Football Recap: Newark Starts off Right with Win over Licking Heights

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Previous 3 Games

08/22/25 - Away	56-21 W
08/23/24 - Home	31-20 W
09/11/15 - Away	26-48 L

Newark had to kick off their season on the road on Friday, but they showed no ill effects. They blew past the Licking Heights Hornets 56-21. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Wildcats had established a 27-point advantage.

Bodie Smith had an outrageously good game as he threw for 241 yards and five TDs while completing 85% of his passes. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in passer rating (162.7).

Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 14 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Brody Driskel, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.

Another reason for the win was Newark's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for 5.5 sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Payton Knott and Preston Lunsford, who racked up 4.5 sacks between them.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Newark will welcome Mt. Vernon at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Licking Heights, they will have a little extra prep time after the defeat as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Sheridan at 7:00 p.m. on September 5.