For the 31st time in Shelby football history, the Whippets will call themselves league champions.
SHELBY — For the 31st time in Shelby football history, the Whippets will call themselves league champions.
After a 55-10 dominating victory over Pleasant in Week 9, the Whippets clinched at least a share of the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference championship for their sixth MOAC title in the last seven years and 31st league title overall. The 2025 Whippets joined teams from 1927, 1933, 1938, 1940, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1998, 2000, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024 to hang a number on a very crowded football league championship banner.
Standout senior quarterback Brayden DeVito accounted for seven touchdowns and 331 total yards on the evening. He tied Brennan Armstrong on the all-time career rushing touchdowns list with his 65th score as he powered the Whippets to 55 first-half points.
Let's check out the details of the Whippets' championship-clinching win that netted the senior class a 19th straight home victory.
How it all happened
First Quarter
SHELBY: Brayden DeVito 21-yard rush. Two-point attempt failed. 6-0. 10:46.
SHELBY: Michael Shepherd 21-yard pass from Brayden DeVito. Everett Harris kick. 13-0. 7:26
SHELBY: Brayden DeVito 7-yard fumble return. Devito run. 21-0. 7:02.
SHELBY: Michael Shepherd 26-yard pass from Brayden DeVito. Everett Harris kick. 28-0. 1:18.
Second Quarter
SHELBY: Gavin Miller 26-yard pass from Brayden DeVito. Everett Harris kick. 35-0. 10:00
PLEASANT: Weston Shaffer 11-yard run. Chase Van Oosten kick. 35-7. 8:01.
SHELBY: Michael Shepherd 16-yard pass from Brayden DeVito.Everett Harris kick. 42-7. 7:15.
SHELBY: Travis Slone 69-yard run. Everett Harris kick. 49-7. 4:16.
SHELBY: Brayden DeVito 73-yard run. Kick failed. 55-7. 2:13.
Third Quarter
PLEASANT: Chase Van Oosten 33-yard field goal. 55-10. 11:45.
Game Stat Book
Shelby
Passing: Brayden DeVito: 8-for-9, 177 yards, 4 TD’s
Trent Rodman: 2-for-3, 6 yards
Rushing: Brayden DeVito: 7 rushes, 154 yards, 2 TD’s
Travis Slone: 2 rushes, 78 yards, 1 TD
Luke Blevins: 6 rushes, 55 yards
Brady Bowman: 1 rush, 16 yards
Receiving: Brady Bowman: 3 catches, 74 yards
Michael Shepherd: 3 catches, 63 yards, 3 TD’s
Gavin Miller: 1 catch, 26 yards, 1 TD
Landon Foltz: 1 catch, 15 yards
Kayden Paz: 1 catch, 7 yards
Luke Blevins: 1 catch, -1 yards
Defense: Gavin Baker: 1 sack
Cole Dorsey: 1 Interception
Brayden DeVito: 1 Fumble Recovery
Marion Pleasant
Passing: Weston Shaffer: 9-for-15, 34 yards
Rushing: Brody Ringer: 15 rushes, 32 yards
Weston Shaffer: 11 rushes, 25 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: Keean Perriguey: 2 catches, 15 yards
Avery Hamper: 2 catches, 14 yards
Brody Ringer: 5 catches, 5 yards
What they said
Shelby head coach Rob Mahaney on the feeling of three straight MOAC championships: “I have been really fortunate, not only to have coached this group, but a lot of the kids through the seven years I’ve been here. It’s a credit to the players and coaches who have put in the time, and now we get a chance to do something special next week and win the title outright."
Mahaney on the big offensive display, with Brayden DeVito having six offensive touchdowns and Michael Shepherd catching threetouchdowns: “We got Michael to score three different ways, including when he finished on a shovel pass. I think we only ran 18 plays in the first half, but we didn’t repeat any plays. The offensive line did a good job, and Brayden put the ball where it needed to be.”
Brayden DeVito on finding motivation over against a one-win team: “Each week you have to find something to play for. This week it was a chance to check off one of our goals; winning the MOAC. That’s what we try to make the standard at Shelby and to make it three times in a row at Shelby is huge.”
What is next?
Shelby is now 9-0 and 6-0 in conference play. It clinches at least a share of the MOAC, with the ability to clinch the conference outright when it will travel to Marion Harding (3-6) next week. It could be the Whippets' second 10-0 season in a row, something that hasn't happened since 1967-68. Marion Pleasant falls to 1-8, and 0-6 in conference. The Spartans will close out their 2025 season next week at home against Highland.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Shelby Whippets beat Pleasant Spartans in Mid- Ohio Athletic Conference football
Category: General Sports
