Trojans looking to ground Lima's wide-open offense

By DAVE HANNEMAN Every time Findlay played Lima Senor in basketball, Findlay High coach Jim Rucki had to prepare the Trojans for the fast-breaking up-tempo style of the Spartans. From the look of things, FHS football coach Stefan Adams may have to do the same thing. "Could be," Adams answered when asked if the number of passes thrown in Friday's matchup between Findlay and Lima Senior might hit triple digits. "It depends. If they give throws, we'll throw the ball. If they give us something else, we'll take what they give us." Bill Lawrence was named Lima Senior head coach after Alphonso "Biggie" Thompson stepped down in March. One of the first things Lawrence did was install the 5-wide offensive system he had become familiar with during his days as an assistant to Mike Mauk at Kenton. "Air Mauk" as it was called produced six quarterbacks who threw for over 7,000 career yards, including the top two names on Ohio's all-time list in Maty Mauk (18,932) and Ben Mauk (17,364). Those numbers rank the Mauk brothers not only 1-2 in Ohio, but are 1-2 in the national prep record books as well. Lawrence may have a player making that list as well after the start Ja'niaus Hall has had. A 5-foot-9, 150-pound sophomore, Hall completed 30-of-57 passes for 429 yards and four touchdowns last Friday when Lima Senior opened its season with a 36-31 win over Piqua. Friday's start will be Hall's second against Findlay. When Lima Senior's first- and second-string quarterbacks went down with injuries heading into Week 10 of the 2022 season, Hall had to step in. The freshman did complete 10-of-23 passes for 118 yards, but was intercepted three times and did not get the Spartans into the end zone. There were also nine mishandled snaps between Hall and the center, with Lima Senior losing two of those fumbles. Despite just one varsity start coming into this season, Hall showed considerable maturity in Lima Senior's opener. After Piqua, traditionally a solid Division II program that has gone 28-5 over the past three seasons, took a 31-30 lead late in the game, Hall drove Lima Senior 80 yards for the game-winning score. Hall twice completed first-down passes on third-and-10 plays before hitting Chance Sanders for a 38-yard catch-and-run TD with 48 seconds on the clock. Sanders, a 5-9, 150-pound senior, had eight catches for 122 yards in that game. Senior Zaveon Garner (6-3, 180) had nine receptions for 146 yards, with Boog Wilson (5-10, 155, jr.) hauling in some key passes as well, especially during the Spartans' game-winning drive. When it comes to a 5-wide or spread offense, Findlay runs a pretty good version of it as well. And has for several years. "There are a lot of similarities, but there's a variety of things we can do out it (5-wide) that are unique to us," Adams said. "Concept-wise, our defense knows what they (Lima Senior) do. I mean, they've been going against it all summer long. "The key, I think, is being disciplined. Now they have to go out there and execute at a very high level." A strong, accurate arm and a high quarterback IQ are essential in running a spread offense. Findlay has a four-star talent in that position in Ryan Montgomery, a 6-3, 215-pound junior considered one of the top prep quarterbacks in the country in class of 2025. Knowing Findlay would struggle running the ball against a big and powerful Toledo Central Catholic front seven, Findlay went with mostly quick-outs, screens and slant patterns in Friday's season opener. Montgomery would attempt 51 passes and complete 29 for 266 yards and a score. Overall, the Trojans managed 301 yards total offense against a program that traditionally was the top defensive team in the defunct Three Rivers Athletic Conference. "We're not going to hide away from the fact we lost the game (47-14) to a very, very good team," Adams said. "Unfortunately, we made some mistakes they were able to capitalize on. But in the end, I think our athletes shined a lot in this game. Our guys made a lot of big time catches out there." None was bigger than a 40-yard catch-and-run screen pass that senior receiver Javonte Hill turned into a 40-yard score. Trailing 21-7 but driving midway through the second quarter, Findlay faced a third-and-10 from the TCC 40. Adams called a screen left, the play set up well and Montgomery released his throw with several Central Catholic linemen bearing in on him. Montgomery had to put a little more air under the throw to get it over the oncoming rush. It was a bit high, but Hill soared up, made a one-handed grab, then turned and ran through an opening in the pocket of blockers around him for the TD. The play was considered so impressive it was No. 2 on ESPN's SportsCenter's top ten plays of the day. "At first I thought it was kind of high. But I jumped, I grabbed it and headed up field because I had some blockers around me," Hill said this week. "I saw it on BCSN later that night. The next day I saw in on SportsCenter. That was pretty cool. "It's something you always dream about, making a big play like that and being on SportsCenter." Hill (74 yards) and Jacob Ragland (58 yards) caught seven passes each, Ben Best (75 yards) snared six, Austin Hasselbach (30 yards) four and Matt Guthrie (16 yards) three. And while there's no guarantee Friday's matchup will be a balloon-fest with Wilson GSTs sailing all over Spartan Stadium, there's a good bet Findlay's receiving corps will be called on to make some clutch catches once again, whether they make it on ESPN's top ten list or not. "Sometimes you just have to make plays," Hill said. "You have to work with what you've got and make it happen."