Running game keys Trojans against Springfield

HOLLAND – It was a throw-back kind of night for Findlay High's football team.Except for the throwing part.Usually identified as a pass-first spread offensive team, Findlay harkened back to the ground-and-pound days of players like Andy Schramm and Bill Beach and Pat Dillon and Shaun Ball in rolling to a 42-13 win over Springfield on Friday."We were worried about the elements a little bit," FHS coach Stefan Adams said after Findlay rushed for a season high 301 yards on a wet, windy night at Springfield Community Stadium."We knew where they (Springfield) were going to be. They gave us the looks we expected to see. We counted on our offensive line and those guys did a great job, they executed at a high level."Griffin Lane rushed for 100 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns. Freshman quarterback Landon Echelberry had 75 yards on 10 carries and also scored twice. Aiden Lomeli added 59 yards and Ramier Williams 43 as Findlay won for the third time in four games to even off at 3-3 overall. Springfield dipped to 1-5 in the NLL Buckeye Division opener for both teams.Despite the absence of Sonny Hines, Findlay's leading rusher who missed the game with an injury, Adams had said he was going to feature Findlay's running game against a relatively young Springfield team (13 seniors) that had been allowing 34 points a game.Findlay's first drive of the game put that plan into action, with the Trojans marching 80 yards in eight plays. Jacob Ragland had a 13-yard run on a jet sweep, Lane had gains of 12 and 21 yards, Williams had back-to-back tackle-busting 9-yard bursts, and Echelberry went the final 9 yards on a quarterback draw.Eighty yards, eight plays, and not a single pass.Springfield answered right back with a stunning drive.On the Blue Devils' first play of the game, quarterback Logan Goodrick hooked up with Nate Pope on a 44-yard flea-flicker. Goodrick kept the drive alive with a clutch fourth-down pass to Jakobe May, and Gabe Gregory covered the final 3 yards for the score.Adams knew the Trojans had a good thing going, though.Findlay answered Springfield's drive with another 80-yarder of its own. Echelberry did throw two passes – an inside screen that Ragland turned into a 14-yard gain and a 9-yarder to Carter Imke – but the other 11 plays were all pitches, sweeps, off-tackle bursts and quarterback draws that gobbled up the yards.Lane's 3-yard blast for the score typified the drive, coming on a power move where he was stopped on his first push, but got his feet back under him and plunged into the end zone with a second-effort surge."We have a couple of guys that can run the ball," Adams said."Scoring like we did on those first two drives, that was a good way to start the game."Findlay had a gusting wind at its back, and got some help from Springfield, during a 28-point second quarter capped by touchdowns drives of 40, 19 and 38 yards.After going up 14-6 on Lane's run just 90 seconds into the second quarter, Findlay's defense dominated. Stops by Chase Harris on third down and Ian Smith on fourth gave the Trojans possession at the Blue Devils 40-yard line. They needed just three plays to score, with Imke's 28-yard gain on another inside screen setting up Echelberry's 5-yard run.Springfield fumbled on the next snap, Keegan Klotz recovered at the Blue Devils 19 and Lane's 2-yard dive put Findlay up 28-6 with 3:48 left in the half.Another defensive play by Klotz – a sack – helped halt Springfield's next drive and a short punt into the wind gave Findlay the ball at the 38. With 42 seconds left in the half, Echelberry and Ragland would hook up on a 17-yard TD pass that made it 35-6.Findlay did most of its passing on a third-quarter drive that triggered the running clock. Echelberry, who was 9-for-9 passing for 120 yards, hit Ragland (4 catches, 42 yards) for a 25-yard gain and Imke (3 catches, 62 yards) for 28 yards and the score. Findlay 7 28 7 0—42Springfield 6 0 0 7—13 First QuarterFIN – Echelberry 9 run (Huff kick)SPR – Gregory 3 run (run failed) Second QuarterFIN – Lane 3 run (Huff kick)FIN – Echelberry 5 run (Huff kick)FIN – Lane 3 run (Huff kick)FIN – Ragland 17 pass from Echelberry (Huff kick)Third QuarterFIN – Imke 28 pass from Echelberry (Huff kick)Fourth QuarterSPR – Wright 7 pass from Goodrick (Goodrick kick)FIN SPRFirst Downs 20 8Rushes-yards 39-301 30-58Passing Yards 120 160Comp-Att-Int 9-10-0 8-12-0Punts-Avg. 1-30.0 2-31.0Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-2Penalties-Yards 11-74 5-33INDIVIDUAL STATISTICSRUSHING —Findlay, Lane 13-100, Ragland 1-13, Echelberry 10-75, Little 1-11, Williams 5-43, Lomeli 9-59. Springfield, Gregory 20-59, May 4-9.PASSING —Findlay, Echelberry 9-9-0, 120 yards; Korkos 0-1-0, 0 yards. Springfield, Goodrick 8-12-0, 160 yards.RECEIVING — Findlay, Ragland 4-42, Little 1-12, Imke 3-62, Guthrie 1-4. Springfield, Taylor 1-9, Pope 2-47, May 1-13, Jackson 2-55, Wright 2-36.