By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 What might be old hat to the Ironton Fighting Tigers is brand new for the West Liberty-Salem Tigers.

Ironton is making its 15th trip to the semifinals of the Ohio High School Athletic Association football playoffs.

West Liberty (13-1) beat Indian Lake 21-14 in the Region 20 title game to reach the state semifinals for the first time in program history.

The two teams will meet at 7 p.m. on Friday at Chillicothe High School in the state semifinals with the winner advancing to the state championship game at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.

Ironton (13-1) cruised past Wheelersburg 55-0 in its regional title. The Fighting Tigers finished tied for first place with South Range in the final Associated Press prep sports writers poll. West Liberty was 12th in the final poll.

Both teams use a spread offense the majority of the time with some variations.

West Liberty is led by senior quarterback Nick Shifflet has completed 147 of 231 passes for 63.6 percent. He has passed for 2,059 and 20 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions.

He has also rushed 140 times for 905 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Shifflet scored from a yard out to give the Tigers a 21-14 win over Indian Lake in the regional championship game. He threw a 4-yard TD pass to Carson Poppe.

Shifflet ran for 112 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win over Indian Lake.

Josh Wilcoxon leads the team with 1,054 yards rushing and he has scored 22 touchdowns.

The leading receivers are Jack Bahan and Josh Evans. Bahan has 56 catches for 981 yards and 11 touchdowns and Evans 48 receptions for 698 yards and 7 scores.

Reese Oden is next with 30 grabs for 293 yards and a TD.

Ironton has an explosive offense and a shutdown defense. The Fighting Tigers have had 12 running clocks against their 14 opponents.

Quarterback Braden Schreck is 152 of 214 for 71 percent and he has thrown for 2,552 yards and 31 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. He has also ran 82 rushes for 405 yards and 6 touchdowns.

The leading receiver is Missouri recruit Shaun Terry who has 69 receptions for 1,251 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has 143 yards rushing on16 carries with 3 TDs.

Tyler Roach is next with 21 receptions for 432 yards and 5 touchdowns. Zayne Williams had 18 catches for 292 yards and 4 scores, Braydon Baker has 21 grabs for 268 yards and 4 TDs, and Kayden Edwards has 14 catches for 266 yards and 3 scores.

The defense has held opponents to just 145 points compared to the Ironton offense that has generated 671 points.

Ironton has 4 sacks, 135 quarterback hurries, 8 interceptions

Brycen Mullins has 67 total tackles and 5 interceptions with 3 being returned for touchdowns. Josh Johnson, Maddix Markel, Terry and Williams all have 2 interceptions.

Austin Bump leads the team with 97 tackles.

Other tackle leaders are Nick Sites with 58, Jesse Copas and  Johnson 51 stops each, Mason Wheelers and Williams 48 apiece, Aiden Layne 46, Maddix Markel 45.

The game will mark the first meeting ever between the two schools.