PERFECT: Sandusky tops Pirates in Hometown Showdown, end regular season 10-0

By Bob ZoellnerSpecial to the RegisterSANDUSKY — Fresh off a big win at Bellevue last week that cemented at least a share of the Lake division title in the Sandusky's foray into the new-look Sandusky Bay Conference, the Blue Streaks didn't want to settle.They wanted it all for themselves.It what has become known as the "Hometown Showdown" with Perkins, a longtime member of the SBC, Sandusky left little doubt about an outright championship, running away with a 40-9 victory at Strobel Field. It also capped an undefeated regular season (10-0, 5-0), the first one since 1990 when Sandusky set the program win record with 12, including two playoff victories."It's a tremendous feeling," said Sandusky senior receiver and defensive back Keith Willliams. "We've been preaching all week we wanted to do something big. 10-0 was what we needed to do, and we got it done tonight."The Cedar Point Stadium crowd, sitting through a steady second half downpour, saw Sandusky pull away in the second half and put up 256 total yards on the ground, including 115 yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Ja'Vez Alexander. He also threw for 102 yards on a 6-of-9 showing, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Sam Hunter in the first quarter.After struggling to start the year in dropping its first seven games, Perkins (2-8, 2-3) had been on a modest two-game win streak with a chance to finish above .500 in the SBC, but Sandusky, currently ranked 4th in this week's Division III Associated Press state poll, took control of the game from the opening whistle and, after a sluggish second quarter, turned it up a notch in the second half and never looked back."It's more special when you're a coach," said Blue Streak coach Mike Franklin, who was a senior quarterback on that 1990 team. "The SBC and (Northern Ohio League) have always been good leagues. You kind of combine them them and you're going to get some real good football, some of the best football in northern Ohio."All the scoring in the first half was done in the first 10:03 of the game as the Streaks built a 14-3 lead that stood until halftime.After Perkins coughed up the ball on its first possession, Sandusky needed just two plays to reach the endzone. Williams recovered the Perkins fumble at the Sandusky 48 with 10:15 left in the first quarter. Alexander needed just two touches after that to score, the second a 44-yard run for the early lead. He sliced through the Perkins defense at the line of scrimmage, then broke four tackles along the way to set the tone for the Streaks.Perkins responded with a 14-play drive on its next possession that took 6:01 off the clock, but got bogged down at the Sandusky 21, settling for a Lucas Salmon 38-yard field goal. Sandusky then reached paydirt again on its ensuing possession, needing just four plays to cover 62 yards with the score coming on the toss to Hunter. The first play of the scoring drive was a 51-yard deep ball down the left side from Alexander to Williams, who also added a 56-yard kick-off return to start the third quarter which led to a quick Sandusky score."I know my role," Williams said. "I'm a captain and I'm a leader, and everybody follows me. I try my best to spark a play and I know how my team is. When we spark plays and follow up, it's contagious out there."The second quarter play slowed considerably as each team found moving the ball tougher, resulting in two punts apiece heading into the halftime break.Alexander added two scoring runs in the third quarter, a 13-yard run up the middle untouched and a 36-yard run that followed his blockers through the line before breaking four tackles on the way to the endzone. A Terion Stewart 4-yard run just before the third quarter ended put Sandusky up 34-3, resulting in a running clock for the fourth period. Stewart, who went over 1,000 yards last week on a 279-yard, four touchdown effort in a 49-35 win over Bellevue, finished with 66 yards on 12 carries. He now has 1,214 yards on 136 attempts, an 8.9 yard average."They're just a good football team," said Perkins coach Jason Ziegler. "I'm pround of the way our seniors played. I thought in the first half of the game we did everything we could. I'm proud of how our seniors played all year through adversity."It's just one of those things where they're a better team," he added. "I wish them the best. They are going to do some damage in the playoffs. They had some big plays and we didn't stop the big play. They have some explosive players."The Streaks will know where and who they play in the first round of the playoffs after tomorrow morning's bracket announcement. There's still an outside chance the Streaks could host a first round game after Clyde lost to Bellevue last night. Clyde sat at the fourth positions and Sandusky fifth in their region, but could flip-flop when the final computer points are tallied. The top four in each region host a first round game."The kids would love to play at home," Franklin said. "You always want to play in front of your home crowd. It's just special to be a part of Week 11 and that's the most important thing. That's one of our goals. We just keep crossing the line that we set and we look forward to keep going." [gallery]Sandusky's Kendrick Scott Jr. congratulates teammate Ja'Vez Alexander after a touchdown against Perkins on Friday, Oct. 27, 2017.Sandusky senior Shantaris Brown leads a group celebrating a touchdown during Friday's game against Perkins at Strobel Field. Sandusky's Ja'Vez Alexander runs the ball for a touchdown during Friday's home game against Perkins. Sophomores Anadia Churchwell and Lovella Nickolson-Pickens celebrate a Sandusky touchdown against Perkins by ringing the school's pep club bell on Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 Sandusky defensive linemen chase Perkins' quarterback Blake Smith for a sack on Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 at Strobel Field. Sandusky's Terion Stewart finds a hole in Perkins' defense to drive the ball toward the end zone at Friday's home game.