COLUMBUS, OHIO -- A purple sign rested directly behind the Pickerington Central High School bench on the away side at Ohio Stadium. On that sign, one phrase was more visible than the rest.
The phrase, which accurately described the Tigers style of play Sunday, was “We are relentless.”
On the strength of junior Speedy Hammond’s powerful inside running, Pickerington Central became the fifth Ohio team in the last two seasons to earn an out-of-state victory in the Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series. In the final game of the two-day event played on the campus of The Ohio State University, Pickerington Central defeated California's Orange Lutheran 28-14.
“To win a game in this stadium in front of our crowd and the home fans was great,” said Pickerington Central head coach Jay Sharrett. “We represented Central Ohio and Ohio in general and I’m happy with that. It’s going to be a good time in Pick-Town tonight.
The Tigers held a seven-point lead at halftime and neither offense reached the end zone in the third quarter. With 7:45 remaining in the game, Pickerington Central wide receiver Jarred Miller broke a 74-yard run that set up a Wuan Tatum touchdown.
After Tatum’s score, Tigers defensive back Tamani Carter intercepted the ball on an Orange Lutheran trick play. The interception stopped the Lancers' last meaningful drive of the game.
Though they trailed early in the game, Pickerington Central scored three straight touchdowns and built a 21-7 lead on runs of 13 and five yards from Hammond, as well as a 25-yard pass from Nick Jensen-Clagg to Malcolm Pannell.
Miller led all rushers with 107 yards, but Hammond’s two touchdowns were the most of the game.
“The offensive line did great job,” Hammond said. “They’re so good and that’s why I love them. They’re young; they’re going to be here next year. This game was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of a chance. It’s a great feeling to score at ‘The Horseshoe.’ ”
Orange Lutheran, which returned just six starters off of a team that went 4-1 in the Trinity League last year, initiated the scoring with a six-yard touchdown pass from USC baseball recruit Bobby Wheatley to Shawn Rohr.
The short scoring drive was set up by Mike Markovsky’s 33-yard punt return to the Pickerington Central four.
Orange Lutheran cut a 14-point deficit in half when Wheatley snuck across the goal line with 33 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
Coffman routs Liberty
They did not score early against Olentangy Liberty, but when they did, the Dublin Coffman Rocks scored often. The Rocks, a shortened version of Shamrocks, scored 21 points in the second quarter and another 17 in the third en route to a 52-0 win over Olentangy Liberty.
“We were good; I don’t think we were great,” said Dublin Coffman head coach Mark Crabtree. “I’m not trying to sound funny; I just think we can be a lot more crisp. Early on, we were maybe a little nervous. Being game one, I think there (are) some things we can fix and get cleaned up.”
“It’s 100-percent on me,” Olentangy Liberty head coach Steve Hale said. “I have to get better as a coach. We have nowhere to go but up right now. We need to go back and start with fundamentals -- every aspect of the game and correct a lot of things. We obviously were very poorly prepared for this game.”
Fresh off an 1,100-yard season in 2008, senior running back Shaun Jones scored four of Dublin Coffman’s first five touchdowns. Jones carried the ball 14 times and gained 87 yards with three scores. His fourth touchdown came on a 19-yard pass from junior quarterback Cole Stoudt.
“We executed on everything,” Jones said. “We worked on our schemes all week, and it was just perfect execution, 100-percent all the way.”
The Rocks took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter. They scored three touchdowns in the final 4:48 of the first half.
Stoudt capped off a six-play, 48-yard drive with a one-yard sneak into the end zone. After the defense held Olentangy Liberty to a three-and-out, Jones scored with a 28-yard run between the tackles.
Dublin Coffman’s defense forced another Olentangy Liberty punt with one minute left in the half. Stoudt led the offense on a seven-play, 57-yard drive in 55 seconds. Jones finished the half with a one-yard touchdown run off the left tackle.
“It’s what I expect him to do,” Crabtree said of Jones. “I think he’s capable of so much more. He’s got a ton of potential. He was good, but I think he can be much better.”
Aquinas makes statement
On Saturday afternoon, St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., proved why many polls have them ranked as the No. 1 or No. 2 high school football team in the country.
The Raiders, the two-time defending Florida 5A state champions, posted a dominating 52-7 win over Upper Arlington in front of their former teammate and current Ohio State freshman Duron Carter.
Even with 10 fewer days of preparation time compared to Upper Arlington, St. Thomas Aquinas scored on its first five possessions, with four different players putting points on the scoreboard. With a 14-0 lead over Upper Arlington barely four minutes into the first quarter, head coach George Smith called upon his workhorse running back, Giovanni Bernard. Already with one touchdown on the day, Bernard took a handoff on second-and-10 and scored from 39 yards out.
Bernard, who did not play in the second half, rushed 12 times for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 9.8 yards per carry while fellow senior running back James White added 68 yards and one touchdown on eight attempts.
Aquinas, which jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter, had 450 yards of total offense compared to 156 for Upper Arlington. The Raiders had possession of the football for at least seven minutes in three of the four quarters.
Davidson plays to end
Hilliard Davidson jumped out to an early lead against Westerville South in the second game Saturday and needed a late defensive stand in the fourth quarter to hold on for a 21-20 victory.
Westerville South scored a touchdown in the waning seconds when Jack Tomlinson pulled in a pass over Jake Trubiano. Despite an opportunity to tie the game with an extra point, Wildcats coach Rocky Pentello elected to go for a two-point conversion and the win. The conversion attempt was intercepted by Trubiano.
Matt Florjancic currently works as a freelance reporter and sports show host for WOBL and WDLW.
