ZANESVILLE -Marietta got on the scoreboard for the first time in four games, and it was an inauspicious start for Zanesville.
Still, once the host Blue Devils got rolling, there was no stopping them.
ZHS threw an interception and punted on its first two possessions Friday night.
Article Photos
CHRIS CROOK Special to The Times
Marietta High’s Quinton Coffield (10) looks for daylight against Zanesville during East Central Ohio League football action Friday night.
Then, the Zanesville offense found a rhythm, scoring on its final six drives of the first half en route to a 39-6 win over the Adam Eichhorn-coached Tigers in an East Central Ohio League football game at John D. Sulsberger Memorial Stadium.
Zanesville finished 4-1 in the ECOL and 9-1 overall as the Blue Devils will host a first-round game next Friday.
"It's the third time in six years that we finished 9-1," ZHS coach Chad Grandstaff said. "We get to play in Week 11 again. Hopefully, we can get win No. 10 next week and go from there."
Fact Box
Zanesville 39, Marietta 6
Marietta 0 0 0 6 - 6
Zanesville 12 27 0 0 - 39
First quarter
Z: Matty Lynn 6-yard pass from Thomas Wibbeler (kick failed), 3:17
Z: J.T. McFarland 1-yard run (kick failed), 1:34
Second quarter
Z: Lynn 35-yard pass from Wibbeler (Cody Dent kick), 10:12
Z: Dar Stanford 12-yard pass from Wibbeler (kick failed), 4:56
Z: Jamal Gladden 9-yard run (Will Weir kick), 2:19
Z: McFarland 45-yard pass from Wibbeler (Dent kick), 1:01
Fourth quarter
M: Chance Wright 32-yard pass from Anthony Kimbrough (kick failed), 11:52
Team Stats
Z M
First downs 14 10
Rushes-Yards 32-59 28-82
Passes-Comp.-Int. 17-23-1 8-26-1
Passing Yards 269 91
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-0
Penalties-Yards 3-44 5-59
Individual Leaders
Rushing: Zanesville: J.T. McFarland 5-11, Thomas Wibbeler 6-15, Jamal Gladden 2-7, Deaunte Goins 4-17. Marietta: Anthony Kimbrough 12-29, Quinton Coffield 11-42, Spencer Frum 3-1, Connor Beavers 1-5, Garrett Davis 2-5.
Passing: Zanesville: Wibbeler 17-21-1-269. Marietta: Kimbrough 8-26-1-91.
Receiving: McFarland 4-76, Matty Lynn 4-62, Dar Stanford 3-51, Brady Armstrong 3-40, Granger Long 3-40. Marietta: Chance Wright 3-49, Davis 2-22, Beavers 2-16, Jaron Binegar 1-4.
Thomas Wibbeler, who finished 17 of 21 for 269 yards and four touchdowns, overcame his early struggles on Zanesville's third series. The junior completed 6-of-8 passes on the drive, including a 6-yard scoring strike to Matty Lynn to cap the 13-play drive that covered 66 yards. The extra point was blocked, but the Blue Devils were up 6-0 with 3:17 left in the first quarter.
J.T. McFarland set up the next score when he intercepted Marietta's Anthony Kimbrough and returned the ball to the Tigers' 1-yardline. Two plays later, McFarland jumped over the pile for a 1-yard touchdown run. A bad snap on the extra point kept the lead 12-0 with 1:34 remaining in the first.
Zanesville scored 27 points in the second quarter. The Blue Devils forced the Tigers (0-5, 1-9) to punt on the ensuing drive to get the ball at their 41. Wibbeler needed just four plays to get Zanesville in the end zone when he found Lynn, who fought his way out of a pile, for a 35-yard touchdown. Cody Dent added the extra point for a 19-0 cushion with 10:12 left in the second quarter.
After another Tigers' punt, Zanesville had to cover just 35 yards on five plays, thanks to a personal foul call on the punt return. Dar Stanford hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass to stretch the lead to 25-0.
Jamal Gladden capped the Blue Devils' next drive with a 9-yard touchdown run, and McFarland caught a 45-yard pass from Wibbeler for the final score of the first half as Will Weir and Dent each added extra points to make it 39-0 at the break.
"Once we figured out what their defense was doing, we made the adjustments," Grandstaff said. "We were able to score six straight times and put the" game out of reach."
The Zanesville defense did its part in the first half. The Tigers were held to 25 total yards and one first down in the first two quarters.
Marietta finished with 173 yards as most came against the Blue Devils' reserve squad.
"I was real pleased with the defensive effort," Grandstaff said. "They played with passion", and we can always count on them."
McFarland led Zanesville receivers with four catches for 76 yards, while Lynn had four catches for 62 yards, Stanford three receptions for 51 yards, and Brady Armstrong and Granger Long each had three catches for 40 yards.
Kimbrough was one of 11 in the first half, but finished 8 of 26 for 91 yard, including a 32-yard touchdown pass to Chance Wright in the fourth quarter. Wright caught three passes for 49 yards, and Quinton Coffield ran the ball 11 times for 42 yards.
Marietta exits with a 1-9 overall record. The Tigers won their late-August opener at Morgan, and then dropped the next nine contests.
Before Wright scored, MHS had been blanked by New Philadelphia, Bishop Rosecrans and Dover, respectively.
