If you could have Galion running back Drake Barnett and the Tiger defense on your fantasy football team, you had a great night.
Barnett rushed for 210 yards and six overall touchdowns while the Tiger defense held an opponent under 50 yards for the third straight game as Galion (3-0) overwhelmed Keystone, 49-0, Friday night at Unckrich Stadium.
“We definitely improved,” Galion head coach Chris Hawkins said. “We’re a confident team, but we want to stay humble since there are definitely things we want to improve on.”
It may be hard for Barnett to improve on his performance Friday.
He dominated the Keystone defense for four touchdowns and was waiting at the 50-yard line for a punt with seconds left in the half when it got surreal, even for Barnett.
He took the punt near the left side of the field, ran across the field to the right side of the field. As several Keystone defenders closed in and fans started thinking about half-time plans, Barnett reversed field again and ran past everyone back to the left side of the field and sneaked in the end zone.
His heroics led to a 35-0 lead at the break and a running clock in the second half.
“I’ve been reversing field all game, which I don’t normally do,” Barnett said. “I looked and saw some room of the left side.”
“We had some great blocks there, but that was his best performance,” Hawkins said.
Barnett gave credit to his offensive line.
“It starts in the trenches,” he said. “They give me holes to run through.”
But it wasn’t just Barnett and the offense that gave Keystone fits. The defense held the Wildcats (0-3) to under 50 yards with an unofficial total of five sacks and recorded massive hits in the fourth quarter.
“It looked like we took some of their will out,” Hawkins said.
Galion plays host to Buckeye Valley next Friday, a game that promises to be the stiffest test of the season.
“We’re going to have to win some games in the fourth quarter, and very well could be Buckeye Valley,” Hawkins said.
The Barons (1-2) lost to Johnstown-Monroe, 13-3, on Friday.
The Tigers shut out Buckeye Valley, 32-0, in Delaware last season.
