Barnesville left no doubt the second time around. The No. 2 Shamrocks beat No. 7 Martins Ferry 35-18 on Friday night, Nov. 6, at Shamrock Stadium in a Division V, Region 17 regional quarterfinal, completing a season sweep of the rival Purple Riders and improving to 11-0. The final score was listed identically by the Zanesville Times Recorder, the Columbus Dispatch, the Mansfield News Journal and High School On SI.
The game was a rematch with real history. Barnesville won the regular-season meeting 25-21 at Martins Ferry on Oct. 9 — a result shown on Barnesville’s MaxPreps schedule and recapped by Barnesville Area News, which reported the Shamrocks handed Martins Ferry its first loss of the season that night. Friday’s loss was Martins Ferry’s second of the year, and both came against Barnesville; the Purple Riders’ season ends at 10-2.
The Shamrocks entered the night rested. The OHSAA’s pairings gave No. 2 Barnesville (10-0) a first-round bye, and the Zanesville Times Recorder noted in its Week 12 preview that Barnesville and New Lexington were both opening their postseasons on Nov. 6 after sitting out the first round. Martins Ferry, 10-1 entering Friday per the OHSAA pairings, had no such rest — and Barnesville made the fresher legs count over four quarters at Shamrock Stadium, where kickoff was set for 7 p.m., according to Barnesville Area News’ broadcast preview.
No postgame statistical report for this game had been published by the sources checked Saturday morning, so NewsForce247 is reporting the result, the records and the matchup details confirmed by the scoreboards and the OHSAA — and nothing beyond them. The 35-18 margin, wider than October’s four-point game, moves Barnesville within two wins of a regional title.
What happens next: Barnesville hosts No. 3 Girard in the Region 17 semifinal on Friday, Nov. 13. YSN Live reported that Girard beat Cardinal Mooney 35-21 in its quarterfinal to stay unbeaten at 11-0 and earn the trip to Barnesville, and Barnesville’s MaxPreps schedule already lists the Nov. 13 Girard game. Two 11-0 teams, one spot in the regional final — Shamrock Stadium gets the game of the week in the Ohio Valley.
Photo: Bwsmith84, CC BY