ELIDA -- St. Marys kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a 42-14 victory at Elida’s Kraft Stadium Friday night.
The Riders improved to 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the Western Buckeye League. St. Marys went into Friday’s game in seventh place in the Division III, Region 10 standings where the top eight qualify for the playoffs. However, the win over the now 0-9 Bulldogs will do little for the St. Marys playoff hopes.
The Riders finish the regular season on the road next week at Bath, which fell to 3-6 on the season with a loss to Wapakoneta Friday.
St. Marys scored on four of its five first-half possessions to take control of the game early and never look back.
Scott Laman spearheaded the first drive with a pair of 18-yard gains, as the Roughriders marched 62 yards in seven plays. Quarterback Derek Dunlap went the final yard and Doug Burke toed the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 7:30 left in the first quarter.
St. Marys got the ball back a few minutes later when Elida’s fake punt backfired. The Riders started their second drive just 36 yards from pay dirt. It took eight plays to grind out those 36 yards with Koby Frye covering the final three. Burke’s kick made the score 14-0 with 1:47 left in the first quarter.
Elida was able to pick up its initial first down on its third possession, but the Bulldog drive stalled just into St. Marys territory.
The Riders drove 80 yards on their third possession, with the big play of the drive a 57-yard run by Koby Frye. Five plays later Laman went into the end zone from four yards out to expand the visitor’s lead to 21-0 with 3:45 left in the half.
St. Marys forced another punt and tried to get one more score on the board before half. The Rider drive fizzled, and it looked like the half would end peacefully. But the fireworks were just beginning.
Elida quarterback C.J. Warren set up a screen pass to Tyler Bly, who broke several tackles and ended up going 72 yards for a touchdown with just 40 ticks left on the first half clock.
A personal foul penalty after the play made the PAT attempt 35 yards, which was blocked.
The Riders offense was not done yet. On the first play following the kickoff, Marcus Sheipline took a counter 60 yards before he was run down at the Elida 5. On the very next play Dunlap threw to Laman out of the backfield for a touchdown with just 14 seconds left in the half.
Burke split the uprights for a 28-6 lead at the halfway point.
Thanks to a big defensive play in the third quarter Elida was able to put a little excitement back into the contest -- at least for a few moments.
The Riders put together a long drive in which Dunlap got the call for a sneak into the end zone, but instead he fumbled, and Elida’s Andrew Leis picked up the ball at the five yard line and rambled untouched 95 yards for a Bulldog touchdown.
Warren threw to Schuyler Crowe for the two point conversion, cutting the St. Marys lead to half -- 28-14 -- with 1:15 left in the third quarter.
The Elida euphoria was short-lived as the Riders pretty much dominated the rest of the game.
A 14-play 65-yard scoring drive spanning well into the fourth quarter pretty much broke the Bulldogs’ back. Derek Dunlap followed center Aaron Pfeffenberger into the end zone from one yard out. Burke’s kick made the score 35-14 with 7:37 left in the game.
The Riders tacked on one more score on their next possession as Dunlap tossed a 30-yard TD pass to tight end Garrett Barhorst with 1:49 left in the game. Burke made it six-for-six on the night and 22 in a row as he booted the PAT for a 42-12 lead.
The Roughriders rolled up over 300 yards rushing on the night, led by Frye with 138 yards on 17 carries. Laman had 91 yards on 19 carries and Sheipline totaled 62 yards on three carries.
