Reflecting on 'game for the ages' between Findlay, Ross

COLUMBUS - High school football teams all around Ohio went into Week 6 wanting to make a statement as the second half of the season got underway. And boy did they. Here are some of the top highlights from all around the state compiled by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association. } Findlay and Fremont Ross met for the 100th time on Friday in the long and storied history between the two schools. What ensued was literally a game for the ages. Fremont Ross was 5-0 overall, 2-0 in the Three Rivers Athletic Conference and ranked 12th in the Division II state poll. Findlay, which had graduated a number of skilled players from last year's 9-4 playoff team, was 1-4 against a brutal schedule. The first two of the losses were to Anthony Wayne (6-0, No. 18 D-II) and Perrysburg (5-1), the two teams picked to win the Northern Lakes League this season. The last two were league losses to Toledo Central Catholic (5-1, No. 7 D-II) and Toledo Whitmer (4-2), the teams picked 1-2 in the Three Rivers Athletic Conference. Records aside, Findlay took advantage of short-field opportunities to open a 20-7 first quarter lead. The Trojans still led 23-14 at the half. But Fremont Ross has Kaden Holmes. And in the second half the senior four-year starter showed why he could possibly be a Mr. Football candidate after the season. In the third quarter Holmes, who would amass 519 total yards in the game, had nine carries for 115 yards and a score and completed 12-of-17 passes for 165 yards and two TDs. Fremont Ross had four possessions in the period and scored on all four as Holmes engineered drives of 80, 75, 58 and 80 yards. Findlay tried to keep pace. Sophomore quarterback Ryan Montgomery, a four-star recruit who has already received offers from many of the top D-I programs in the country, threw two long TD passes, but Findlay trailed 41-37 entering the fourth quarter. When a Montgomery pass was picked off three minutes into the final period, Holmes took Ross on a 14-play drive that ate up yards, time and – gradually – Findlay's chances. Ross marched to the Findlay 12-yard line, but on a third-and-2 play, the ball was poked free and Hudson Goebel recovered with 2:19 on the clock. Montgomery kept the drive alive with a 47-yard bomb to Donovan Harris on a third-and-10 call, then found Antwon Murphy for 18 yards on third-and 11. On first-and-goal from the 7, Montgomery threw a little fade pass that sophomore Reece Little caught for the score, putting Findlay back in front 44-41 with 43 seconds on the clock. Turns out that was more than enough for Holmes, who drove the little Giants 80 yards in six plays, the last a 23-yard TD pass to Brycen Hammer on a crossing pattern in the back of the end zone. Ross was back on top, 48-44, Six seconds remained. What happened then will be replayed for years … and discussed longer than that. Junior receiver/defensive back Luke Weihrauch fielded the bouncing kickoff at the 5 and headed straight up field. As Fremont Ross defenders closed in on him and he was being taken down, Weihrauch tossed the ball to his left and into the hands of Dallas DeLaCruz. DeLaCruz saw some room to his left, got to the corner and outran two defenders the final 72 yards for the touchdown that gave Findlay a 50-48 win in one of the most amazing finishes in prep football history. There were three touchdowns scored in the final 49 seconds and each one flipped the scoreboard. Combined the two teams had 1,079 yards total offense. Holmes was 30-of-45 passing for 348 yards and four scores and rushed for 171 yards and a TD. Montgomery also completed 30-of-45 passes, throwing for 346 yards and six TDs. Harris, who had 115 yards receiving and caught three TD passes, may have said it best. "I prayed to God some miracle would happen at the end and look at this. It's crazy, just crazy," he said. } In a matchup of unbeaten, state-ranked teams, Carey got a 36-yard touchdown pass from Lance Rickle to Austin Niederkohr in the third quarter to beat Colonel Crawford 7-3 and run its regular-season winning streak to 15 straight. } Liberty-Benton quarterback Kam Garlock completed 25-of-28 passes for 275 yards and four TDs and ran for two scores as well in the Eagles' 45-0 win over Van Buren. } The Mansfield Senior Tygers scored 12 seconds into their 41-0 win over Lexington when Aaron Thornton stripped the Lexington kickoff returner and returned the ball 32 yards for the opening score. Duke Reese and Amarr Davis connected on a 93-yard touchdowns pass, the second consecutive week where the two locked up for a 90-plus yard TD as Reese threw for 313 yards on just seven completions for an incredible 44.6-yard-per-completion average. It was the most passing yards for a Tyger QB since 2013. } The Ashland Crestview Cougars pushed their regular season winning streak to 17 games with a 31-6 win over Lucas behind Adison Reymer's 173 yards on 35 carries with two touchdowns. } The Clear Fork Colts used some dynamic plays to earn a 48-28 win over Ontario in Week 6, including an 85-yard kickoff return by Trystyn Robison and an 85-yard return of a blocked field goal by Aidan Perry. } Defiance recorded its first three-game win streak in nine years with a stellar defensive showing for the third straight week by defeating Elida 31-14. A win in week seven would mark the first four-game win streak in 16 years for the Bulldogs. } Running back Levi Barnum and QB Jacob Cadwell continued to put up dominant stat lines for Stryker in week five of eight-man football action. In a 44-6 win over Sandusky St. Mary Central Catholic, Cadwell completed 21-of-24 passes for 196 yards and two TDs while rushing for another. Barnum needed 14 carries to hit 216 yards with three rushing TDs while catching two passes, including a touchdown, for the 4-1 Panthers. The fourth win passes the total of the four prior seasons combined since Stryker started its varsity football program in 2018. } In other eight-man action, Holgate quarterback Xavier McCord had as many incompletions as touchdowns, completing 16-of-19 passes for 260 yards and three TDs as the Tigers avenged a 42-20 loss in their season opener against Tri-State King's Crusaders in Northern 8 Football Conference action. } Bryan's Sam Herold racked up 264 yards and three rushing TDs on 36 carries as the Bears built up a 28-0 first-half lead and held on to defeat Patrick Henry 42-35. } Celina defeated Lima Bath 29-0 on Friday for the Bulldogs first shutout victory since Oct. 17, 2014 (42-0 win over Lima Shawnee). } New Bremen running back/kicker Hunter Schaefer scored five touchdowns and kicked five extra points to set school record for points in a game with 35 in the Cardinals 41-13 win over Fort Recovery. } Coldwater celebrated an emotional homecoming with a 49-0 win over Parkway. The game came two days after Hall of Fame baseball coach Brian Harlamert died suddenly at the age of 51. Brian's son Evan Harlamert had five catches for 45 yards with two touchdowns in the victory. Twin brothers AJ and Braylen Harlamert (nephews of Brian Harlamert) also played and combined for five catches for 78 yards in the game. } Liberty Center won its sixth-straight game, defeating Swanton 42-0 in Northwest Ohio Athletic League action. This was the fourth shutout of the season for the Tigers' defense, which has not allowed a point over the last 10 quarters. Liberty Center's defense has allowed 27 points all season. } Patrick Henry quarterback Nash Meyer passed for 397 yards and four touchdowns and added a rushing TD in a 42-35 loss to Bryan Friday. } Napoleon's Andrew Williams rushed for 196 yards on 20 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns in the Wildcats' 47-7 win at Maumee Friday. Napoleon's defense had three interceptions, including a 27-yard pick-six by Jacob Aguilar on the second play of the game. } Archbold running back Carson Dominique carried the ball 17 times for a total of 127 yards and five touchdowns on Friday as the Blue Streaks cruised to a dominant 43-0 win over Delta. On the season through six games, the senior has rushed for 732 yards and 16 TDs while also adding a pair of receiving scores. } Blayton Reid of Logan Elm rushed for a program record 310 yards in a 35-14 win over Fairfield Union. } Dane Nauman of Marengo Highland rushed for 336 yards on 30 attempts and scored four TDs in a 42-28 win over Marion Harding. } Trey Cornist of Cincinnati Winton Woods racked up 343 yards and scored six touchdowns on just 18 carries in a 62-31 win over Cincinnati Anderson. Cornist is a Georgia Tech commit. } Winton Woods running back Trey Cornist tallied six touchdowns and 343 rushing yards in their 62-31 victory over Anderson. } Safety Tallen Hulvey returned fumbles for 31 and 76 yards for back-to-back touchdowns in the second quarter of Medina's 48-7 win at Euclid. } Mentor's Scotty Fox had passing touchdowns covering 4, 4, 3, 3 and 2 yards in 35-14 victory at Brunswick. } Newark Catholic senior tailback Mason Hackett scored three of his five touchdowns in the first 6:24 of the game in a 42-0 win against Utica. He had 188 yards in 15 carries in a little over two quarters, scoring on runs of 7, 4, 8, 67 and 22 yards, and also had a 58-yard punt return. Senior linebacker Brendan Sheehan had two first-half interceptions. } Akron Archbishop Hoban senior running back Lamar Sperling and Cleveland Heights senior quarterback Darreon Fair could be dueling for the northeast's bid at Mr. Football. Both continued to reach the end zone Friday with four scores. Fair rushed for 274 yards and four TDs on 17 carries in a 56-28 win at Strongsville to keep Cleveland Heights undefeated through six weeks. Meanwhile, Hoban also is 6-0 after Sperling rushed for 152 yards and four TDs on 26 carries in a 32-20 win at Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit. Sperling has 1,387 yards and 21 TDs on 132 carries through six games. } Weston Strader of Firelands rushed for a whopping 377 yards and six TDs in a 46-42 win at LaGrange Keystone that not only knocked off the defending Lorain County League champions, but handed the Wildcats their first LCL loss in 23 games. In the loss, Keystone sophomore Zach Shackelford paced the Wildcats with 210 yards and three TDs on 11 receptions. Konner Rodick threw for 363 yards and five TDs, with another 72 yards rushing, for Keystone in the high-scoring affair. } Week 7 brings a number of rivalry games in Northeast Ohio and matchups that could determine conference champions. Avon (5-1), which has won six straight Southwestern Conference championships and made five straight state semifinals in Division II, visits Olmsted Falls (5-1). Division VI powerhouse Kirtland (6-0) plays host to Perry (5-1), which hopes to make a run in Division V but first disrupt Kirtland's Chagrin Valley Conference dominance and 51-game winning streak in the regular season. Medina (5-1) looks to defend its Greater Cleveland Conference crown with a visit from Mentor (3-2). Then on Saturday, Lakewood St. Edward (5-1) heads to Byers Field in Parma for its rivalry game against Cleveland St. Ignatius (4-1). Barring a playoff rematch in Region 1, it will be the final game between the schools for legendary coach Chuck Kyle, who is retiring following his 40th and final season leading the Wildcats. } Springboro took over the Greater Western Ohio Conference from top-10 teams Centerville and Springfield. Springboro (3-0 in the GWOC) rallied from a 17-7 deficit in the fourth quarter and defeated No. 2 Centerville 21-17 on a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Evan Ruzzo with 14 seconds remaining. Meanwhile, sophomore quarterback Brock Baker scored on a 15-yard run late in the fourth quarter to lift Fairmont past No. 5 Springfield 24-21. } Division II No. 5 Xenia defeated Division III No. 2 Tippecanoe 27-22 on Gavin McManus' 10-yard touchdown pass to Tremmell Wright with 51 seconds left. The score capped a 20-play drive that included three fourth-down conversions and took almost 10 minutes off the clock. } Division V No. 7 Milton-Union rolled past Miami East 49-0 as wide receiver Blake Brumbaugh set school scoring records for scoring (313) and receptions (82).