Crusaders return, win thriller OT | News, Sports, Work

PUSHED — Catholic center Jimmy Hernon pushes River quarterback Beau Charlton for extra yards during Saturday’s Division VII, Region 27 playoff game at Harding Stadium. – Andrew Grimm

STEUBENVILLE — A rollercoaster of emotions doesn’t begin to describe the ending to Saturday’s playoff matchup between River and Catholic Central.

Each team led by one point in the final six minutes of the first-round Division VII Region 27 game, and each had moments when victory seemed close. In fact, there were many such moments at the Catholic Center.

However, both teams responded with a thrilling finish and needed extra time to decide the winner, and the Crusaders made the plays they needed on both ends to escape with a 28-22 victory at Harding Stadium.

After Peyton Rauch recorded back-to-back sacks on third and fourth down to end River’s drive with the ball in OT, Jimmy Gernon capped a five-play drive with his second TD of the night as Central (8-3) got the m ‘yach to lift the Crusaders to their first playoff win since 2013.

“I’m so proud of these kids.” Center head coach Eric Meek said. “We got hit a little bit and we fought our tails off and give River credit, they played hard. It’s a great win and now we’re moving on.

“These players showed resilience and faith in each other. They love each other and it shows.”

The drama began when No. 4-seeded Central took a 16-14 lead with 5:56 left on an 82-yard run by Matthew Sprochi and a fake leg run that Rauch converted for two points for the first lead of the game. .

The defense appeared to try to stop the play on several occasions, only to see penalty flags give life to the No. 13 Pilots.

On a fourth-down play, River (4-7)’s pass fell incomplete for what appeared to be the game’s clinching first-down play, but a personal foul was called on linebacker Tommy Purgy for hitting the receiver after the ball went to hit the ground.

Another personal foul, this time for a late hit out of bounds, gave Rivera another first down inside the 10, but again the central defense held. River coach Mike Flannery, who scored fourth from the Central 5 with less than three minutes left, called a timeout and decided to try a 21-yard field goal that went wide left. However, a center rush that forced a punt collided with Pilots punter Wyatt Majors, drawing another flag and another set of downs inside the 3.

River’s Lucas Dennis, who rushed the ball 41 times for 178 yards in the game, scored on the ensuing drive to put the Pilots back on top, 22-16.

Sprochi, however, gave Central life by returning the ensuing kickoff at the River 47, and then Gernon broke free for a 21-yard run to the 26, though he fumbled late in the game. However, a Crusader teammate came up with the ball to keep Central alive, and then three plays later, Purgy raced to the end and scored the tying touchdown with 24 seconds left.

Central, who had converted a pair of two-point plays earlier in the game, went for the lead and missed, leaving the score tied at 22-22.

While neither team ran the ball that effectively, River used a little trickery in the passing game to nearly get the win in the final second when Peyton Blue threw the ball deep down the sideline to Wyatt Stalder, who came up on a punt. sideline as if he was leaving the field and not covered by the Crusader defense. He was tracked down by a defender at the Central 30 after a 45-yard gain and the Pilots turned the ball over with five seconds left, but a last-ditch pass into the end zone was cut short as the clock ticked down.

Rauch, who entered the game with 20 sacks in the regular season, made two big plays and the Crusaders offense will not be denied.

“It was a great game, I have a lot of respect for coach Mick and his staff and they scored when they needed to.” Flannery, a veteran River coach, said. “They got themselves back into the game and they made the play at the end.

“I wish them all the best for the future.”

Whatever the ending, the first two and a half quarters were completely river.

The Pilots, who had 63 turnovers in the game, controlled the ball for most of the first half, outscoring Central 162-76 and going 41 to the Crusaders’ 12 in the first two quarters for a 12-4 advantage. in the first fall. And those numbers were even more one-sided before Central gained 36 yards on the final two plays of the half.

“We hardly had the ball in the first half” said Mick. “River did what we like to do in attack, run the football and control the game, they had the ball for 18 of the 24 minutes it seemed. But our children stayed with it.”

However, a pair of Pilots’ 15-and-a-half drives in the first half stalled and ended on downs at center end, and despite a big margin in yards and plays, they led just 6-0 at halftime on Stalder’s 13-yard run early in the second quarter.

“We had the ball for most of the first half, but we didn’t use it.” Flannery said. “Our game plan was to drive the ball and shoot it if needed. We just couldn’t do it in overtime.”

River extended its lead to 14-0 when Dennis returned a punt inside the Central 10 early in the third quarter, setting up a 1-yard Blue rush for third-and-goal.

The Crusaders finally got something going on the ensuing drive when Pergy returned the ensuing kickoff down River’s side of the field and Ernon capped an eight-play drive with a 1-yard plunge, Pergy’s two-point run making it 14 -8 through three quarters.

The Crusader defense stopped River on fourth down deep up the middle early in the fourth and put the Pilots in a deadlock again to end a 13-game march, falling short on the ensuing drive, setting up Sprochi’s explosive run to start the wild finish.

“I’m not disappointed with our kids, they played from the heart.” Flannery said. “I love our children. They showed great character. This is the kind of game you hate when someone has to lose, but someone had to lose. It was a great football match.

“It was the first overtime I’ve been in in probably 15 years.”

Next Saturday night, the Crusaders host No. 5 seed Corning Miller at Harding Stadium in the second round. The Falcons are 9-2 and defeated No. 12 Racine Southern 27-16 on Friday night.

“We get to spend at least one more week with these wonderful kids, that’s what I’m most happy about.” said Mick. “We have 10 great seniors and I didn’t want to say goodbye to them tonight.

“I’m excited to be back at work tomorrow.”

OHSAA Division VII Region 27 Playoffs

Opening round at Harding Stadium

No. 4 Catholic Central 28, No. 13 Hannibal River 22 (OT)

HR 0-6-8-8-0 – 22

CC 0-0-8-14-6 – 28

CARE GAMES

The first quarter

None

Second quarter

HR: Stalder 13 launch (failed to pass) 10:49

The third quarter

HR: Blue 1 run (Dennis pass from Blue) 8:53

CC: Hernon 1 run (Pergi run) 5:39

Fourth quarter

CC: Sprochi 82 run (Rauch run) 5:56

HR: Dennis 2 run (Dennis pass from Blue) 2:36

CC: Pergi 3 run (kick failed) :24

Overtime work

CC: Hernon 1 run (no try)

RUSHING: Hannibal River 63-238-3TD (Stalder 8-53-TD; Johnson 4-19; Bennett 3-3; Blue 7-(-15)-TD; Dennis 41-178-TD); Catholic Central 36-265-4TD (Pergi 14-60-TD; Sprochi 6-123-TD; Hernon 16-82-2TD)

PASSING: Hannibal River 3-11-50 (all Blue); Catholic Central 1-4-6 (all Sprochi)

OBTAINED: Hannibal River 3-50 (all Stalder); Catholic Central 1-6 (all by Hough)

FIRST DAVUNS: Hannibal River 18; Catholic Central 11

PENALTY YARDS: Hannibal River 8-45; Catholic Central 5-46

FUMBLE LOST: Hannibal River 2-0; Catholic Central 3-0

Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox