Findlay makes change at QB, then topples BG

The torch was passed Friday night.And a bolt out of the blue punctuated the transition.With 1:11 left in the third quarter of Findlay's game with Bowling Green, Ryan Montgomery fired a perfect spiral down the right sideline. Max Roth, running a fly pattern, caught the ball in stride and raced into the end zone, completing the 51-yard scoring throw.The Montgomery-to-Roth TD strike wasn't the deciding factor in the ball game. Findlay was already ahead 35-0 when the play happened and would go on to a 49-0 final.That one play, though, said a lot of Findlay football now and in the future. And it certainly said a lot about the players who made it."It's something we've talked about, we've worked with, we've shown, we've done it ... but really it was the end of the week when we made the decision," Findlay High coach Stefan Adams said of starting Montgomery, a freshman with a huge up-side but no varsity experience before Friday.Roth, a senior, had been Findlay's starting quarterback the last two years and the last two games. He was the one throwing touchdown passes instead of catching them, but understood the changing dynamics in the program."We just want to win, so we're going to do what's best for the team," Roth said."We're going to do what's best for everybody, so we thought going to him (Montgomery) was going to be a good way to win, so that's what we did."Montgomery hadn't taken a varsity snap before Friday's game. But the 6-foot-3, 180-pound freshman entered high school with an impressively growing resume, including scholarship offers from Michigan, Tennessee and Penn State that he'd earned with his performance in summer camps.Those skills were on full display against Bowling Green. Poised and polished in the pocket, Montgomery completed 16 of 18 passes for 220 yards and four touchdowns. Complemented by a running game that featured more two-back sets than in the past, Findlay churned out 244 rushing yards and amassed a season-best 464 yards of total offense.In a bit of an ironic twist, Montgomery found himself in a situation somewhat similar to the one Findlay High grad Ben Roethlisberger faced when injuries forced him into a starting role his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like Roethlisberger, Montgomery wasn't being asked to work miracles, just execute the offense."I was proud of him because he took what the defense gave him, and that's what we preach," Adams said."What we talked about this week, what we implemented as far as offensive schemes, he just executed what we asked him to do. He didn't try to do anything outside of himself."We knew what he was capable of, and he's got some really good play-makers around him, too."Findlay survived two costly holding penalties to go 75 yards in 13 playing with the opening kickoff. On a fourth-and-9 play from the 19. Montgomery lofted a pass to the far right corner of the end zone where Justin Roth was just able to get his fingers on the ball and keep his toes on the turf to complete the TD pass.After freshman defensive end Ashton Yeager recovered a Bowling Green fumble at the 16, Montgomery drove the Trojans 84 yards in nine plays, with Isaac James getting 11 yards on one carry, Donovan Harris 18 on another, and Alexander Theis sneaking the final yard for the score.Montgomery and James would hook on a 16-yard touchdown pass with 3:11 left in the half. The Trojans would add yet another score in those final minutes. After a Nate Riegle fumble recovery at the Bowling Green 34, Montgomery found Ben Ireland for a 31-yard gain to the 3. James powered it into the end zone two plays later.Montgomery put a pass in Ireland's hands in the left corner of the end zone with five minutes left in the third quarter, then teamed up with Max Roth on the 51-yard TD pass. With a running clock in place and subs finishing up, Jason Lane raced 17 yards for Findlay's final score.Findlay's defense starred as well. Middle linebacker Sam Weihrauch had two sacks and nine total tackles. Yeager, Riegle, Dallas DeLaCruz and Brice Potteiger all recovered BG fumbles.James rushed for 75 yards, Theis had 65 and Harris 49 as Findlay's backs showed quickness in hitting the holes, speed in getting to the outside and the power to drag tacklers for extra yards."I coach running backs, so that was fun to see," Adams said. "I was kind of tough on them as far as what my expectations were, and they responded really well."Ireland, an all-Ohio receiver who has seen nothing but double and triple coverage all season, caught nine passes for 107 yards and a score. He had a 36-yard TD pass and a 72-yard punt return for a score called back because of penalties.Max Roth had five receptions for 78 yards in his new role."It's kind of new to me, but I'll get hold of it," he said."We just want to win and find ways to make plays, so that's what we're going to do,"Roth's action came as no surprise to Adams."All summer long, Max has been very much about the team," Adams said."He's been, 'I'll do whatever you want me to do. I'll go wherever you want me to go.'"That's hard, to go from being a senior, THE guy and then be willing to give it up like that. A lot of credit has to go to Max. No ego. No 'I'm bigger than the team.' No being mad. He's just, 'Let's go make plays.'"That's a very selfless, very classy thing for him to do."While Bowling Green, a young team now 0-3 on the season, may have been a perfect transitioning point for Findlay, the Trojans face a brutal stretch with back-to-back Three Rivers Athletic Conference road games at Toledo Central Catholic and Toledo Whitmer.Bowling Green 0 0 0 0 — 0Findlay 7 21 14 7 — 49First QuarterFIN — J. Roth 19 pass from R. Montgomery (Robinson kick)Second QuarterFIN — Theis 1 run (Robinson kick)FIN — James 16 pass from R. Montgomery (Robinson kick)FIN — James 1 run (Robinson kick)Third QuarterFIN — Ireland 9 pass from R. Montgomery (Robinson kick)FIN — M. Roth 51 pass from R. Montgomery (Robinson kick)Fourth QuarterFIN — Lane 17 run (Robinson kick)BG FINFirst Downs 9 26Rushes-yards 43-160 32-244Passing Yards 10 220Comp-Att-Int 1-10-0 16-18-0Punts-Avg. 2-31.0 0-00.0Fumbles-Lost 4-4 0-0Penalties-Yards 4-38 8-87INDIVIDUAL STATISTICSRUSHING — Bowling Green, Brandt 1-(-9); Powers 3-11; Hammer 18-101; Shank 17-40; Rath 2-11; Holan 2-6. Findlay, R. Montgomery 1-6; Harris 5-49; James 11-75; Theis 9-65; Jane 3-30; Barnes 2-17; Guthrie 1-2.PASSING — Bowling Green, Shank 1-10-0, 10 yards. Findlay, R. Montgomery 16-18-0, 220 yards.RECEIVING — Bowling Green, Brandt 1-10. Findlay, M. Roth 5-78, Ireland 9-107, James 1-16, J. Roth 1-19.