Saine pushes Piqua past Xenia, 42-7
Speedster scores three touchdowns as Indians roll up 435 yards of offense.
By Greg Billing
Staff Writer
Saturday, September 02, 2006
PIQUA — While the Xenia High School football team discovered a few flaws to work on in practice next week, several other factors played a part in Piqua's surprising 42-7 win in a Greater Western Ohio Conference crossover game Friday.
There was Piqua running back Brandon Saine and his 249 yards and three touchdowns (runs of 52, 3 and 74 yards) on 22 carries.
There was Piqua quarterback Justin Hemm's 138 yards and two touchdowns (3, 6) on 11 carries.
And then there was Piqua's eye-opening loss to Grove City last Friday when the defense allowed 48 points. Wanting no repeat performance of that — and especially an 0-2 start — the groundwork for Piqua's victory over Xenia started when the Indians climbed on the bus for the ride back home.
"We wanted to come out and prove what the Piqua program is all about," said senior defensive back Phil Collier, who had two of Piqua's three interceptions.
While Piqua was rolling up 435 yards in total offense (410 of that came on the ground), the defense held the Buccaneers to 189. Xenia workhorse running back Aston Jackson showed good quickness, strong cuts and toughness, but likely will be sore today after he was sent into Piqua's defense 21 times for 52 yards.
While Jackson was paying for nearly every yard, Saine — who found out at halftime he had been nominated to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl — helped the Indians cash in. He blasted 52 yards up the middle on Piqua's first play from scrimmage. He ran 74 yards from scrimmage in the third quarter after a 16-yard punt return when he let the ball bounce, relaxed and watched the ball roll to fool the defense, then picked it up and ran.
"That was probably the worst exhibition of tackling I've seen in my three years at Xenia," Bucs coach Ed Mignery said. "Brandon Saine and (Hemm) had something to with that, too."
Piqua coach Bill Nees said nothing drastic changed from Week 1 to Week 2. It was mostly the Indians' desire, not a rewriting of the playbook.
"I think it was more our mental attitude," Nees said. "We were more focused at practice, and there were little things going for us like being at home this week."
Contact this reporter at 225-2400, ext. 6991.
