For the first time since 1997, the Blue Streaks celebrated a win Friday against Findlay.

Cordney Strickland ran for 225 yards, quarterback Zak Esposito threw for a score and ran for another, and Sandusky’s defense intercepted the Trojans four times in a 21-7 win.

“We knew we were a good football team all year. We just either played great or we played awful,” Sandusky head coach Mike Franklin said. “Thankfully we were able to put it all together tonight.

“Give our defense credit. We shut them out if not for that blocked punt. I don’t think many teams do that to Findlay.”

The win snapped Sandusky’s 11-game skid to the Trojans, who had more than 500 yards of offense a week ago in a 43-40 triple-overtime victory against Fremont Ross.

“We had that on our board all week,” Franklin said. “We wanted to make sure they didn’t have that (against us), that’s for sure.”

Findlay (2-5, 1-1) had two drives going in first quarter. The first ended on downs when Eddie Wimbley stopped Michael Alexander on fourth down.

The second ended when Damyion Smith picked off the first of his three interceptions for the Blue Streaks (3-4, 2-0).

The Streaks were on the board in the second quarter when Esposito — under pressure on the third play of the drive — let a ball fly downfield that was underthrown, but Westley Newton came back and made a 45-yard gain on the play to the Findlay 8-yard line.

Three plays later, Esposito found Davion Caston with a 6-yard pass with 8:10 left in the half.

On Findlay’s ensuing possession, Smith made a one-handed interception near midfield. Strickland — who carried a total of 38 times — ran 49 yards for an apparent score, but a holding penalty at the 2 put the ball on the 12. Esposito, looking to pass and seeing no one open, scrambled 8 yards for the score with 6:39 left in the half.

“Tonight was really a game of big plays in the first half. We were able to make them drive the field in the first half, and they eventually made some mistakes,” Franklin said. “We were able to pop a couple of big ones there, then we just played ball control football.”

Strickland assisted in that effort, carrying 26 times in the second half for 162 yards.

Smith got his third interception with 7:30 left in the third quarter, and though the drive stalled, sophomore Lucas Poggiali got Sandusky’s fourth interception of the game.

Strickland promptly broke off a 48-yard run down to the Trojans’ 5-yard line, then punched it in three plays later.
Findlay’s lone TD came with 3:38 left in the game, when Esposito’s punt was partially blocked, and Jordan Widman returned it 43 yards.

Sandusky held the Trojans to 196 yards of offense and five first downs.

“The big thing with Findlay is you have to stop their screen game, because they run the screen game very well,” Franklin said. “We were able to pick apart their screen game a little bit. Our defensive coaches had a great game plan and we’re real happy with what we did.”

Esposito finished 5-of-15 passing for 75 yards, and Caston hauled in three catches for 24 yards.