Montgomery quiets crowd as Findlay lights up Southview

SYLVANIA – Late in the first quarter of Friday's game at Sylvania Southview, Findlay High's four-star quarterback Ryan Montgomery threw one deep. As it sailed high and out of bounds, the student section on the home side of the field chanted, "Overrated, Overrated." Over-thrown? Yes. Overrated? Not a chance. "I'm usually so locked in I don't even notice things like that," Montgomery said later, after he had thrown for a school single-record 491 yards and six touchdowns in Findlay's 49-14 win over Southview. "I'm not going to let anybody get to me. The scoreboard speaks for itself." Montgomery completed his first 10 passes, five each on two efficient drives that put Findlay up 14-0 just 5:35 into the game. On the first snap after his long incompletion, he hooked up with Jacob Ragland on a 61-yard catch-and-run play that set up a third first-quarter score, a 2-yard dive by Matt Guthrie. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound junior completed 32-of-37 passes in less than three full quarters of playing time. His 491 yards broke the single-game record set by Ben Roethlisberger in 1999. Senior receiver Ja'vonte Hill caught 11 passes for 200 yards and four touchdowns. Austin Hasselbach snared six passes for 95 yards, Ben Best had five receptions for 86 yards and a score, and Reece Little four catches for 25 yards. Ragland had 67 yards on two receptions, with Like Weihrauch snaring a TD pass as well. "We were firing on all cylinders tonight and making plays," said Hill, who through three games has 24 receptions for 415 yards and seven touchdowns. "Ja'vonte's a special player," Montgomery said. "Four touchdowns in the first half, that's unheard of." In the two-tiered Northern Lakes League, Sylvania Southview was the coaches preseason pick to win the Cardinal Division. The Cougars returned nine offensive starters from an 8-3 team and were off to a 2-0 start, but FHS coach Stefan Adams didn't want theCougars building any momentum. "We wanted to get off to a hot start. We wanted to put pressure on them," Adams said. "We wanted to be aggressive and attack, and I think we did that." Findlay took control with startling efficiency. The Trojans went 69 yards in seven plays with the opening kickoff, 67 yards in seven plays on their second possession and, thanks to the 61-yard screen pass to Ragland, 63 yards in just three plays to go up 21-0. Findlay padded its lead to 35-0 with two 75-yard drives – one of eight plays, one of three. After Southview got on the board on Isaac Sexton's 65-yard run with 3:22 left in the second quarter, Findlay needed just 49 seconds to answer. Montgomery connected with Austin Hasselbach for a 61-yard bomb, then hit Luke Weihrauch with a 9-yard laser for the score that put the Trojans up 42-7 at the half. Montgomery had a premonition things would go the way they did. "Really, this happened because we had great Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday practices," he said. "When we did our walk-through on Thursday, I think it was the best walk-through I've ever had." Having a four-star prospect at quarterback is a definite advantage. But Adams says its more than just having a great arm in the arsenal. "Ryan is able to put the ball in spots a lot of other guys can't, we understand that" he said. "But it's about the line blocking and the receivers being in the right spots and when that happens the receivers become more confident and the line wants to block better …. "One of our guys came up to me Thursday and said, 'I see what you mean about having a great week of practice and then cap it off with a win.' "It correlates. I think they're starting to understand the process, and when they buy into that good things happen." Southview had averaged 42 points a game in jumping off to a 2-0 record. Findlay's defense, though, twice flipped the field, getting the ball back for the offense with fourth-down stops. "I think we're doing a great job of playing complementary football," Adams said. "Against (Toledo) Central Catholic we got one fourth-down stop, but not a second one just before the half. Here we were tonight and had two chances to do that and we did. "That's rising to the occasion. Competitive greatness is what I call it, the ability to perform at a high level and embrace the opportunities that come your way. Next week, Findlay (2-1) hosts Oregon Clay (2-1) in another Buckeye/Cardinal Division cross-over game. Sylvania Southview (2-1) will be at Perrysburg (3-0). Findlay 21 21 7 0 —49 Southview 0 7 0 7 —14 First Quarter FIN – Hill 26 pass from Montgomery (Sprague kick) FIN – Hill 26 pass from Montgomery (Sprague kick) FIN – Guthrie 2 run (Sprague kick) Second Quarter FIN – Hill 3 pass from Montgomery (Sprague kick) FIN – Hill 67 pass from Montgomery (Sprague kick) SS – Sexton 65 run (LePla kick) FIN – Weihrauch 4 pass from Montgomery (Sprague kick) Third Quarter FIN – Best 18 pass from Montgomery (Sprague kick) FIN LS First Downs 26 14 Rushes-yards 11-56 26-155 Passing Yards 491 91 Comp-Att-Int 32-37-0 12-20-0 Punts-Avg. 1-28 4-38.5 Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-0 Penalties-Yards 6-61 7-66 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING —Findlay, Guthrie 5-27, Montgomery 3-29, Sylvania Southview, Sexton 18, 110. PASSING —Findlay, Montgomery 32-37, 491 yards, 6. Sylvania Southview, Mayze 12-20,1 91 yards. RECEIVING — Findlay, Guthrie 1-5, Hill 11-200, Hasselbach 6-95, Best 5-86, Little 4-25, Weihrauch 2-18, Ragland 32-67.