Sheridan gets its revenge in victory at Watkins Memorial
PATASKALA — Caden Sheridan, the Sheridan football team’s senior quarterback, threw two touchdowns on fourth-and-long plays, lifting the Generals to a 24-19 victory at Watkins Memorial on Friday.
On the second of those scores, Sheridan slipped away from a sack and connected with Evan Anderson for a 22-yard TD pass, which proved to be the clincher with 3:27 left.
“(Sheridan) is a classic gunslinger. The scenario does not matter,” coach Paul Culver III said. “Tonight, are you kidding me? That’s legit all-time. I told him that’s the best I have ever seen. Maybe someone could find something back in my dad’s era from like Kevin Meger.”
Watkins (1-1) came from behind to beat Sheridan (2-0) in Week 2 last season, and the Warriors had an opportunity to do it again after sophomore quarterback Drew Samsal scrambled for an 8-yard TD with 9:51 left in the fourth quarter.
Sheridan, however, answered with an 11-play drive as Watkins three times gave the Generals first downs with penalties, including a roughing the passer call that negated what would have been a fourth down stop. Sheridan later found Anderson in a crowd in the end zone to convert on a pivotal fourth-and-17 play.
“In the second half, we needed to get off the field,” Watkins coach Darren Waters said. “We had penalties in key situations that extended drives for them. That’s a result of not being a very disciplined football team right now, and that’s a reflection on the coaching.”
Sheridan hit senior A.J. Winders for an 18-yard TD pass on a fourth-and-11 in the first half. He had a scrambling 19-yard connection with senior Bryson Ruff on second-and-17 on the final drive in the fourth quarter.
“We practice the scramble drill, and you just have to get open,” Ruff said. “It’s just backyard football at that point.”
Given how crucial his play was, Sheridan's final stats are a bit misleading, as he went just 7 of 17 for 89 yards through the air and added 63 yards on 17 carries. Justin Munyan ran for a team-high 77 yards and a score on 17 carries.
Samsal had another strong showing in just his second varsity start for the Warriors, going 13 of 22 for 145 yards, including an 11-yard TD pass to John Apel with 1:09 left before the Generals recovered an onside kick. Gerald Banks had a 63-yard kick return to set up his own 6-yard TD run in the second quarter, and Jaeden Ricketts picked up 44 yards on a screen to set up a score.
“This is a team that is going to get better as the season goes on,” Waters said. “Physically, we are capable of playing at a high level. We have to make sure we are winning the mental part of the game and be disciplined Monday through Thursday. That’s not on the players alone. I am the head coach, and that’s on my shoulders.”
Sheridan also led 17-6 at halftime in Watkins' 27-24 victory a year ago. Those Generals that remain made good on a second chance.
“We all have a lot of grit. We don’t give up,” Sheridan lineman Hunter Sites said. “When something bad happens, we forget about it and move on to the next play. We stay at it.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Sheridan Generals football gets revenge in victory at Watkins Memorial
