FW Snider hands Warren Central heavy loss: 'They should celebrate all the way home.'
The Warren Central defense hadn't seen much film on Fort Wayne Snider quarterback Ke'ron Billingsley. It wasn't from a lack trying, he threw all of five passes last season.
The shifty senior emerged as Snider's starter heading into the 2023 season, and Warren Central learned that despite standing just 5-9, the Panthers signal caller is very difficult to bring down. Billingsley accounted for 217 total yards and three touchdowns, leading Snider to a 42-20 victory over the Warriors on Friday night.
Several times the Warriors defense had Billingsley in its sights, only for him to escape the pocket, shake off a few defenders and scamper down the field for positive yardage.
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His best Houdini act came late in the third quarter. Warren finally answered Snider's 28 straight points, but three minutes later the Panthers were in scoring position again. On 3rd-and-goal from the 6, Billingsley took a shotgun snap and faked a handoff. He started right and had 6-4, 220-pound defensive end Tyrone Burrus coming unblocked straight at him. Somehow, Billingsley spun out of Burrus' tackle attempt, cut inside, jump cut back outside and down the left sideline and into the end zone. The score put Snider up 35-14 with 5:50 left in the quarter, effectively ending Warren's chances at a comeback.
"The quarterback is a good athlete, we told them all week," Warren coach Mike Kirschner said. "He made plays. He'd boot out and if we didn't contain him he'd take off. Great athlete, great job.
"I thought their fullbacks did a great job. I thought their O line was awesome. Their coaches did a great job, and they should celebrate all the way home."
While Billingsley was darting past the Warriors defense, running back Uriah Buchanan brought a physical presence to the Snider rushing attack. Buchanan finished with 174 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries. His long run of 48 yards came one play after a Levi Overhosler interception gave Snider the ball at its 5-yard line. Billingsley capped the eight-play drive with his second rushing touchdown.
"They were really just sealing the ends and we wasn't scraping (off blockers) how we were supposed to," Warren linebacker Jordyn Barlow said. "That's how they really were getting all of their outside runs."
Barlow said the defense needed to focus on reading its keys and allow the opposing guards to guide them to the ball. Warren's defense struggled diagnosing plays at times, but Barlow showcased his nose for the ball. The junior linebacker grabbed an interception in the first quarter and took his second interception of the game 44 yards to the end zone for the pick-6. Jovan Starks started the scoring for the hosts with a 46-yard punt return touchdown.
The Warriors struggled to generate any consistent offense. Quarterback Keith Jackson's first eight passes were incomplete and the ninth was intercepted. He finished 2-for-17 for 75 yards and two interceptions. Jackson added 56 yards rushing and one touchdown, but the inability to generate yards through the air prevented Warren from making a comeback.
Kirschner didn't attribute the offensive struggles to early-season rust. He said the Warriors need to execute better and focus on staying together as a team.
"We've been working on this since April. I don't want to blame it on early-season timing," he said. "We had five drops in the first quarter alone. We can't throw it if we can't catch it. Then if you can't throw it, they load up the box and won't let you run it. So, you're danged if you do, danged if you don't. We just gotta get better."
FW Snider 42, Warren Central 20
FW Snider 0 14 21 7 — 42
Warren Central 8 0 12 0 — 20
Scoring Plays
WC — Jovan Starks 46 punt return (team run).
FWS — Ke'ron Billingsley 19 run (Chase Wennemar kick).
FWS — Billingsley 16 run (Wennemar kick)
FWS — Jamarion Kolagbodi 90 kick return (Wennemar kick).
FWS — Landen Fry 1 run (Wennemar kick).
WC — Keith Jackson 3 run (kick failed).
FWS — Billingsley 6 run (Wennemar kick).
WC — Jordyn Barlow 44 interception return (run failed).
FWS — Uriah Buchanan 11 run (Wennemar kick).
Rushing — FWS: Lukas Rohrbacher 2-9, De'Ron Billingsley 19-92, Uriah Buchanan 26-174, Landen Fry 1-(minus 1), Boston Conley 1-(minus 3); WC: James Clark 7-33, Keith Jackson 11-56, Cyron Williams 1-11, J'Shon McCullough 7-39.
Passing — FWS: Billingsley 8-14-2 125; WC: Jackson 2-17-2 75.
Receiving — FWS: Fry 1-3, Conley 2-19, Nathaniel Ruffin 1-23, Trevor Jarvis 1-7, Austin Ganaway 1-8, Buchanan 1-13, Rohrbacher 1-52; WC: Jordan Williams 1-8, Chazz Conley 1-66.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school football: Fort Wayne Snider beats Warren Central
