Barnesville Holds Off Late Martins Ferry Drive For Win

Shamrocks Improve To 8-0 With 25-21 Squeaker Over Purple Riders

MARTINS FERRY - There are some games that just don't live up to all the hype. Friday night's 'meetin' of the unbeaten' between Barnesville and Martins Ferry did not fall into that category.

The Shamrocks (8-0) held off a late surge by the Purple Riders (7-1) to escape a standing-room-only Purple Rider Stadium inside the Dave Bruney Football Complex with a 25-21 heart-stopping victory.

"It's a shame that someone had to lose tonight.That is what high school football is all about," a jubilant Barnesville head coach Blake Allen said. "Both sides refused to give in. There were momentum swings up-and-down. It appeared we had it put away but hat's off to Martins Ferry and Coach Kropka, they never quit.

"I just told our guys 'to go on the road to Fort Frye and Martins Ferry back-to-back and get two wins is amazing.'"

Trailing 25-21 after recovering an onside kick, their third in three weeks, the Purple Riders drove deep inside Shamrocks' territory. However, on third-and-goal from the 2, Walkquem Cox was hauled down by Phoenix Graham and Cole Atkinson for a three-yard loss. On fourth down with time winding down, the snap to Colby Kropka in the shotgun was off the mark as the ball rolled to the 15. Kropka scooped it up but his desperation heave was picked off by Evan Carpenter in the end zone to seal the hard-earned win.

Barnesville took a knee before the celebration started.

"It's was a lot of grit tonight," Allen said. "A lot of teams would have folded when the momentum changed there towards the end of the game, but our defense came up with a couple of huge plays."

The Shamrocks, who were No. 4 in the latest Ohio Division V, Region 17 ratings and one spot ahead of the Purple Riders, led 25-15 after Trey Toliver, who had been bottled up for most of the night, burst up the middle of the line and outran everyone to paydirt from 42 yards out. Linas Graef booted the extra point with 5:40 left to play.

"Both teams were doing the best they could to hold the two tailbacks in check. Both kids run so hard, but our line was available to give Trey just enough room to let him bust loose."

Christian Shutler hauled in a 43-yard strike from Kropka on Martins Ferry's first play of the ensuing possession. Kropka then completed back-to-back 11-yard strikes to Elijah Roby and Jakori Cox that moved the ball to the Barnesville 17. On second down, Jakori Cox took a jet sweep into the end zone, but a bad snap on the point-after left the Purple Riders down by 4.

Jacob Theaker perfectly executed the onside kick as Javis Johnson Jr. recovered at the Barnesville 48, but the Shamrocks defense stiffened when it needed to.

"We gave away some opportunities in the first half," Martins Ferry head coach Justin Kropka said. "We jumped off sides a couple of times and had a big turnover, but I thought we showed championship character though in the way we fought back.

"It's a shame the way the game ended," he added. "I would have rather got stuffed at the goal line than it ended the way it did, but it is what it is. We'll learn and get better from it and go from there."

Barnesville took the opening kickoff and marched 69 yards on 10 plays as Toliver crashed in from a yard out behind the blocking of 6-4, 320-pound Kaiden Berry. Toliver carried eight times on the drive for 57 yards.

Berry set the Shamrocks up with a fumble recovery at the Purple Riders' 45.

It took just one play for Barnesville to find the end zone as quarterback Colt Carpenter found a wide open Evan Carpenter - no relation - down the right hash and delivered a strike. The try for two failed, leaving the visitors ahead 12-0.

Martins Ferry, with the help of a 15-yard personal foul penalty against Barnesville on the kickoff, started at the Shamrocks' 45. Seven plays later, Walkquem Cox started left before cutting back and finding the end zone from six yards out. Theaker's placement made it 12-7 at the half.

The third quarter was a defensive battle with Barnesville's Talon Anderson recovering a fumble to stop one Martins ferry drive, while Walkquem Cox was caught for a 5-yard loss on third-and-2 that stalled a 12-play drive that ended on a fourth-down incompletion.

Colt Carpenter picked up 18 yards on a first down sneak and Toliver carried 11 times, the last being a 7-yard burst over left tackle to make it 18-7 with 10:12 left to play.

Martins Ferry responded with a 5-play, 58-yard drive as Kropka, rolling to his left and under pressure, lofted the ball into the end zone where Roby made a diving catch to complete the 25-yard scoring play. Roby then ran for the two points as the lead was 18-15.

Toliver finished with 154 yards on 25 totes and now has 4,838 for his career. His three TDs upped his career total to 84.

Walkquem Cox ran for 128 yards on 28 carries, but only had one run longer than 9 yards. Kropka completed 11 of 18 passes for 146 yards.

Martins Ferry remains at home to face Toledo Woodward before entering Bellaire in week 10. Barnesville, meanwhile, returns to Shamrock Stadium to meet Wheeling Central for Homecoming 2026. They end the regular season at home against Union Local.

Both head coaches said a rematch could be looming in the playoffs.

Barnesville 25, Martins Ferry 21

Barnes 6 6 0 13 - 25

Ferry 0 7 0 14 - 21

B-Toliver 1 run (kick failed)

B-E. Carpenter 45 pass from C. Carpenter (run failed)

F-W. Cox 6 run (Theaker kick)

B-Toliver 7 run (pass failed)

F-Roby 25 pass from Kropka (Roby run)

B-Toliver 42 run (Graef kick)

F-J. Cox 17 run (pass failed)

RUSHING: Barnesville 33-205-3tds (Toliver 25-154-3tds, Wells 3-32, C. Carpenter 5-19). Martins Ferry 42-199-2tds (W. Cox 28-128-2tds, J. Cox 5-61-td, Ball 2-7, Kropka 7-3)

PASSING: Barnesville 3-6-51-td (all by C. Carpenter). Martins Ferry 11-18-146-td-int (all by Kropka)

RECEIVING: Barnesville 3-51-td (E. Carpenter 1-45-td, Graham 1-11, Swallie 1-(-5). Martins Ferry 11-146-td (Roby 4-49-td, J. Cox 3-31, W. Cox 2-8, Shutler 1-43, Ball 1-15)

FIRST DOWNS: Barnesville 14. Martins Ferry 22

FUMBLES: Barnesville 1-0. Martins Ferry 2-2

PENALTIES: Barnesville 4-30. Martins Ferry 5-25.