RIVERSIDE — To call Sidney and Stebbins’ Miami Valley League opener on Friday at Edmundson Stadium at slugfest doesn’t really accurately describe it.

The squads amassed nearly 1,000 yards of offense and 122 points (that’s 18 touchdowns) in what was a nearly three-hour and 20-minute affair.

Sidney scored four straight touchdowns in the first half to take control and twice pushed the margin to running clock territory in the second half, but Stebbins scored the last three TDs to close the final gap to 67-55.

“Three quarters of really good football,” Sidney coach Dave Taynor said. “Then we had a number of guys cramping, were trying to figure out some depth things, and we gave up a couple big plays on busted coverages and a punt return for a touchdown.

“That’s the negative part of it, but the positive part, we played good, explosive football. We felt like coming into the game that if they played cover zero matchup man against us that we were going to be able to throw the ball and run the ball for big plays. I think our guys responded extremely well.”

Sidney senior quarterback Ethan New completed 6-of-14 passes — but those six completions were for 299 yards and four TDs.

Tank Fleming caught three passes for 143 yards and two TDs, and Joelon Lyons caught two passes for 101 yards and two TDs.

 

New ran for 110 yards and three TDs and Isaiah Foster ran for 93 yards and two TDs. Ishhod Diamonde ran for 42 yards on two carries, one of which was a 38-yard TD run.

“I think Ethan New had a phenomenal game. Tank made a couple big plays early in the game,” Taynor said. “Isaiah Foster was a workhorse throughout the day. I was really happy with the play of Joelon; he had a couple touchdowns.

“I mean, there’s a boatload of guys that made a lot of plays offensively. We’ve got to get a little bit better defensively. We played some decent defensive football. They’re an explosive offense, but we gave up a too many big plays.”

The teams traded touchdowns early. A 68-yard TD pass from Devin McCormick to Marcell Jefferson gave Stebbins a 13-12 lead with 4:05 left in the first quarter after a failed extra-point attempt, but Sidney scored the next four TDs, thanks in part to Stebbins turnovers.

New threw a 47-yard TD pass to Fleming, and the Yellow Jackets recovered the ensuing kickoff in Stebbins territory after none of its players went after the ball.

Foster scored on a 1-yard TD run with 14 seconds left in the half to boost the lead to 26-13. Hayden Westerbeck recovered a Stebbins fumble forced by Marc Fleming early in the second, and Lyons caught a 69-yard TD pass with 8:55 left to increase the lead to 32-13 after a missed extra point.

Westerbeck recovered a fumble that was forced by a hard hit by Fleming, and Lyons shortly after caught a 32-yard TD pass which increased the lead to 39-13.

The teams traded TDs to a 53-27 halftime score. Sidney started a running clock after New scored on a short TD run in the third, but Andre McConnell scored on a short run three minutes later to stop it.

New scored on a 7-yard TD run with 11:04 left to increase the lead to 67-33 and start a running clock again. The Indians scored three TDs in a four-minute span, the last of which was a 1-yard run by McConnell to cut the gap to 12 points with two minutes left.

The Indians couldn’t recover an onside kick try, and Sidney ran out the clock.

“We tried to take the air out of it a little bit in the second half, just kill the clock and get the game over with,” Taynor said. “We got it twice, but we didn’t hold it.”

The Yellow Jackets had 562 yards of offense and the Indians had 421 yards.

Sidney racked up all its points with star receiver Julius Spradling on the bench. He was still dealing with a nagging injury suffered against Bellefontaine in Week 1.

“He was probably pretty close to being ready to go tonight, and it would have given us more than just a weapon from an offensive standpoint; he’s a guy that can play both ways and keep give us enough depth on the defensive backfield as well,” Taynor said.

“We gave him another couple days to get some rest and hopefully get him back and roll from there.”

McCormick threw for 238 yards and two TDs and ran for 71 yards. McConnell ran for 99 yards and five TDs.

Fleming forced three fumbles; aside from the two Westerbeck recovered, Tanner Snider recovered one.

The Yellow Jackets (1-1, 1-0 MVL Valley Division) are scheduled to host Xenia (2-0, 1-0) this coming Friday at Sidney Memorial Stadium.

Reach Sidney Daily News editor Bryant Billing at 937-538-4822, or follow @BryantBillingSDN on Facebook or @TopBillingSport on X (Twitter).