Grizzlies thwart Phoenix's upset bid

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Ashland High running back Lewis Sebrell breaks away from a Phoenix defender during the first quarter of Friday’s nonconference game with the Pirates at Walter A. Phillips Field in Ashland.

ASHLAND — Confronted with the error of their own ways and a challenge from a spirited opponent, the Ashland High School football team turned to its senior stars and dodged a potential early-season upset, grinding down Phoenix 36-16 in a nonleague contest Friday night at Walter A. Phillips Field.

Quarterback Talon Haggard threw three touchdown passes, two to senior Charlie Sebrell, for the Grizzlies (2-0). Lewis Sebrell added a pair of scores, one via land and one via air, as Ashland won its 13th consecutive regular-season game dating back to 2006.

"I wasn't very pleased with how we played in the first half," Ashland coach Charlie Hall said. "I told our older players if they don't make plays, we can't expect the younger guys to do so."

The Grizzlies, who had beaten Phoenix 41-0 last season, faced a much tougher Pirates squad this time around. Adding to their woes were 13 penalties for 71 yards.

Phoenix, which failed to score on four possessions in Ashland territory in the first half, rallied within 14-8 midway through the third quarter.

That's when Haggard and Charlie Sebrell hooked up on a spectacular 88-yard touchdown pass on third-and-21. Haggard's pass was slightly underthrown, but Sebrell came back to the ball, caught it just across midfield, shook off the lone defender in the vicinity and raced untouched to the end zone for a 22-8 lead.

"Coming out in the second half, we noticed their safety was playing up," Haggard said. "The first time we tried it, I had to scramble. He (Sebrell) made a great catch and broke a tackle and he was gone."

Undeterred, Phoenix marched inside the Ashland 30 for the second time in the half. On a crucial third down, Lewis Sebrell blitzed from his linebacker spot and hit Phoenix quarterback Chris Kammel just as he released the ball. The ball fluttered into the waiting arms of T.J. Murphy, whose interception at the Ashland 24 ended the threat.

"I hit him right when his arm was going forward," Lewis Sebrell said.

From there Lewis Sebrell took over on the ground, running six times on an eight-play drive that he capped with a 12-yard scamper, extending the margin to 29-8.

Sebrell finished with 107 yards on 16 carries, as the Grizzlies rolled up 258 yards as a team.

"The line surged a lot in the second half," he said. "I'm really proud of our line tonight."

Backup quarterback Jake Scarminach added a nifty 19-yard scramble to put the icing on the victory.

Ashland took a 6-0 lead on its second possession of the game when Haggard threw his first varsity touchdown pass, a 15-yard fade to Charlie Sebrell in the corner of the end zone.

But Phoenix (1-1) controlled the balance of the first half, running 15 consecutive plays in Grizzlies territory with nary a point to show for the effort. Haggard intercepted a tipped pass at the Ashland 6-yard line to end one scoring threat and Charlie Sebrell recovered a Wayne Holmes fumble at the 1 on Phoenix's next possession.

The Grizzlies finally got moving late in the first half after holding Phoenix on downs at their 21-yard line. Haggard completed 4 of 5 passes on an eight-play drive and mixed in a couple of scrambles. He hit Lewis Sebrell on a screen pass for a 15-yard touchdown with 31 seconds remaining in the half to extend Ashland's lead to 14-0.

Phoenix opened the second half with its best drive of the night, a 13-play, 74-yard march that included three third-down conversions and a fourth-down conversion. Armando Ledesma (164 yards rushing, two TDs) scored on a sweep from 24 yards out to cut the margin to 14-8.

Haggard (9 of 18, 178 yards) and Charlie Sebrell (five catches, 136 yards) connected barely a minute later and the Grizzlies were on their way.

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