NEW MIDDLETOWN - East Palestine traveled to neighboring Springfield Local thinking playoffs and left with those hopes more than dampened.

The Tigers improved their record to 5-4, while they upset the Bulldogs 35-6 Friday in a ITCL clash.

Through an often driving rain, muck and mire, Tiger running back Jimmy Zubick continuously emerged throughout the evening, leaving Bulldog defenders looking like they were stuck in the mud.

His smiling teeth the only clean part of his entire body, Zubick credited his line and his fullback for opening the holes that allowed him to escape, often to the outside, which was the only decent footing remaining on the field. There Zubick said he was able to make the cuts, often slipping from the arms of one or two tacklers before racking up more yards and scores for the Tigers.

When asked about the 322 yards he garnered being a school record, Zubick said hit had not sunk in yet. His previous high rushing game was 178 yards. Friday's yards easily surpassed the 1,000-yard mark. He came into the game with 905 yards.

When asked about whether he enjoyed running through the mud, Zubick flashed another white smile while the drying mud caked on his face cracked.

"It's not my favorite, but I'll take it," he said.

There were no smiles on the East Palestine sideline after the game.

"They beat us," Coach Jeff Sharkey said. "We played terrible, flat out, and they played great."

Sharkey said there were no surprises coming into the game about what Springfield would be trying to do against the Bulldogs (7-2). Running the ball right at the defense was exactly what he expected.

But somehow, that did not matter. Zubick set up the Tigers first touchdown of the night, escaping for 79 yards. Dylon Dejane, who shares the backfield with Zubick, got the touchdown on a six yard run.

The Bulldogs came back and scored with only about a minute left in the first quarter, when quarterback Shane Peterson drove the ball by completing four passes for 60 yards, three to Austin Cope. Peterson then called his own number for the two-yard score. The extra point failed, but it appeared the Bulldogs had finally found their own way to move the ball on the sloppy field. It would not continue.

Springfield was able to answer right back, mounting its own 16-play drive, culminating in a Zubick touchdown and a 14-6 lead at half.

When the third quarter started, it was all Zubicks and the Springfield defense. Zubick scored twice on long runs first of 55 yards and then 44 yards. His sister, Alexus Zubrick kept the pace, going perfect on the night adding the extra points, despite one low kick that struck the cross bar and bounced through.

All the bounces seemed to be going Springfield's way as the clock continued to tick away and the Bulldogs could not mount an attack against the Tiger's defense.

Springfield's defense held East Palestine's offense without a first down in the second half. The Bulldogs would manage only 19 yards on the ground throughout the night. The often shifty Peterson who likes to gain yards both through the air and on the ground was held in check the rest of the night. He did not complete a pass in the second half.