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Extending its win streak to four, host Bellbrook remained unbeaten in the Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division (2-0) and improved to 4-1 overall with a 35-0 win over Eaton at Miami Valley South Stadium.
Eaton drops to 2-3, 0-2.
The Golden Eagles and Valley View – 34-3 winners over previously unbeaten Franklin – are tied atop the league standings. Bellbrook hosts Valley View (5-0) next week and travels to Franklin (4-1) seven days later.
Friday’s win was important.
“To be honest, we were not allowed to talk about last year this week,” Bellbrook head coach Jeff Jenkins said. “We weren’t going to focus on last year. We wanted the focus to be on this game – this year – and what we had to do to be successful. We came out and executed.”
During its four-game win streak, the Golden Eagles have flexed a solid Wing-T running game and a stout defense – led by a stellar line.
Nicknamed the “Nasty Boys” by assistant coach Nick Combs four years ago, Bellbrook’s defensive front shined against Eaton.
The four-man combination of senior Storm Painter (6-2, 220), junior Hayden Bullock (6-2, 240), senior Drew Ashurst (6-2, 240) and senior Alex Mummy (6-0, 245) helped Bellbrook’s defense record 10 tackles-for-loss in the first half. The unit forced three turnovers. Unable to run the ball effectively, the Fighting Eagles turned to the air in the second half with limited success. Crucial drops were costly.
“We were struggling in that position and we needed an identity for ourselves,” said Combs, who took over the defensive line in 2014. “We talked it over with our guys and we thought we wanted to play nasty so we called ourselves the ‘Nasty Boys.’ It stuck.”
Said Jenkins: “Our DL is playing like a bunch of dogs. They’re nasty and aggressive and we rely on them to do a lot for us.”
Added Painter: “That’s who we are. We’re the nastiest ones out there.”
Painter and Mumy had 2.5 tackles-for-loss each. Bullock added two.
“We knew controlling the line of scrimmage was going to very important on both sides of ball,” Eaton head coach Brad Davis said. “It’s disappointing anytime you can’t run the football.”
Bellbrook didn’t have the same problem.
The Golden Eagles scored all five touchdowns via the ground. Justin Sloan scored on runs of one and 44 yards, while Ethan Savy scored on a 16-yard jaunt. Brendan Labensky added a 2-yard run. Jacob Schmidt scored from 12-yards out.
“We didn’t freak out or panic after Week 1 (lost 21-14 to Tippecanoe),” Jenkins said. “We knew we lost to a good opponent and we shot ourselves in the foot multiple times (six turnovers). We’re starting to click and having a lot of success.
“We are looking forward to a great game against Valley View.”
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