Monarch defensive back Braden Deere (20) goes for an interception attempt against Olentangy Berlin. The Monarchs fell 24-10.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson)
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For the first time since the opening game of the season, Marysville’s grid squad was out-gained on the ground en route to a 24-10 loss at Olentangy Berlin.
Walking out of the stadium it appeared that the second league loss had squashed the Monarchs’ hopes of three-peating as OCC Cardinal Division champions.
Those hopes, though, may have a bit of life left.
“This was to stay in contention for the league and it stings right now,” MHS coach Brent Johnson said after Friday’s game.
Marysville is a run-first team. Always has been. The Monarchs tend to win the ground war, even in defeat. For the Bears to have outgained the Monarchs on the ground 211-172 is quite a feat, especially when you factor in how the game started.
“I liked where we were at halftime,” Johnson said.
There was a good reason for that.
Despite trailing the Bears 10-7, the Monarch offense looked like itself. It had run for 143 yards and held a 193-129 advantage in total yardage. The MHS defense had held Berlin to just 11 rushing yards over the first two quarters.
The Bears, though, flipped the script during the second half.
Berlin ran for 200 yards over the final 24 minutes, while holding MHS to just 29 rushing yards.
For the second week in a row, the opposing defense filled the tackle box with defenders and took away the Monarchs’ interior run game, forcing Marysville to attack the edges.
Nascere Smith paced the Monarchs with 117 yards on 13 attempts and scored the Monarchs’ only touchdown.
MHS QB Brady Seger was an effective 7-for-11 through the air for 89 yards.
His Bear counterpart, Harrison Brewster, proved to be a one-man wrecking crew, throwing for 134 yards and a touchdown and running for 124 and a score.
Marysville took the opening possession inside the Bear 25 before turning the ball over on downs.
Berlin responded with a drive that resulted in a 23-yard field goal from Spencer Conrad with 2:48 left in the quarter.
The Monarchs answered with a big play and took a lead into the second quarter.
Smith took the familiar Monarch double-handoff for a 67-yard score with 1:15 seconds left in the opening stanza. Xavier Heller’s point after gave Marysville a 7-3 advantage.
The Bears responded quickly with the only points of the second quarter.
Berlin pushed into the MHS red zone where Brewster found Josh Gavin alone in the end zone for a 15-yard scoring strike. The PAT resulted in the Bears taking a 10-7 advantage into the break.
In the third quarter, an MHS fumble allowed the Bears to extend their lead on a two-yard scoring run by Mason Ziegler. The PAT stretched the Berlin advan
tage to 17-7 with 6:07 left in the third.
The Monarchs returned the favor later in the quarter, taking advantage of a Bear fumble to get back in the scoring column.
MHS pushed inside the 10-yard line, but had to settle for Heller’s 27-yard field goal that made the score 17-10 late in the third period.
Trailing by just one score heading into the fourth quarter, Marysville pushed the ball down inside the Berlin 35.
A third down sack, though, left Marysville facing fourth-and-11 and forced a punt.
The Bears took the ball at their 11 and hit Marysville with a back-breaker.
Brewster dropped back to pass, but tucked the ball away. He found a ridiculous seam through the middle of the Monarch defense. His 68-yard scoring run and the ensuing PAT put the Bears up 24-10 with 6:51 to play.
Marysville couldn’t muster any offense on its next series.
The Bears responded by bleeding the remaining five minutes off the clock to secure the win.
“They’re (Berlin) good and I told our kids we’re a good football team,” Johnson said. “But every team we face is playing good football.
“You’re going to win some. You’re going to lose some, but just gotta keep grinding.”
As it turns out, Marysville may have the slimmest of hopes to stay in the title picture after a pair of upsets Friday night in the Cardinal Division.
Olentangy upset Dublin Jerome and Hilliard Darby did the same to Thomas Worthington, giving each school their second league loss.
This leaves Marysville, Jerome, Hilliard Darby and Thomas Worthington all with two losses, while Olentangy has three.
Berlin now sits alone with one loss, but has a tough