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WAPAKONETA -- Winning without an offense is not exactly a St. Marys tradition, but it's working so far.
The Riders had just one first down in the second half, but scored 14 points, to come from behind for a 21-20 victory over Wapakoneta Friday at Harmon Field.
For the third consecutive week, the Roughriders were able to take advanvantage of key mistakes by their opponents late in the game. The result so far is a 3-0 overall record, 2-0 in the Western Buckeye League.
After a defense-dominated first half, the Redskins appeared to have made the proper adjustments in the second half.
Wapak QB Travis Sensabaugh mixed the run and pass well, marching his team 74 yards to pay dirt on the opening drive. Craig Nagel went the final seven yards on a pitch and Josh Murphy added the PAT for a 14-7 Wapak lead with 8:11 left in the third quarter.
The Riders' first possession of the second half netted minus three yards before punting. However, the defense was able to provide a big spark on the next series.
Scott Vossler, who caught a touchdown pass from little brother Corey in the first half, stepped in front of a Sensabaugh pass and raced to the corner of the end zone from 25 yards out.
Nick Pfeffenberger's kick tied the game with 6:23 left in the third quarter.
The St. Marys defense got the ball back in the third quarter, and the offense responded with with one of the biggest plays of the season.
Justin Nagel broke free on the second play of the series, got a good downfield block from Jared Clark, and rambled 51 yards to the three yard line.
From there the Riders made it interesting, backing up five yards for a procedure penalty. Three running plays netted five yards, including a run by Nagel which forced him to leave the field with an injury.
On fourth-and-goal from the three, St. Marys Coach Doug Frye shunned a field goal attempt and instead got a crucial touchdown.
Vossler rolled out and had his pass deflected into the arms of Nick Yahl. Pfeffenberger added what proved to be the winning point with just 11 seconds left in the third quarter.
Wapak failed to sustain a drive on its next possession, however, they punted into the corner, pinning the Riders back at their own 10-yardline.
The St. Marys offense needed to come to life to run some clock and get some precious field position -- but it couldn't.
Three plays netted five yards and forced a Matt Helmstetter punt at his own goal line. But Wapak, wrapping up its first gift of the fourth quarter, roughed Helmstetter for their only penalty of the night, giving St. Marys a crucial first down.
Again, the Riders could get nothing going, as three plays netted four yards. This time Helmstetter's punt was off clean and Craig Nagel returned the kick to the St. Marys 46.
From there the Redskins marched right down the field. A pass to Miller picked up a first down, Hibner ran up the middle for 13 yards, and then Sensabaugh ran up the middle for 15 yards for a first-and goal from the nine.
From there Nagel gained four yards and then Sensabaugh ran a quarterback sneak for five yards and a touchdown with 3:45 left to play.
Next cam game gift No. 2, as the Skins were unable to snap the ball cleanly on the PAT. Yahl coverd things up to preserve a one-point St. Marys lead.
One last time the Roughrider offense had a chance to pick up a few first downs and put the game on ice. The Riders returned the kick-off to the 25. From there Eric Sullivan ran twice gaining a total of one yard. On third down, Vossler's pass was incomplete, stopping the clock with 2:06 left to play, foring Helmstetter's third punt of the fourth quarter.
After a fair catch at the St. Marys 44, Sensabaugh wnet back to work, gaining 12 yards on a first down run. Hibner gained nine yards on the next carry moving the ball to the St. Marys 37, but the Skins would get no closer, thanks to gift No. 3.
A bad snap in the shotgun sent Sensabaugh scrambling for the ball, as Justin Brown recovered after a loss of 13 yards.
Sensabaugh's pass in the flat was snuffed out for a gain of one yard, bringing up a fourth down. One last chance was foiled by the Rider defense as Nick Pfeffenberger and Ross Quellhorst sacked Sensabaugh, turning the ball over on downs near midfield.
From there, Vossler was able to take a knee three times to hang on to the win.
The Redskins struck first in the game, converting on a St. Marys fumble late in the first quarter.
A Sensabaugh pass was intercepted by Cliff Powell, who promptly fumbled back to the Redskins at the St. Marys 22 yardline, which actually resulted in a 38-yard gain for Wapak.
The Skins took advantage of the opportunity and put the ball in the end zone for the first score of the game late in the first quarter.
But the Roughrider offense responded on the following possession, putting together the first sustained drive in five quarters good for 78 yards and the tying touchdown.
Both teams suffered turnovers in the first half, but the 'Skins won the half's takeaway battle 3-1. The Riders intercepted one Sensabaugh pass but Wapak picked off two Corey Vossler miscues and recovered Powell's fumbled interception return.
Despite the turnover advantage, Wapak only scored once thanks largely to the Riders' defense, which held the Redskins to 56 yards of first-half offense, while St. Marys gained 98 yards in the half including 35 yards through the air.
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