Patriots’ comeback falls just short
MANSFIELD — Olentangy Liberty slotback Johnny Wiseman cut left and broke for the corner of the end zone when quarterback Mitchell Okuley planted his back foot and threw a spiral from deep in the pocket.
It was fourth-and-8 from the 25-yard line, and the Patriots were amid a lastditch effort to score against Mentor in a Division I state semifinal on Friday night.
What turned the play in the Cardinals’ favor were two defenders rushing up the middle, one of them 6-foot-6, 250-pound
lineman Noah Potter, and that pressure was just enough to force an incompletion with 42 seconds left to play.
Mentor, led by Tadas Tatarunas’ 251 yards passing and 78 yards rushing, held on for a 27-21 victory over Liberty in a game that had a crowd of more than 8,000 on its feet in the closing minutes at Arlin Field.
Okuley had driven the Patriots (11-3) from their 32 with five completions with no timeouts.
“It did — a little bit,” Okuley said when asked whether the pressure brought about the incompletion. “I just had to get the ball off, and they made one play at the end. We had been in that (two-minute) situation before. We were prepared. We weren’t worried. We just came up a little short. Just one more play.”
There were plenty of tears from the Patriots, with players bear-hugging one another and coach Steve Hale going from one player after another to give thanks for their contributions.
Too much was going through Hale’s mind to break down the final play.
“They gave us a chance — they gave us a chance,” he said of the offense. “We were a step away on a couple of plays, and that would have made the difference.”
Okuley was almost Tatarunas’ equal most of the night, completing 19 of 36 passes
“We were a step away on a couple of plays, and that would have made the difference.”
—Olentangy Liberty coach Steve Hale
for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Five players caught at least two passes, with Ben Roderick leading with six catches for 93 yards.
Wiseman did not get a clear look at what Okuley was facing in the pocket on the fourth-down play. He credited Mentor (13-1), which will play in the championship game for the fourth time since 2006, for making plays.
“They have a good defense and they are a great team, and I wish them the best of luck in the championship,” Wiseman said. “We’ve had multiple comebacks this year, and no matter what, no matter who it is, our team is never giving up.”
Liberty was penalized 11 times for 112 yards, lost a fumble and was victimized by a fake punt, putting itself in many holes.
The winning score came with 5:40 remaining when Tatarunas sneaked for a 1-yard touchdown to end a 20-play, 95-yard drive that lasted 7 minutes, 47 seconds, to make it 27-14. The Cardinals converted three third downs and one fourth down. The extra point was missed.
Liberty got within 27-21 with 3:06 left to play when Wiseman caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Okuley. The defense held and forced a punt with 2:27 left.