THE SKIP -- With players back from disciplinary suspensions, Ottawa Glandorf came into tonight's game on a mission to right its season, and left St. Marys on the high side of a lopsided 35 point shutout.
The Riders gave up a big play the first time the Titans touched the ball but shut the visitors down the remainder of the first half to keep the game close at halftime, Ottawa-Glandorf 7, St. Marys 0.
The second half was a different story. The Titans started all four of their second-half possessions near midfield and scored every time, the last touchdown coming on 1st and goal with 01:25 left in the game and St. Marys out of time-outs.
St. Marys took the opening kickoff but was forced to punt after moving the ball out to their 41 yard line. On O-G's first play, Brandon Kuhlman took the handoff and broke free for 48 yards down to the St. Marys 20 yard line. Three plays later Nathan Kahle found Matthew Peck in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown pass and Jason Fischer added the first of five PAT kicks on the night.
The Riders came back fighting but they had to scratch for every yard. The next possession lasted 11 plays but only advanced the ball 27 yards to the Ottawa 45 yard line, where O-G took over on downs after a failed 4th-and-three attempt by the Riders.
The teams traded punts on the next two possessions, but then the home team caught a break.
Kahle fumbled the ball and the Riders recovered near midfield. Eight plays, including runs by Mitch Newbauer and Dustin Fisher of 15 and 13 yards, respectively, took the ball down to the O-G 9 yard line.
But a holding penalty called on the Riders moved the ball back out to the 21. On 3rd and 17, Fisher threw a halfback pass to quarterback T.J. Powell that only netted 6 yards, and Powell's 4th down pass into the end zone was incomplete to end the threat.
Ottawa started the second half at their own 48 yard line following a penalty on the Riders for tackling the kickoff receiver after he signaled for a fair catch. Brandon Kuhlman took the game on his shoulders and gained 35 yards rushing on this drive alone. At the 8:05 mark, Kahle pitched a shovel pass to Tristan Parker at the 20 yard line and Parker sprinted to the end zone for a touchdown. Fischer's PAT made the score O-G 14, St. Marys 0.
The Riders' difficulties moving the ball continued in the second half. Their first possession of the second half was three plays and punt, and the next two possessions ended by turning the ball over on downs.
Meanwhile, Ottawa-Glandorf rolled. A 28-yard touchdown pass from Kahle to Parker and two touchdown runs by Craig Rieman, followed by Fischer PAT kicks, closed out the scoring. Final score: Ottawa-Glandorf 35, St. Marys 0.
Mitch Newbauer led Rider running backs with 72 yards on 16 carries. Dustin Fisher gain 52 yards on 17 attempts and Kyle Puschel added 20 yards on 7 carries. Quarterback T.J. Powell carried the ball 6 times for 19 yards and was 1-for-3 in passing for 13 yards.
Brandon Kuhlman was the game's leading yard-gainer with 174 yards on 18 carries. Craig Rieman carried the ball only four times, but he gained 32 yards and scored two touchdowns. Titan quarterback Nathan Kahle was 6-for-10 in passing, good for 90 yards and three touchdowns, two to Tristan Parker on Parker's only two receptions. Matt Peck caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown.
The Riders fall to 1-6 on the season and 0-6 in the WBL, tying the team record for most WBL losses in a season with three games left to play. St. Marys is on the road its next two games, at Van Wert and Shawnee, before returning to The Skip for Parent's Night hosting Kenton.
The Titans improve to 5-2 overall and 4-2 in the WBL.
Scoring summary:
06:18 Q1 OG 12-yard pass Nathan Kahle to Matthew Peck, Jason Fischer PAT kick good, OG-7 SM-0.
08:05 Q3 OG 20-yard pass Nathan Kahle to Tristan Parker, Jason Fischer PAT kick good, OG-14 SM-0.
03:20 Q3 OG 28-yard pass Nathan Kahle to Tristan Parker, Jason Fischer PAT kick good, OG-21 SM-0.
08:22 Q4 OG Craig Rieman 2-yard run, Jason Fischer PAT kick good, OG-28 SM-0.
01:25 Q4 OG Craig Rieman 9-yard run, Jason Fischer PAT kick good, OG-35 SM-0.