar
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Another Homecoming equals another Redmen Victory
Redmen kick Whippets on Homecoming night -
September 25, 2004
Bellevue, OH- The Shelby Whippets who's football program has quickly taken a backseat to the Bellevue Redmen within the NOL the past 13 years made the trip to Bellevue Friday night in the annual battle of the two league Giants.
Shelby coming in 0-4 would have loved to get the win verse their longtime nemesis to help ease the pain of their winless start to the 2004 season.
Make no mistake about it though, unlike many years past there was no league title at stake and no predictions posted on downtown buildings like the 63-7 prediction on the firehouse at Shelby in 1993 when the Redmen trounced the Whippets in a 41-14 verdict while riding the back of tailback Ryan Irons and his 297 yard performance. The Whippets though were in the game they had circled on their calendar all year and the Redmen had no intentions of being gracious hosts on Homecoming night at BAF stadium.
Only twice since Redmen head coach Ed Nasonti took over the program has the Whippets been able to defeat the Redmen and only six times in the past twenty years.
On this night the odds and history would remain the same as the Redmen team sent the Whippets to the pound in a 28-7 Bellevue victory.
Neither team showed a serious scoring threat early in the first quarter and it was not until late in the quarter that the first score came.
After the Whippets recovered a fumble off of a Bellevue punt-return Shelby was in business at the Redmen 22 yard-line. Four plays later Whippet junior quarterback Josh Calver hit junior wide-out Jon Gurney on a slant over the middle for the score. The drive was aided by a questionable pass interference call, the first of many questionable calls or no calls on the evening. Place-kicker Eric Baird came on to add the extra point and with 2:10 remaining in the opening quarter the hounds led 7-0.
On their next offensive possession Shelby quickly was forced to punt from their own eleven yardline. Senior homecoming King Cody Koselke deep for the Redmen returned the punt to the Whippet eleven. Two plays later tailback Greg Keys rumbled into the
end-zone from three yards out for the score. Keys picked up the 2-point conversion and the Redmen took an 8-7 lead with 10:43 remaining until halftime. The Whippets took the ensuing kickoff and used eleven plays to move the ball to the Redmen ten yard-line. Second and goal at the ten, senior co-captain Brian Palsa blasted quarterback Josh Calver causing the first of three Shelby fumbles. Junior Tim Keegan recovered for the Redmen and the threat was halted.
Shelby returned the second half kickoff to their own twenty-five and moved out to the Redmen forty-five before junior Cory George recovered another Whippet fumble on the Bellevue thirty-seven yard-line.
The Redmen using an eight-play sixty-three yard drive scored with 7:29 remaining in the third when quarterback Jon Journay called his own number on the quarterback option and scampered in from ten yards out. The two-point attempt failed and the Bellevue lead increased to 14-7.
While the Whippets offense continued to sputter and come up short the Redmen rushing attack was in high gear as Bellevue's next offensive series resulted in another score when Keys capped off a ten play sixty-seven yard drive while going in untouched from two yards out. Journay ran in the two-point conversion and the score stood at 22-7 in favor of the Redmen.
Just when the Whippets started to move the ball senior Redmen co-captain Alex Malott come from his linebacker position to put a punishing hit on Calver. The Whippet quarterback fumbled on the play with senior Keith Didion recovering the fumble for the Redmen at the Shelby forty-three.
Keys, George and Journay combined to eat up forty-three yards on an eight play drive which resulted in Keys third score of the night, a two yard touchdown run. The two-point attempt failed but to the delight of Homecoming Queen Christi Alt the Redmen had sealed the Whippets fate with a 28-7 end result though 5:54 remaining in the contest.
Keys who started out slow on the evening poured it on in the second half while rushing for 111 yards. Keys finished the night with 154 yards on 24 carries and three scores.
Both teams resume league play next Friday with the Whippets hosting unbeaten Upper Sandusky. Bellevue heads south to Willard to take on the (1-4) Flashes in a game that features two of the leagues bitterest rivals.
