LIMA -- Sunbury Big Walnut rolled up 365 yards of total offense and scored 34 points to bring on the onset of basketball season in St. Marys.
The Golden Eagles posted a 34-20 win over the Roughriders in the semifinals of Region 10 in the Division III football playoffs Saturday in Lima. The Riders end the season at 9-3 and remain winless at Lima Stadium in the post season at 0-3.
Big Walnut took control of the game in the first half, and then delivered what proved to be the knock-out punch early in the second half, building a 34-13 lead, as the Eagles scored on their first two possessions after intermission.
Big Walnut got its scoring started early as St. Marys fumbled away the opening kickoff for the second straight week. Starting at the St. Marys 39, the Golden Eagles drove to the six yard line before the drive stalled. Brian Cochran came on to nail a 25-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 9:12 left in the first quarter.
St. Marys was quick to respond when Koby Frye ripped off a 57-yard gain to the Big Walnut 11 yard line on the Roughriders second play from scrimmage. Four plays later Scott Laman bulled into the end zone from one yard out.
Doug Burke booted the extra point for a 7-3 St. Marys lead with 5:58 left in the first quarter.
It took the Eagles exactly one minute to regain the lead. Big Walnut went 64 yards in just four plays. Cory Wolf gained 42 yards on a fake reverse to set up a five yard TD run by Ugo Akusoba.
Big Walnut stretched their lead to 17-7 on a 45-yard pass from quarterback Ethan Wetzel to Joe Reed with less than ten seconds in the firs quarter.
After an exchange of possessions, St Marys got back in the game with a 12-play 69-yard scoring drive in the second quarter. Laman went in from three yards for his second score of the night. The Riders decided to go for two points on the conversion, but failed as Derek Dunlap’s pass was incomplete.
Again Big Walnut was equal to the challenge, as the Eagles ground out four first downs, and went up 24-13 just before the end of the first half with a 10 yard pass from Wetzel to Derek Jones.
The Golden Eagles delivered the knockout punch early in the second half as Wetzel completed a 50-yard pass to Cory Wolfe on a third-and-ten. Five plays later, Wetzel went up the middle, and Cochran booted the PAT for a 31-13 lead with 8:30 left in the third quarter.
After a St. Marys punt, the Eagles were able to pad their lead with Cochran’s second field goal of the night. This one came from 29 yards out with 2:17 left in the third quarter.
St. Marys kept its hopes alive with an early fourth quarter touchdown on back-to-back pass completions by Dunlap. Frye gained 37 yards on a screen pass, followed by a seven-yard TD pass to tight end Adam Johns. Doug Burke’s PAT kick narrowed the deficit to 34-20 with 11:15 left to play.
The Riders were able to force a three-and-out on Big Walnut’s next possession, but St. Marys was unable to capitalize turning the ball over on downs with less than five minutes to play. Neither team threatened after that as Big Walnut was able to move on to the Region 10 finals against No. 1 seed Kettering Alter, which advanced with a 49-0 win over Eaton.
The Eagles’s offense was very balanced with Wetzel throwing for 143 yards. Akusoba led Big Walnut on the ground with 79 yards on 20 carries. Wetzel also ran for 72 yards and Wolfe ran for 71. Reed paced the Big Walnut receivers with four grabs for 84 yards.
The Riders had 288 yards of offense, led by Frye with 131 yards rushing on 19 carries. Laman tallied 60 yards on 223 carries, while Dunlap completed three of 10 passes for 72 yards.
