Lucky No. 7: Sharon Outmuscles Grove City in 20-13 Thriller

Tagged under: District 10, Game Photos-Videos, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

Shane Lux | October 24, 2026

Sharon – Make it 7 in a row.

Starting the year 0-2 wasn’t part of the plan, but Sharon is proving once again that it’s not how you start, but how you finish.

“We knew it was going to be a battle,” said Sharon head coach Jason McElhaney. “That’s a really well-coached football team. They’re a good dynamic offense, and I knew they’d keep coming. We knew we’d keep making adjustments, and so would they, because we know each other so well.”

The Tigers dropped a heartbreaking 15-13 decision to Cathedral Prep to open the season before suffering a 40-21 setback at the hands of their rivals Hickory.

Since then, Sharon has been rolling, winning each of the seven contests by at least three touchdowns. Heading into Friday night, second place in the region was on the line.

Two second-quarter touchdowns proved the difference as Sharon held off a spirited Eagles comeback attempt.

“This has also been the progression of this team,” McElhaney said. “It’s been a climb for us. For better or worse, that’s Sharon football. We’ve improved throughout the year and are finding our identity. I’m happy to come out on top in this one tonight.”

Just past the halfway mark of the second stanza, Sharon drove 80 yards in 10 plays, and Marius Best scored on a 1-yard run to break the ice.

Marius Best 1 yd run, Sharon 6 Grove City 0, 5:10 2nd, @Mariusbest32 @BobGreenburg https://t.co/HFtpeKmsew

— Shane Lux (@PFN_Luxy) October 23, 2026

Perhaps the dagger came late in the first half, when the Tigers’ defense held on 4th down and got the ball back at their 36-yard line with under a minute to play.

On 2nd-and-4, Gha’fir Lampkins threw a rainbow down the near sideline, and Cyleim Smith hauled it in for a 58-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left in the half.

“We want to lean on that and grind it out,” McElhaney said. “You were getting what we were getting on average; you want to keep rolling with it. On that big play there, we felt like formationally we were going to get 1-on-1. We knew it would be incomplete, pass interference, or a big play.”

That was Sharon’s last completed pass of the game. Though it didn’t matter, after forcing a punt on the third-quarter drive, Lampkins found a hole and raced 82 yards for a touchdown, putting the Tigers ahead 20-0 at the 9:29 mark.

“Coming out of the huddle, the coaches told us we were going for it,” said Lampkins. “I told Cyleim, I’m trusting you to get open because I’m throwing to you no matter what. As soon as I saw him get off the route, I’m like, yes, this is a touchdown. I got full faith in him. On that touchdown run, I just saw the hole and hit it. I knew I couldn’t get caught; I felt them coming. I fumbled last week when they hooked me down; I knew I had to score. I just hauled.”

Gha’fir Lampkins rushed for 103 yards on 13 carries and completed 2 of 8 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. Marius Best ran for a team-high 131 yards on 22 carries.

“This means everything after those first two losses,” Lampkins said. “We’ve had it going since then. We knew we had to come back as a team. We’ve been practicing hard, repping with efficiency and playing hard.”

Grove City pulled within 20-7 when they capped an 8-play, 51-yard drive with Heath Hohman’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Austin Gothe.

Austin Gothe 10 yd TD from Heath Hohman, Sharon 20 Grove City 7, 4:43 3rd, @BobGreenburg @GCASDK12 https://t.co/vbKx2JUfkP

— Shane Lux (@PFN_Luxy) October 24, 2026

Sharon had a chance to put the game away late in the third quarter when the team drove to the Eagles’ 9-yard line. However, Best was hit in the backfield, losing 10 yards before lateraling to Lampkins, who lost another 20 yards and fumbled at the 39-yard line.

Despite the turnover, Lampkins took it right back by intercepting Hohman on the ensuing snap.

The Eagles’ defense held, and Grove City eventually pulled within a touchdown when Purdy raced 44 yards for a touchdown with just over four minutes to play, capping a 77-yard drive.

Gavin Purdy rushed for a game-high 140 yards on 24 carries.

Despite failing to recover the onside kick, the Eagles got the ball back with 2:16 to play at their 37-yard line.

In the closing minute, freshman Nick Fromm intercepted Hohman’s desperation pass, allowing the Tigers to escape with a win.

“We were in scramble mode a little bit there when you think it’s going to be a pass and they hit you with the run, but like I said that’s a well-coached football team over there, and really outside that one run, it was a lights-out defensive performance tonight,” McElhaney concluded. “Nicholas has grown up so much; he was forced into early duty due to injury. We haven’t taken him off the field; he’s been great defending the run, and he made that interception. I’m so proud of him.”

Sharon will now have a week 10 bye before entering the District 10 AAA playoffs as defending champions.

Game Highlights

Sharon 20 Grove City 13

Score by Quarters

Grove City – 0 0 7 6 – 13

Sharon – 0 14 6 0 – 20

Scoring Summary

Second Quarter

S – Marius Best 1 yd run, (kick blocked), 5:10 – 10-80

S – Cyleim Smith 58 yd pass from Gha’fir Lampkins, (Lampkins rush), 0:17 – 2-66

Third Quarter

S – Lampkins 82 yd run, (J.j Litman pat), 9:29 – 1-82

GC – Austin Gothe 10 yd pass from Heath Hohman, (Lucas Kelly pat), 4:43 – 8-51

Fourth Quarter

GC – Gavin Purdy 44 yd run, (kicfk failed), 4:12 – 5-77

Individual Stats

Rushing: GC – Purdy 24-140, Hohman 2-3, Gothe 1-2. Totals: 27-145. S – Best 22-131, Lampkins 13-103, Cassius Hosey 2-6, Team 3-(-3). Totals: 40-237.

Receiving: GC – Charlie Miller 5-15, Levi Toth 2-10, Austin Gothe 5-49. S – Smith 1-58, Hosey 1-8.

Passing: GC – Hohman 12-for-20, 74 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT. S – Lampkins 2-for-8, 66 yards, 1 TD.

Interceptions: S – Nick Fromm. Lampkins.