Upper Arlington stuns Reynoldsburg 42-41
Editor’s note: Each week, we will highlight some of the top games from Friday night’s high school football matchups. For recaps of all the games, go to Dispatch.com.
Even though Carson Gresock didn’t have the ball, he played a major role in helping Upper Arlington score the game-winning touchdown in a 42-41 thriller against Reynoldsburg on Friday.
After Reynoldsburg built a 41-21 lead on an 82-yard run by Markez Gillam with 48 seconds left in the third quarter, Gresock ran for a 49-yard touchdown 16 seconds later and for a 1-yard score with 7:56 to go to cut it to 41-35.
UA moved to the Reynoldsburg 11 on its final drive, and on fourth-and-6, quarterback Simon Monnin had the option of throwing to either Gresock or Lance Thrush. With all eyes on Gresock, he found Thrush open in the end zone for the game-tying points with 23 seconds remaining.
Reynoldsburg was called offside three times and unable to block the game-winning extra point by Zac Yoakam.
Gresock rushed for 373 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries.
“(The game-winning touchdown) was a play that had two options,” UA coach Justin Buttermore said. “We knew we had to get it off pretty quickly. They were able to get a ton of pressure on us, but we just wanted to have some sort of play fake.
“Obviously when your running back rushes for that yardage, he’s going to be a pretty valuable tool in the play-action
game, and he was. The quarterback did a great job finding Lance in the back of the end zone. … When all eyeballs are on Carson, it tends to lead to other people becoming open.”
Reynoldsburg built a 21-7, first-half lead and was close to scoring again late in the second quarter, but a bad snap on second-and-goal from the UA 1 with a minute left before halftime went for a 12-yard loss.
Raiders quarterback Dijon Jennings was stopped for a 2-yard loss on the next play, and kicker Ibrahim Fall missed a 33-yard field goal as time expired.
Reynoldsburg also led 34-14 midway through the third quarter.
Jennings completed 19 of 28 passes for 307 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 82 yards, and Zion Jacksonwilborn rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries to lead the Raiders.
“I knew Gresock is really a good running back, and I didn’t anticipate he’d be this difficult to tackle,” Raiders coach Buddy White said. “He broke some tackles and really did a great job. I kept telling them when we were up by three touchdowns that this thing wasn’t over. This game’s a learning experience for us and hopefully they won’t let this happen again.”
—Jarrod Ulrey
Pickerington Central 26, Massillon Washington 7
Central ended the game on a 19-0 run and finished with a 343-135 edge in total yards.
Tyler Gillison, who gave Central a 7-0 lead on a 20-yard reception on fourth down late in the first quarter, said the opening-night victory was about helping to prepare his team to win a state title.
“It gets us ready for the playoffs,” said Gillison, who also had a key fumble recovery in the fourth quarter. “Our first four games this year, they’re really going to test us.”
—Chris Easterling, The Independent Westerville South 29, Olentangy 17 South’s running back tandem of Ethan Hanna and Nasir Phillips helped the Wildcats score on four consecutive possessions in the first half.
Hanna ran for 130 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and Phillips scored two touchdowns in the second quarter.
The Wildcats snapped a six-game losing streak to Olentangy.
—Michael Rich