Ligon's three scores, two picks carries Chillicothe past Wheelersburg

CHILLICOTHE — Week after week, Cartae Ligon makes the extraordinary look ordinary.

And there appears to be no ceiling for Chillicothe’s star junior.

Each week seems to bring another out-of-this-world showing, another eye-popping stat line and another unbelievable moment.

His latest performance was no different. Ligon scored three touchdowns and intercepted two passes to power his Cavaliers (2-0) to a wild 26-18 victory over Wheelersburg on Friday.

It was a program-defining win, the signature win of the TJ Carper coaching era, and a win that had No. 0's fingerprints all over it.

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“It’s definitely a huge win. Everybody doubted us,” Ligon said. “We just practiced all week and just game-planned against [Wheelersburg]. We came out here prepared.”

Ligon’s entire stat line featured 25 carries for 172 yards and three touchdowns, a 14-yard catch, 12 tackles, and interception returns of 35 and 65 yards.

“[He does] everything. He really sets the standard for us,” Chillicothe senior Karter Williams said. “Him being so good really makes us work harder to be better.”

Wheelersburg (1-1) scored the night’s first points, taking a 3-0 lead with 4:14 left in the first quarter, thanks to a 49-yard field goal from Cameron Conn.

The Cavaliers responded with an 80-yard scoring drive that ended with a five-yard touchdown run from Tay Harris, making it a 6-3 count after a missed PAT.

That three-point advantage stayed intact until late in the third quarter.

After Ligon picked off a pass at Wheelersburg’s 39-yard line, he returned it to the five. He’d find the end zone a play later, extending Chillicothe’s lead to 12-3.

The Pirates were far from finished, though, and that’s a massive understatement. When Jack Doerr scored from seven yards out with 8:17 left in the fourth, it cut the deficit to 12-10. 

Then, disaster happened for the Cavaliers.

On the ensuing kickoff, the ball looked as if it was heading towards the end zone to result in a touchback. But it bounced the opposite way and Ligon, who was back to return, left it lying.

Wheelersburg pounced on the loose football and took over at the Cavs’ three-yard line. When Stephen Hall scored on the next play, and the Pirates successfully went for two, Chillicothe found itself in an 18-12 hole.

“I honestly thought it was going to be a touchback," Ligon said. “It was a great kick. That’s on me. I can’t let that happen again. But I just thought, ‘I’ve got to go make plays.’ I had to get my team back in the game.”

That’s exactly what he did.

Ligon avenged the mistake in a major way, pacing a 65-yard scoring drive that ended with his second touchdown of the night — a four-yard score that made it 18-18 with 4:41 to go.

Wheelersburg, with plenty of time left on the clock, had a chance to throw a counterpunch.

But Ligon wasn’t steering away from his mission to sink the Pirates’ ship.

He stepped in front of a pass at his own 30-yard line and returned it to Wheelersburg’s five. Then, with just over a minute to play, he scored his third touchdown to put the Cavs back in front at 26-18 with 1:19 remaining.

It was the knockout blow.

“This is a great win for our program, our school and our community,” Carper said. “I think it really shows the perseverance of our kids, and our program as a whole.”

Chillicothe now looks towards a trip to Western Brown in Week 3.

“We’re taking it week by week,” Ligon said. “This week’s practice has to be elite. We have to keep practicing hard and game-planning like we have been.” 

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Ligon's three scores, two picks carries Chillicothe past Wheelersburg