'He is something to watch': DeVito accounts for 4 touchdowns as Shelby runs away with win

GALION — After the first quarter of Friday night's Shelby-Galion showdown, Whippet quarterback Brayden DeVito was on pace to throw for 716 yards.

He cooled off a bit after that but still did more than enough to lead Shelby to a 35-6 victory in a key Mid Ohio Athletic Conference clash.

Both teams entered the game with 4-0 overall records, 1-0 in the conference, but the Whippets ran away with the contest, establishing a running clock early in the fourth quarter.

DeVito was the catalyst. The junior went 17-for-23 passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 134 yards and another score.

"The DeVito kid, he is something to watch, isn't he?" Galion coach Matt Dick asked. "He's worth the price of admission. You've got to give the kid a lot of credit."

Shelby's defense once again played inspired ball, forcing three turnovers and keeping an explosive Tiger team off the board until late in the fourth quarter.

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"I thought our guys were extremely motivated this week," Whippet coach Rob Mahaney said. "To come out here for this opportunity, to have this challenge in front of them, to come to Galion in a rivalry game, I felt really good about our team and where our headspace was.

"I thought we had something to prove tonight."

Shelby set the tone early with a fumble recovery by Kyler Williams. The Whippets needed only three plays to score on a short pass from DeVito to sophomore wide receiver Brady Bowman, who did the rest, streaking down the left sideline for a 46-yard touchdown.

Bowman is emerging from Shelby's bevy of receivers. He caught five passes for 91 yards.

"That Bowman kid, what a special athlete. He's got another gear," Dick said.

The Tigers responded by driving to the Shelby 4-yard line, but an interception in the end zone by Brock Fisher ended the drive. Galion lost the ball on its first two possessions.

"Turnovers, just not punching it in a couple of times," Dick said. "It changes the game."

The Whippets made Galion pay when Marcus Gumbert capped off an 80-yard drive with a 5-yard scoring run for a 14-0 advantage.

"Our kids did a great job of coming out and executing the script. We script the first 10 plays," Mahaney said.

By the end of the first quarter, DeVito already had passed for 179 yards.

"When DeVito dances around for five minutes and throws the deep ball, I wouldn't be surprised that receivers are open," Dick said.

DeVito hooked up with Nic Eyster, who was making his return from an injury, on an 8-yard touchdown with less than a minute before halftime to give the Whippets a commanding 20-0 lead and take away some energy from a huge crowd.

DeVito opened the second half with an 11-yard TD scamper that was culmination of a 92-yard drive that proved to be the backbreaker.

For good measure, he hit Michael Shepherd for a 38-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to establish the running clock.

"Offensively, let's be honest, Brayden DeVito is a dog," Mahaney said. "He is a really good football player. When you challenge him, this is what you see."

Dick said the Whippets put his defenders in positions they won't see from any other teams this year.

"A lot of it is 1-on-1 play because that's how they play, and your kids have got to make a play," he said.

Mahaney also wanted to talk about his defense.

"Our front-7 does a really good job of controlling the game," Mahaney said. "Right away, we got to the quarterback and got him throwing off platform."

Mahaney mentioned Brayden Schartiger, Karsen Homan, Hunter Oney, Williams, Cohen Sturts, Sam Gwirtz and Denny Lafon.

"We played really well and physical," the coach said. "I thought defensively we played awesome."

He also credited the secondary for keeping plays in front of it. Fisher finished with two picks.

"We wanted to come out and prove who we are as a football team, and I think we proved that tonight," Mahaney said.

For the Tigers, Braxton Prosser went 12-for-22 passing for 126 yards and an 8-yard scoring pass to Landyn Prosser to spoil the shutout.

"The kids did keep fighting," Dick said. "Hats off to Shelby. That's a good team."

mcaudill@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: 'He is something to watch': DeVito accounts for 4 touchdowns as Shelby runs away with win