Arcadia falls short against Grandview Heights

ARCADIA --One thing was never in doubt on Friday, and that was Arcadia's heart. In a 21-6 loss to Grandview Heights, fate seemed to be against the Redskins from the beginning. An interception on the first play of the game set the Grandview Heights Bobcats up near the opponent's' 20-yard line. Arcadia's first defensive play, however, was a 15-yard sack. It was clear what type of game would follow: a hard-fought one. The Redskins found themselves down by two scores at the half. Even after a 46-yard punt return to add another score with just under five minutes to go in the third, the Redskins pushed on. A 24-yard heave from freshman quarterback Jacoby Ellis to Isaac Stoner with a minute to go in the third quarter got the Redskins on the board for their only score. Ellis took quite a beating in the pocket in the loss, getting hit as he threw or on more than a handful of occasions. Ellis persevered though, and finished with a solid performance. Ellis wrapped up with 17 completed passes for 191 yards, including the 24-yard connection with Stoner. Many of Ellis' completions happened while scrambling, an impressive ability for a freshman quarterback. "We're tired of saying we're young," Arcadia coach Sean Adams said. "At some point, we've got to grow up. I think Jacoby Ellis has grown up. He's a tremendous competitor, a tremendous leader. We just couldn't ask for more heart, more discipline, and more toughness than we get from Jacoby Ellis." Ellis wasn't alone in keeping the Redskins alive until the end, however. Stoner snagged four Ellis throws for 82 yards. Adam Emerich ended with four receptions for 56 yards. Both Nick Myers and Bryson Lucius finished with 21 receiving yards as well. "We wanted to go at their freshman, we thought that we could get a good matchup with Isaac," Adams added. "We were finally able to come through with a couple of those passes, and then he made a nice play in the end zone." While the score may have made it look as though the evening was easy for Grandview Heights, it was quite the opposite. Arcadia's defense made the Bobcats work for everything, forcing several turnovers. The Bobcats committed five turnovers thanks to the Redskins, including a crucial interception by Adam Emerich with 45 seconds to go in the first half. The Bobcats' five turnovers were more than the Redskins' four, a testament to the stout defense of Arcadia. "We gave up a couple of big plays," Adams said. "At halftime, we made a little adjustment and we were able to stop some things. These guys gave me everything they had, they played their hearts out. They played tough, we just made a few mistakes." Henry Ohlinger scored both offensive touchdowns for Grandview Heights, an 8-yard run and a 23-yard run. Owen Nugent was responsible for the punt return score. Grandview Heights improved to 3-2 with this win. The Redskins now find themselves at 1-4, with a third-straight home game next week against BVC foes, the 3-2 Arlington Red Devils. Grandview Heights 0 14 7 0–21 Arcadia 0 0 6 0–6 Second Quarter GH - Ohlinger 8 Run (Livingston-Sanders kick) GH - Ohlinger 23 Run (Livingston-Sanders kick) Third Quarter GH - Nugent 46 Punt Return (Livingston-Sanders kick) ARC - Stoner 24 pass from Ellis (kick failed)