Findlay 'keeps hammering,' beats Lima Senior

LIMA – Findlay didn't score a lot of points in Friday's game at Lima Senior.But that's alright with FHS coach Stefan Adams, who knew his Trojans were suiting up for a battle, not a beauty pageant."It wasn't pretty," Adams said of Findlay's 17-7 victory in the 32nd matchup between the I-75 rivals."It was one of those games where you do whatever it takes to win. The big thing tonight was about being the hammer or the nail, and just keep hammering, keep hammering, keep hammering …."We had moments when we could probably have gone left a little bit but we didn't. We were able to come out with a win and that says a lot about this team. I was really proud of our resolve."Findlay's defense was the difference in a game that had eight turnovers and 20 total penalties for 143 yards in the matchup.Jacob Gebhardt, a junior defensive back, picked off two passes. The first came on the opening drive of the game with Lima Senior facing a fourth-and-5 from the Findlay 39. Senior quarterback Ja'niaus Hall threw deep for the end zone. Gebhardt and Amontrae Davis both went up for the ball, with Gebhardt coming down with it at the 1.Chase Harris, Cole Hull and Sebastian Brankamp recovered Lima Senior fumbles, with a turnover leading directly to Findlay's first TD of the game.Lima Senior led 7-3 in the third quarter thanks to a 47-yard interception return by Darious Routson. The Spartans were about to get the ball back again on a Findlay punt, but fumbled the ball as Jeff Williams tried to play it on the bounce. Hull recovered at the Lima 36 and, after a 7-yard loss and an 11-yard gain, quarterback Tate Richards beat a heavy rush and flipped a pass to Greyson Geiser in the right flat.Geiser caught the ball off the top of his cleats, spun to his right, and raced 24 yards before being pushed out at the 1.Miles Bailey, a 200-pound sophomore, entered the game for his only carry of the night, a 1-yard blast into the end zone that put Findlay up 10-7.Lima Senior answered with a 40-yard drive to the Findlay 31, the big play a 29-yard pass from Hall to Jaelen Webster. Will Hammer stopped a screen pass for no gain, though, Trace'son Hyde, Jackson Young and Hudson Yeager combined on an 8-yard sack, and Hall's fourth down pass into the end zone was well covered and a bit long.Findlay took possession of the ball, and two plays later took possession of the game when guard Xavian Garcia and tackle Graydin Weinstein opened a hole on the right side of the line and Lance Miller shot through on his way to a 59-yard TD run that put Findlay up 17-7."Turnovers were costly tonight," said Lima Senior coach Bill Lawrence."I think their pressure got to us a little bit. We had all the momentum. But we talk all the time about what stops drive and what stops momentum is turnovers."Miller had 12 carries and 124 of Findlay's 215 yards rushing. Griffin Lane had 36 yards and Shawn Hines III, seeing his first action of the season, had 33. All three gained some crucial first-down yards on a late Findlay drive that ate up much of the game's final six minutes.Hines also got some key gains after Chase Harris recovered a Lima Senior fumble in the first quarter. Findlay got a first down at the 10, but a fumble lost 9 yards and a sack lost 11. The Trojans were able to cash in on the turnover, thought, when Geiser booted a 42-yard field goal.Richards and Bishop Pfiester split time at quarterback, with Richards completing 6-of-9 passes for 61 yards in the second half."Bishop (Pfister) has his legs (6 carries), and once things got fast we had to slow it down a little and Tate (Richards) allows us to do that," Adams said of the two-quarterback system.The outcome left both teams with 1-1 records. Findlay host Springfield in a Northern Lakes League cross-over game Friday; Lima Senior is at Marion Harding."We've got to get better, and I'm going to get on the film tonight, get back to work tomorrow morning and see where we need to get ready for Marion Hardin," Lawrence said."All our goals are still ahead of us. The biggest thing is how we respond."Adams feels there might be a lighter step in the Trojans camp this week."Kids are kids. They want to why we're doing this and why we're doing what we're doing," he said."This validates all the hard work they put in those long days of practice."This is the reward."Findlay 3 0 14 0—17Lima 0 0 7 0—7First QuarterFIN – Field goal, Geiser, 42 yards Third QuarterLS – Routson, int. return, 47 yards (Ireland kick)FIN – Bailey 1 run (Geiser kick)FIN – Miller 59 run (Geiser kick) FIN LSFirst Downs 14 11Rushes-yards 41-215 23-34Passing Yards 66 172Comp-Att-Int 8-17-3 14-28-2Punts-Avg. 5-35.2 2-28.0Fumbles-Lost 1-0 3-3Penalties-Yards 12-91 8-52INDIVIDUAL STATISTICSRUSHING – Findlay, Miller 12-125, Williams 6-15, Pfister 6-6, Hines 9-33, Lane 5-36. Lima Senior, Davis 12-40, Hall 10-(-9), Webster 1-3.PASSING – Findlay, Richards 6-9-1, 61 yards; Pfister 1-7-2, 7 yards. Lima Senior, Hall 14-28-2, 172 yards.RECEIVING – Findlay, Geiser 2-36 yards, Imke 6-41. Lima Senior, Davis 2-7, Williams 4-37, Webster 4-72, Greer 1-39.Game stats courtesy of Jim Welch