H-L gets revenge and then some in 54-26 rout of LCC

FINDLAY – For the second year in a row, Hopewell-Loudon faced Lima Central Catholic in the Division VII, Region 26 final. And for the second year in a row, the score wasn't particularly close.But this time, it was Hopewell-Loudon's year.Sherron Jones and Hayden Welly each scored three touchdowns while Ashton Bour threw three scoring passes and added a rushing touchdown as the Chieftains thumped LCC 54-26 Saturday at Findlay's Donnell Stadium.The Chieftains (13-1 overall) will head to the state semifinals for the first time since 2008 and will face Marion Local (14-0), which beat St. Henry 27-8 to win the Region 28 title. The game will take place next Saturday at 7 p.m. at Lima Spartan Stadium. Lima Central Catholic finished the season 10-3."I'm so happy for the kids, this group of kids is just unbelievable, one of the best groups I've been around if not the best group I've been around," Chieftains coach Brian Colatruglio said. "I've loved every minute of coaching these guys for the last few years and just the fact that we get to do it at least one more week is … it makes me feel great."Last season it was the Thunderbirds that won the regional 62-20 over the Chieftains."To get to this point in the year, to be one of the final eight teams and how hard our guys worked, there's no shame in that at all," LCC coach Scott Palte said. "Our kids played their tails off and I couldn't be more proud of them."The game was more competitive than the score would indicate. The Thunderbirds scored on the opening possession as sophomore quarterback Carson Parker rushed for a 14-yard touchdown to put LCC up 6-0 at the 10:12 mark of the first quarter. Hopewell-Loudon answered on its opening drive when Welly scored his first touchdown on a 2-yard run at 7:52. Bour kicked the extra point and the Chieftains took a 7-6 lead.Welly scored on another 2-yard run with 54 seconds remaining in the first to extend the lead to 13-6.A critical Thunderbird turnover in the second became an opportunity for the Chieftains and they took advantage immediately. LCC fumbled the ball inside the H-L 5-yard line and Eric Hoover recovered it at the three. Bour then threw a pass over the middle to Jones near the 20. Jones caught the ball in stride, slipped his coverage and headed downfield for a 97-yard touchdown and a 19-6 Chieftains lead at 8:35."That's the turning point of the game," Colatruglio said. "They're going in to tie it, we get the turnover, then we throw it over their heads for a big play. From there our offense just rolled the whole night."LCC cut the lead to 19-12 on the next possession when Travis Hoyle pulled in a Parker pass for a 54-yard touchdown at 6:36. But the Chieftains scored once more before halftime as Jones caught a 7-yard Bour pass in the end zone to go up 25-12 with 52 seconds left on the clock.The teams traded scores in the third quarter, with Bour running one yard at 4:12 to extend the Chieftains lead to 32-12. LCC answered on its next possession with Hoyle catching a 26-yard scoring pass at 2:30 to cut the H-L lead to 32-19.Rather than letting up in the fourth quarter the Chieftains turned it on, scoring 22 points. Bour hit Devin Falter with an 8-yard scoring pass to put H-L up 39-19 at 7:53. Keiron Bailey scored on a 1-yard run for the Thunderbirds to cut the lead to 39-26 at 5:25.Jones scored a 25-yard rushing touchdown with 3:44 remaining and the Chieftains tried for two, with Bour passing to Reid Jury for the conversion to go up 47-26.On LCC's ensuing possession Parker threw an incomplete pass on first-and-10 from the 30, and an astute George Beucler realized it was a backward pass. He picked up the ball and ran to the end zone for an apparent touchdown, but the ball was placed on the 35 due to a block in the back penalty on the Chieftains. Welly later scored on an 18-yard run for the 54-26 final."Our offense was just phenomenal tonight and then we wore them out in the second half," Colatruglio said. "Our offensive line took over in the fourth quarter like they've done all year long and just a great team victory."Parker was 10-of-20 passing for 200 yards and two touchdowns while carrying the ball 13 times for 62 yards and another touchdown. Bailey led the Thunderbirds ground game with 69 yards and a touchdown on nine carries."We just ran into a better football team tonight," Palte said. "They were just more physical and more athletic than us and hats off to them. But I'm really proud of our guys."Bour was 15-of-21 passing for 285 yards and three touchdowns while adding 67 rushing yards and one touchdown on 17 carries. Welly led the running game with 30 carries for 183 yards and three touchdowns. Jones paced the receivers with six catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns."The line blocked great, our defense held them," Jones said. "LCC's a really good offensive team and we held them. We used our big offensive line guys and ran down their throats and wore them down and we got the W today."