Panthers roll in rematch
SPRINGFIELD — After squandering a promising early drive and good field position in the first quarter, fifth-seeded Pickerington North scored 28 points in the second half Friday night on the way to a 42-12 victory over top-seeded Centerville in a Division I regional semifinal at Evans Field.
The win avenged a 27-26 loss to the Elks on Sept. 28 in which Centerville scored 10 points in the final three minutes.
Next will be another rematch for the Panthers, this one against Pickerington Central for a spot in the state final four.
“We were inside (Centerville’s) 10-yard line three times in the first meeting and came away with 3 points, so we knew we didn’t play our best,” Pickerington North coach Nate Hillerich said. “We started this game like that, getting the ball down inside their 10 and didn’t score. It was like a bad flashback.
“But we got on the board in the middle of the second quarter, and then the defense stepped up and got two pick-6s and we were on our way. I thought our defense was exceptional tonight. We’ve got playmakers on both sides of the ball and all over the field.”
The Panthers’ first three possessions reached Elks’ territory, but it wasn’t until 6:52 remained in the second period that they got rolling, as Jack Sawyer caught a tipped pass for a 14-yard touchdown from quarterback Jimmy Weirick.
Pickerington North then scored three touchdowns in the final 4:41 of the half. Eli Davis intercepted a screen pass and returned it 14 yards for a score. Weirick connected on a 52-yard touchdown pass with Ty Wiley and, on the next snap from scrimmage, Tyler Potts intercepted a pass in the middle of the field and found running room down the right sideline to score on a 57-yard return.
“I think the offense was struggling a bit early, but when we got the interception returns, it really lit us up,” Wiley said. “People do like to talk about our offense, but we’ve got a great, great defense, and we all can make plays.”
Centerville tried an onside kick to begin the second half, but Pickerington North recovered and went 49 yards on six plays to take a 35-0 lead and produce a running clock. Weirick scored on a scrambling, 15-yard run up the middle.
The Elks scored the next 12 points and had the ball at the Panthers 30 with 11 minutes left after a high punt snap, but Davis came up with his second interception of the game to stop the momentum.
Two plays later, Weirick tossed a short flare to Wiley, who darted away from defenders down the sideline for a 90-yard touchdown, sealing the outcome.
“It always feels great to make big plays, and that’s what my teammates rely on me to do; it’s my job,” said Wiley, who had 150 yards and two touchdowns on his three receptions. “We all have to do what we do best.”
Weirick finished 8-of18 passing for 211 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 67 yards and a touchdown on 12 keepers.