The 30th annual Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis Football Classic belonged entirely to Ohio.
Behind a dominant defense and a standout performance from Marietta’s Seth Britton, the Buckeye squad rolled to a 23-0 shutout over West Virginia Friday night at Bill Hanlin Field in St. Marys.
Britton, who rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player for Team Ohio. His bruising, straight-ahead running set the tone early and often.
“It’s fun to run somebody over, and that’s the best part of football if you ask me,” Britton said. “Everybody was ready to go and we played with a lot of energy.”
After both teams exchanged early punts, Ohio flipped the field with a booming 48-yard kick from Barnesville’s Evan Lough, pinning West Virginia at their own one-yard line. The Ohio defense allowed just one yard, forcing a short punt and giving their offense the ball at the WVU 40.
Britton took it from there, carrying the ball on four consecutive plays and finishing it off with a six-yard touchdown run. He also powered in the two-point conversion to give Ohio an 8-0 lead.
West Virginia had a golden opportunity to respond early in the second quarter when they took over at the Ohio 33-yard line. Fairmont’s Dominic Fantasia powered the ball into the red zone, but Southern’s Zach Thomas made a game-changing play, intercepting a pass inside the 10 and returning it out to the 33.
Ohio capitalized with a methodical 12-play, 67-yard drive, again capped by Britton — this time on a nine-yard touchdown run. Lough’s extra point made it 15-0.
WVU tried to answer before halftime when St. Marys quarterback Ryan Kent connected with Wirt County’s Porter Goodwin for a 45-yard strike deep into Ohio territory. But Thomas made another big defensive play, knocking away a pass at the five-yard line to preserve the shutout.
Ohio’s defense only got better from there. West Virginia managed just one first down in the entire second half, with Fort Frye standouts Braxton Ross, Treven Nicholson, and Maddox Huck leading the charge.
“They know the system really well and they were able to just kind of play free,” said Ohio head coach Eric Huck. “They’re great football players — that’s why they’re here.”
Ohio added one final score in the fourth quarter when Buckeye Trail’s Blake Wayble powered in a five-yard touchdown run. Meigs’ Zach Goble added the two-point conversion to round out the scoring.
The win marked Ohio’s second straight victory in the BACF Classic and their 14th overall in 30 games.
Coach Huck, who previously coached in the event, had high praise for Britton’s performance.
“I’ve seen what he can do for Marietta,” said Huck. “It was nice to finally have him on our side for a change.”
For Britton, who plans to attend Ohio University this fall and may not play football again anytime soon, the night was special.
“It was a blast,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.”
West Virginia’s MVP honors went to punter Braden Haught from Ritchie County, who averaged over 42 yards on five punts.
Ohio held West Virginia to just 130 total yards and delivered a complete team performance for a great cause.
“The defense played extremely well, especially up front,” Huck said. “I thought our front seven would be good, and they were unbelievable.”
With the stands filled and the community behind them, the players delivered a memorable night in the name of fighting cystic fibrosis — and Ohio left no doubt who owned the field.
