Rockets make big comeback, stun Bulldogs

PANDORA– As Pandora-Gilboa head coach Matt Hershey said to senior quarterback Cory Gerten coming out of the halftime break, one touchdown and they were right back in it. That proved to be exactly right. The Rockets, down 14-0 to Columbus Grove as the second half got underway, received the kickoff and needed just 32 seconds to reach the end zone. From there, it was clear things had changed. As the game wore on, the Rockets got more and more confident, and the win got closer and closer. P-G captured a 22-21 victory over the Bulldogs on Thursday evening, taking revenge for a 35-7 loss on the road in Week 1 a year ago. The first half was mostly Columbus Grove, as the Rockets managed just 91 total yards and Gerten went 10 for 17 passing for 66 yards and an interception. The Bulldogs, however, recorded 141 rushing yards in the first half, with four players already over 20 yards on the ground. Senior quarterback Landon Best and senior receiver Trevon Baxter each scored first-half rushing TDs for the Bulldogs.A 29-yard Rockets completion to senior Chase Meyer in the final minute of the first half was the first sign that the momentum was swinging toward P-G, and it rode that wave to a monumental second half. On the second-half kickoff, Meyer returned the ball to the opposing 43, setting the Rockets up with excellent field position and a head of steam. The first play of the drive saw senior running back Ben Burkholder get the handoff and lateral it to senior receiver Landen Moore as Burkholder was being wrapped up, resulting in an 18-yard gain. On the second play of the drive, Gerten connected with Meyer on a 19-yard throw to set P-G up just six yards shy of the goal. Burkholder once again got the nod, with a six-yard run into the end zone to put the Rockets on the board for the first time all evening."Half the time, it's getting our guys just to believe that they can do these things," Hershey said. "We showed tonight that we can. We left a lot out there in the first half, made some huge mental mistakes. They rallied at halftime, we knew we were right there. Long run down the sideline, we just missed two tackles in the backfield. Our guys are in position, we've just gotta make the play. You guys are talking to me, but it's our kids who won the game tonight. They did a great job of being resilient, next-play mentality, putting the crap behind them, going out there and executing the most. We got the win.""We made mistakes," Columbus Grove coach Andy Schafer said. "We made mistakes, this is a rivalry game, you can't make mistakes. I made mistakes, everybody (did). I'm gonna be kicking myself for a long time over this.""Credit the Pandora kids, they had some fire," Schafer continued. "They didn't quit, and I knew it was gonna be like that because it's always like that."The Rockets forced a punt on the following Grove possession, before having to punt the ball away themselves. On the Bulldogs' next drive, the surprise hero of the night showed up: Rockets junior Jace Fenbert. Fenbert caught a tipped Grove pass for an interception, and returned it to the Bulldog 22. The next play saw Gerten find Fenbert in the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown throw, before being called back for a holding penalty. Just two plays later, Gerten threw an interception on fourth and nine in the end zone, as the Rockets committed two crucial errors and give Columbus Grove the momentum back, but only briefly. The Bulldogs only needed seven plays to reach the end zone once more, with sophomore Brody McCluer finding a gap on the right side for a 21-yard score as Columbus Grove took a 21-7 lead into the fourth. The Rockets drove all the way down to the 4 on their next drive, before a loss of four yards on a Burkholder run and an incomplete pass set them up with a fourth and goal situation from eight yards out. Chase Meyer found himself wide open across the middle, and Gerten found him for a touchdown to once again swing things in the Rockets' favor. With just one score separating the teams with eight minutes to go, Hershey opted to go with an onside kick. The kick failed, setting the Bulldogs up their 35. P-G wasn't done though, determined to get the ball back. It was once again Fenbert saving the day. As the Bulldogs ran a draw up the middle, Fenbert stripped the ball carrier and gave the Rockets possession just 31 yards from a game-altering touchdown. "You talk about being next guy up, he wasn't a starter tonight," Hershey said. "When he got his opportunity, he made the most of it. That's all we ask for (from) these guys. We can't make everybody get the ball every play and be a superstar, but when his number was called, he made the best of it tonight. That's what we need moving forward to build our depth and to get our younger guys to believe they can do this.""Jace Fenbert did a great job," Hershey continued. "Huge momentum swings for us, just very happy that he stayed ready. Stayed ready to go, and he made the most out of it when it counted."Once again, it was Ben Burkholder finding the back of the endzone, giving P-G all 31 yards it needed on one single run up the right-hand side of the field. After a penalty flag on the extra-point attempt, Hershey and co. decided to go for a two-point conversion. Burkholder willed that one into the endzone too, forcing his way through Grove's defensive line and across the goalline. "He's a man," Schafer said of the Rockets' strong running back. "It's not like it was hard to adjust to it, he just ran hard. He wanted it. How many times were we just close to making a tackle, and he just got through?"Columbus Grove had one final chance to pull out a road victory to open its season, and drove the ball down to the opposing 33. On 4th and 4, Best opted to keep it himself for a 13-yard gain, before a Baxter run and another Best keeper saw the Bulldogs facing a 3rd and 7 from the Rockets' 17-yard line. Senior Andrew Webster would wrangle in Best's pass attempt near the goalline, the Rockets' second interception of the game, sealing P-G's week-one redemption victory. Gerten wound up passing for 145 yards, completing 18 of his 33 passes and throwing one touchdown and two interceptions. Burkholder finished with 25 carries, rushing for 100 yards and two touchdowns and gaining 20 more yards on three receptions. Meyer hauled in eight receptions for 80 yards and a TD. Fenbert added six receptions for 34 yards. Best connected on four of his 14 throws for the Bulldogs, with 34 yards and two interceptions. Best also rushed for one touchdown, recording 36 yards on 11 carries. Baxter ended with 11 carries for 102 yards and a score. McCluer tallied eight carries for 88 yards and a TD as well.The Rockets' big win will propel them to a week-two showdown with another NWC powerhouse, the Bluffton Pirates. Columbus Grove has a dominant team awaiting them as well, hosting the BVC champion Liberty-Benton Eagles next Friday. Col. Grove 7 7 7 0–21P-Gilboa 0 0 7 15–22First QuarterCG - Best 2 Run (Verhoff Kick)Second QuarterCG - T. Baxter 3 Run (Verhoff Kick)Third QuarterP-G - Burkholder 6 Run (Cannode Kick)CG - McCluer 21 Run (Verhoff Kick)Fourth QuarterP-G - Meyer 8 Pass from Gerten (Cannode Kick)P-G - Burkholder 31 Run (Burkholder 2-pt Run)