Photo by Kim North Barnesville’s Cam Carpenter (3) leaps over Wheelersburg’s Kenyon Evans (2) during the first quarter of Friday night’s Ohio Division V, Region 19 quarterfinal at Shamrock Stadium. The Pirates’ Xander Mowery (12) tries to make the tackle while the Shamrocks’ Colt Carpenter (1) looks to block.

BARNESVILLE — The seniors on the Barnesville football team won 43 games and lost five during their careers. They beat every team on the schedule at least once during the last four seasons, except one — Wheelersburg.

The Pirates (7-4) once again stunned the No. 3 Shamrocks (10-1) by a 24-7 count Friday night at chill-filled Shamrock Stadium in an Ohio Division V, Region 19 quarterfinal playoff contest.

It marked the third consecutive season that Barnesville has seen its perfect season ended by Wheelersburg, which was a deceiving No. 14 seed.

“A lot of people look at our record and ask what kind of team we are. We’ve been through a gauntlet and our kids have stayed strong. Iron sharpens iron,” veteran Wheelersburg head coach Ron Woodward said of his team’s rugged schedule. “From the very first kickoff tonight I thought we showed that we are a very physical football team. We brought it defensively for the entire game.”

He was referring to when several Pirates hit kick returner Bradey McIntire, forcing a fumble that the Shamrocks’ Cam Carpenter eventually fell on.

With the wire-to-wire win, the Pirates will make a return trip to western Belmont County next Friday to face No. 11 Union Local (9-2) which shocked No. 6 Nelsonville-York, 23-13, on Boston Field in Nelsonville on Friday.

Barnesville couldn’t muster a running game, convert on third down or stop Wheelersburg on third down in the first half. It had one yard rushing and watched the Pirates move the sticks on four of six tries while going 0-for-5 itself on third down.

“It’s all on me. One hundred percent. I didn’t have them ready to play in the first half. I thought they showed a lot of fight in the second half,” Barnesville head coach Blake Allen stressed. “It’s extremely disappointing to have the season we did and to be done in one (playoff) game.

“I’m sure there are going to be a lot of people critiquing what we should be doing, but I just want to tell everyone out there, don’t blame the kids. This loss was on me and my coaches. We’ve got to work harder. The kids did everything we asked of them. Yes, we lost but the kids played their tails off.”

Wheelersburg drove 77 yards on seven plays after stopping Barnesville on a fourth-down attempt in the first quarter. Quarterback Braylon Rucker’s 38-yard run was the key play on the march that was capped by Ison Emnett’s 2-yard run. Cooper Heimbach’s PAT was good and the visitors led 7-0 with 48.8 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Shamrocks picked up a first down but had to punt on their third possession and the Pirates made it 14-0.

Wheelersburg converted four consecutive third downs en route to a 13-play, 65-yard drive that chewed up just over six minutes off the clock. Elijah Brown scampered around his left end from 4 yards out and Heimbach’s placement capped the drive.

Heimbach would complete the first half with a 46-yard field goal that put the Pirates ahead 17-0 with 24.7 showing. However, he missed from 43 on the first drive of the second half, giving the Shamrocks some hope.

Following an exchange of punts, Barnesville went 62 yards on eight plays as Casey Carpenter found Camden Carpenter all alone on the left hashmark and Camden waltzed into the end zone. Evan Lough added the extra point for a 17-7 deficit.

Late in the third quarter, Barnesville mounted a drive that carried over into the fourth quarter. However, it stalled at the Wheelersburg 42 after back-to-back incomplete passes. Coincidental penalties wiped out a huge Barnesville gain on a pass from Carpenter to Eli Messenger during the drive.

“Hat’s off to Barnesville. They never gave up,” Woodward added. “They battled through the whole second half and gave us fits at times. I’m so proud of our kid’s conditioning, their work ethic and how they went about tonight.

“Our kids were so physical up front and that’s the most physical I’ve seen our defensive backs play,” Woodward said of his defense which held the powerful Barnesville offense to seven points and just 48 yards rushing on 21 carries. “The kids brought it tonight.”

The Shamrocks had another golden opportunity slip through their fingers – literally – midway through the fourth quarter and the Pirates sealed the deal when Rucker executed a perfect bootleg for 18 yards. Heimbach tacked on the final point with 1:26 remaining.

What was Allen’s final message to his seniors?

“Thank you. Thank you for everything. I know they are beating themselves up right now.”

Wheelersburg ran the ball 47 times for 263 yards and three touchdowns as Rucker gained 113 on 16 carries and Brown had 17 totes for 91.

Koby Jones led Barnesville with 44 yards on nine carries as Trey Toliver suffered an ankle injury on Barnesville’s first play of the third quarter. Casey Carpenter passed for 168 yards on 21 of 33. Camden Carpenter caught a season-high eight passes for 49. McIntire finished with four receptions for 58 yards. Colt Carpenter and Bode Carpenter each had three catches.