Special teams loomed large in Sheridan football's playoff loss

Nairavoice | Nov 7, 2026 5h ago 64 0 5 min read

Special teams loomed large in Sheridan football's playoff loss

COLUMBUS — A script-like night for football was “special” for Michael Thompson-Ayers and the rest of the East Tiger return men.

Quite literally, it was their performance on special teams in their Division III, Region 11 quarterfinal matchup with visiting Sheridan that made this night memorable.

Thompson-Ayers’ 65-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was East’s second long return of the half — Dominique Edwards had a 55-yarder on the opening kickoff — that impacted the game so much that visiting Sheridan didn’t even kick their way until the final minute of the second half.

It was the key factor in the third-seeded Tigers’ 42-28 win before a festive crowd on Nov. 6 at Harley Field. East, a which lost in the Division IV quarterfinals in 2025, advanced to face unbeaten Licking Valley at 7 p.m. on Nov. 13 at Randy Baughman Stadium.

More: Why Sheridan volleyball’s fast start wasn’t enough vs. Bloom-Carroll

More: OHSAA high school football playoff scores, live updates from Week 12

More: Ohio high school football playoff scores for Week 12

More: New Lex survives defensive showdown to shut down Heath

No play hurt more than his 65-yard return through the heart of the Sheridan coverage team, just seconds after it cut a 13-0 lead to six on Tyce Whiteman’s 8-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Connors over the middle with 39 seconds left before halftime.

With the Generals due to get the ball after halftime, it turned out to be a 14-point swing when Whiteman engineered a near-five-minute scoring drive to start the third quarter. Instead of a 14-13 lead, it was a 21-14 deficit five minutes into the second half.

Sheridan coach Paul Culver III said in the case of both first-half returns, the plan was to squib kick the ball away from both deep men, preferably to the sideline to gain an extra defender.

“Their kids got hands on them because we didn’t get a solid kick on the ball,” Culver lamented. “We thought the ball was going one way, maybe sliding out of bounds or into a corner, and it didn’t. Our kids weren’t angling that direction and that hurt us.

“(Lou Goodlow and Thompson-Ayers) were their difference makers,” Culver III added. “We looked slow and out of position at times, but that’s my job to put our kids in position to be successful.”

The Generals spent the rest of the night playing catch-up against the Tigers’ regiment of speedsters, and they did so defending half-fields due to the fear of the Tigers’ return ability. They also dealt with 10 penalties measuring 105 yards, including multiple 15-yarders.

Whiteman’s second touchdown pass to Connors, on fourth-and-goal from the Tiger 14 after a Connor Roshon interception, got Sheridan within 28-21 with 8:01 left.

But a 17-yard keeper from Dion Hansard was followed by a facemask and ensuing unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Sheridan, that set up Edwards’ 15-yard jaunt through traffic. Generals coaches, and most every fan behind their visiting sideline, clamored unsuccessfully for a holding penalty on the play.

Sheridan never got back within a score, as Edwards pushed the lead to 42-21 with his third touchdown at the 2:24 mark. Whiteman’s 31-yard scoring strike to James Solomon was too late to matter beyond aesthetics.

Sheridan finished with a 322-291 edge in offensive yards, but the 120 yards in first-half returns were killers. The Generals also managed only 3.1 yards on 31 carries, as S.J. Shriner was held to 69 yards on 22 carries. Freshman Emmit Gilder, who came on strong in wins against New Lexington and Tri-Valley the last two weeks, was lost to an ankle injury after just six carries and 28 yards.

East also averaged 8.1 yards per play and intercepted two passes. It didn’t punt until its final possession.

❤Enjoying this article? Support our work with a small crypto donation.

“Their speed affects everything,” Sheridan coach Paul Culver III said. “We didn’t block their speed very well, either. Our offensive line struggled with how quick their defensive line was. Looking back, I probably should have called more downhill plays instead of some of the lateral or pulling concepts. That’s on me.”

That Thompson-Ayers made big plays was no surprise. He and 5-6, 175-pound sophomore receiver Goodlow were jitterbugs all season for Hansard, offering two explosive, albeit undersized targets on the outside. Edwards offers a versatile option at running back with the ability to help as a receiver in their spread looks.

The Tigers’ screen game to their receivers was particularly effective in the first half, which included a 26-yarder to Goodlow , who covered roughly 60 yards running back against the grain before being chased down on the opposite sideline.

Goodlow also got loose for a 14-yard catch between the linebackers on fourth-and-12 from the Sheridan 17, which led to Hansard’s third-down sneak from the 2 that made it 13-0 with 6:24 left until half.

It was an ominous sign of things to come.

“We definitely didn’t want to go out like this,” senior receiver Reed Parkison said. “I wanted to play Valley next week. It’s pretty tough, especially being a senior.”

Culver shouldered the blame afterward, though the rash of post-play penalties and missed tackles were hardly his doing. In a season riddled by key injuries, including to 1,400-yard rusher Logan Russell and multiple key defenders, the weekly inconsistency re-emerged against the Tigers.

Hansard was 10-of-13 passing for 163 yards with a touchdown and interception; Edwards (10 carries for 63 yards) and Hansard (8 for 42) combined for 105 rushing yards.

Whiteman finished 17-of-25 passing for 205 yards with three touchdowns against a defense that allowed 10 points or less eight times, which included six shutouts. Six players caught passes. He missed a fourth scoring strike by mere inches on a deep post late in the third, a drive that resulted in a turnover on downs one play later.