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Buccaneers get win No. 1

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RIVERSIDE — Sincere Wells scored three touchdowns while rushing for 157 yards, and the Xenia defense had the Stebbins quarterback running in circles, in Friday’s Oct. 6, 28-14 win for the visiting Buccaneers.

Wells scored on touchdown runs of 18, 79 and 1 yard, and had another TD called back because of a Xenia penalty.

“It’s a great feeling. I knew we were gonna put it all together and get a win tonight,” Wells said. “I owe this to my linemen — Sam Lockwood, Peyton Bartley, Gavin Gerhardt, Cade Kadel and Andrew Jones. I thank them and thank my coaches. This is a good win for us.”

The win not only marks the first for Xenia first-year coach Trace Smitherman, but it marks his first against his former school. Smitherman coached at Stebbins last season.

Big plays and a stingy defense earned the Buccaneers the first-half lead.

Bucs quarterback Christian Severt connected on a 29-yard passing play to Meechi Harris on the second play of the game. Harris took a counter-play handoff to the right side for 18 yards on the next play for the Bucs’ first score of the night. Hayden Falvey booted the extra point, and Xenia was out in front 7-0.

The Buccaneers surprised the hosts with an onside kick on the next play, and Xenia recovered the bouncing ball on the Indians 45-yard line. Six plays later, Sincere Wells rumbled 18 yards through the right side of the Stebbins line for the score. This time, it was Trevor Honious getting the extra point honors, and Xenia was out in front 14-0 with 8:25 left to play in the opening quarter.

The Xenia defense stopped Stebbins’ opening possession on the Bucs 7-yard line, but the Buc offense shot itself in the foot with a couple penalties and had to punt the ball away.

Stebbins quarterback Ryan Minor spent a lot of the game scrambling away from Xenia’s defensive linemen. He was sacked eight times in the first half, and was thrown for a loss 11 times for the game.

The Indians got their best field position of the first half, on the Xenia 18, for its next possession. Stebbins took advantage of the short field. After runs by Brandon Martin and Brady Wilson, Minor scored from 3 yards out with Stebbins’ first score. A Trey Honious extra point made the score, 14-7 at halftime.

Wells appeared to have more trouble in not over running his blockers than he did eluding Indians tacklers on his 79-yard TD run in the third quarter. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound Xenia junior had to zig-zag around his teammates to keep from tripping over them on the run.

He then added a 1-yard score for the final margin.

In all, Halvey hit two PATS and teammate McGuiness also hit two.

Stebbins’ Levi Stewart scored from 13 yards out for the final Indians score of the contest, and Honious was a perfect 2-for-2 in point after conversions.

Next Friday, Oct.13, Xenia (1-6, 1-0 GWOC American South) returns home for another GWOC South battle. They’ll take on the West Carrollton Pirates for a 7 p.m. contest at Doug Adams Stadium. Stebbins (0-7, 0-1 GWOC South) hits the road against GWOC South foe Trotwood-Madison that same day.

Score by Quarters

Xenia 14 0 14 0 — 28

Stebins 0 7 0 7 — 14

Scoring Plays

X — Meechi Harris 18 run (Hayden Falvey kick)

X — Sincere Wells 18 run (Trevor McGuiness kick)

S — Ryan Minor 3 run (Trey Honious kick)

X — Wells 79 run (Halvey kick)

X — Wells 1 run (McGuiness kick)

S — Levi Stewart 13 run (Honious kick)

Xenia’s Meechi Harris keeps his eyes on the ball after colliding with Dylan Long of Stebbins in the first quarter of Friday’s Oct. 6 high school football game in Riverside. Harris made the catch for a 29-yard completion from quarterback Christian Severt, and scored on the next play in Xenia’s 28-14 win.
Xenia’s Meechi Harris keeps his eyes on the ball after colliding with Dylan Long of Stebbins in the first quarter of Friday’s Oct. 6 high school football game in Riverside. Harris made the catch for a 29-yard completion from quarterback Christian Severt, and scored on the next play in Xenia’s 28-14 win. John Bombatch | Greene County News

Stebbins quarterback Ryan Minor runs from the Xenia pursuit of Nolan Wagner (15), Dana Dyer (90) and Devin Hall (83) in the first half of Friday’s Oct. 6 high school football game in Riverside. Unofficially, Minor was sacked 11 times.
http://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2017/10/web1_RyanMinorX159083_PS.jpgStebbins quarterback Ryan Minor runs from the Xenia pursuit of Nolan Wagner (15), Dana Dyer (90) and Devin Hall (83) in the first half of Friday’s Oct. 6 high school football game in Riverside. Unofficially, Minor was sacked 11 times. John Bombatch | Greene County News

Xenia running back Sincere Wells (32) runs over a Stebbins defender during the first half of a Greater Western Ohio Conference, American South high school football game Oct. 6 in Riverside. Wells scored three touchdowns in Xenia’s 28-14 win.
http://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2017/10/web1_RyanMinorX159083_PS.jpgXenia running back Sincere Wells (32) runs over a Stebbins defender during the first half of a Greater Western Ohio Conference, American South high school football game Oct. 6 in Riverside. Wells scored three touchdowns in Xenia’s 28-14 win. John Bombatch | Greene County News

By John Bombatch

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Contact John Bombatch at 937-372-4444, Ext. 2123.