PORTSMOUTH – Even though Unioto’s offense struggled and looked a little sloppy in the first quarter during its season opener against Portsmouth, the Sherman Tanks’ defense set the tone against the host Trojans.
Unioto’s defense was suffocating from start to finish, and once the offense got going, Portsmouth had no answer. It all added up to a dominating 42-0 non-conference victory on Thursday, Aug. 21, at Portsmouth’s Trohan Coliseum.
Unioto muddled its way through most of the first quarter on offense but was able to score late in the first quarter, then added 21 points in the second to take a 28-0 halftime lead. The Tanks scored early in the third quarter, and the rest of the game was played with a running clock because of the score differential.
“The defense set the tone and did a great job until our offense got going, and you expect that in the first game,” Unioto coach Matt Hoops said. “I thought the offense did a nice job of overcoming some adversity early on. We were able to settle down, and the offensive line took over and allowed us to start moving the ball.”
Defense played at an elite level
The Tanks’ defense flew to the ball throughout the entire game and didn’t allow the Trojans’ offense to get into any rhythm. Simply put, Unioto was dominant.
The Tanks limited the Trojans to only 47 total yards – 17 yards rushing on 19 attempts, and 30 yards passing – and they forced a turnover.
“All year in practice, we have had that intensity on defense.” Unioto senior Cody Braden said, “We have experience on the defensive side, and the coaches hype us up in practice. Even if we are struggling with offense, we know we can rely on our defense, so we always have that in the back of our minds.”
After sluggish start, offense kicks into high gear
Unioto’s offense turned the ball over on its first…
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Publish date : 2025-08-22 04:43:00
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