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Fenwick pulls off rare shutout of Alter

FRANKLIN, Ohio – Fenwick finished its 2014 season on a high note, winning its final four games after starting the season 2-4.

Thanks to a stingy defense, the Falcons have continued that momentum in to the 2015 season.

On Friday night at Krusling Field, Fenwick defeated Alter 24-0, improving to 4-0 on the season. The Falcons held Alter to a mere 82 yards of total offense. This was the first time since Oct. 21, 2005 that the Knights had been shut out.

“They’re a great bunch of kids, and they execute the plan that we put together,” Fenwick head coach Joe Snively said. “They’re a humble group, they understand when they’re weak and they understand when they’re strong.”

Fenwick wasted no time as it marched down the field on its first possession, taking an early 7-0 lead when quarterback Jimmy Gephart scored from five yards out.

It looked as if the Falcons would add on to their early lead when they recovered an Alter fumble moments later. However, the Alter defense stood tall, holding Fenwick to a missed field goal attempt.

Midway through the second quarter, the Knights were threatening to score until Fenwick defensive back Nick Wysong picked off a Knights pass in the end zone.

The Knights experienced deja vu on their following possession, when Falcons’ defensive back Alan Nix returned an interception to the Alter 39 yard line.

Fenwick took advantage of the good field position, as running back Nathan Jeffers scored from five yards out just before halftime, making the score 14-0.

Set up by a 55-yard run from running back Michael Sheridan, the Falcons extended their lead to 17-0 in the third quarter when Matthew Hirko connected on a 23-yard field goal.

After completely shutting down the Alter offense in the second half, Fenwick wrapped up its win on Jeffers’ five-yard touchdown, his second of the game.

Fenwick finished with 290 yards of total offense, with 230 of those yards coming on the ground. Sheridan racked up 143 yards on 15 carries. The defense was led by linebacker Ben Hinton, who tallied eight tackles and two sacks.

“Playing a tough schedule at the beginning of the season, it definitely gets us ready for the tough opponents that we see in our league,” Snively said. “We’re not surprised by seeing the great talent, the great coaches, the strength of our league. I’m proud of our kids to respond to that.”

Next week, Fenwick faces another tough test when it visits Badin. Alter will look to bounce back when it travels to Roger Bacon.

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