The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Bulldogs rally, stun unbeaten Grizzlies
Scoring late and big has been the story the last two weeks for Olmsted Falls (11-1), as it topped Wadsworth (11-1) this week, 21-20, at Brunswick Auto Mart Stadium in Brunswick.
The Bulldogs, who beat Midview, 26-23, late in the game last week in the first round of the Division II Region 6 playoffs, showed off their late-game Moxie once more, as senior running back Luke Lombardo scored on a twoyard run Friday night.
“We had our drives, but we weren’t getting what we wanted,” Lombardo said. “When we were
in the huddle each play, we kept talking to each other and reassuring another that we were goingto to go out there and do what we need to do, and we ended up doing that.”
For the Bulldogs, it took 14 plays leading up the Lombardo touchdown, and back-to-back penalties from Wadsworth, as Olmsted Falls on fourth-and-1 was unable to convert, but a pass interference play moved the ball from the 14yard line to the seven.
The Grizzlies committed an offsides penalty on the very next play, setting up Olmsted Falls on the fouryard line and the eventual score two plays later.
“I felt like our kids played a great football game tonight,” Olmsted Falls coach Tom DeLuca said. “I don’t know how many people gave us a chance tonight except for us, but I felt like we’re a pretty darn good football team.”
It was all defense in the first half, as both teams were each held to under 215 yards of total offense.
The Bulldogs, who are better known as a running team, picked up 169 yards on the ground in the first two quarters, while recording just 36 yards passing. The Grizzlies had 74 yards rushing and 138 yards passing.
Olmsted Falls got on the board first, as junior fullback Jack Spellacy scored on a 10-yard run with 3:39 left in the first quarter.
Wadsworth answered right back about a minute later, as senior quarterback
Baughman scored on a fiveyard run, making it 7-7.
The Bulldogs put together a solid drive to end the first quarter, ending it on the 10-yard line and threatening to score, but three plays later the Bulldogs fumbled on the threeyard line with the Grizzlies recoveed it.
Despite both teams going scoreless in the second quarter, Wadsworth had a chance to score with three seconds left in the half, but senior kicker Ryan Larj missed on a 32-yard field goal.
The Bulldogs, who outscored Wadsworth in the second half, 14-13, had several attempts in the red zone but were only able to convert three times, as they fumbled once earlier in the game and turned it over on downs the other two times.
“Offensively, I thought we needed to finish in the red zone,” DeLuca said. “We left two red zone drives off the board, and we have to put those on the board and, so we have some room for improvement to be honest with next week’s opponent.”
Offensively, the Bulldogs finished the game with a total of 382 yards with 268 of that coming on the ground, while the Grizzlies picked up 417 total yards of offense.
Olmsted Falls, which will face off with Southwestern Conference foe Avon in a regional final, fell to the Eagles in Week 2 of the regular season, 31-7 at home.
“I’m excited,” Lombardo said. “They got one on us earlier in the season and I think we’ve really developed defensively and offensively. Count us out if you want, but we’re going to be ready for the game.”