Marysville’s Bodie Eberhart goes to the ground to catch a 34-yard reception against Delaware Hayes on Friday. The Monarchs fell, 17-16, in overtime.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson)
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Marysville’s game against Delaware Hayes Friday night ended the only way it could – with the Monarchs close enough to spit in the end zone, but not getting in.
The Monarchs dropped a 17-16 overtime stunner to the Pacers on their home field in a game that saw them fumble the ball away three times in the red zone, two of those coming inside the five-yard-line. In the first three quarters, Marysville marched effortlessly inside the 10 four times and came away with just three points.
“Our kids were playing hard and trying to make plays,” MHS head coach Brent Johnson said. He explained that his ball carriers were getting stripped as they made second and third efforts for additional yards.
“But we were stopping ourselves,” he said.
Marysville’s defense kept it in the game, giving up a touchdown on the opening drive, but allowing just three points after that in regulation.
“If our defense holds them to 10 points in regulation, we’ve got to win that game,” Johnson said.
And despite sloppy play, including nine first-quarter penalties, the Monarchs fell just a yard short of victory in OT.
The Pacers got the ball and needed just three plays to cover the 20 yards. Jahi Broussard-Nash got the touchdown on a four-yard run and kicker Kyle Klumpp nailed the point after to put the Pacers ahead by seven.
Marysville answered, also needing just three plays to crack the end zone.
On third-and-two from the 12, MHS quarterback Walker Heard plunged into the middle of the line and was met by a sea of Delaware jerseys.
Although he stumbled, somehow, Heard bounced out of the other side of the pile and, with some balance assistance from running back Mike Powers, pushed into the end zone for the score.
At that point, Marysville called timeout and prepared to go for the two-point conversion and the win. Factoring into the decision was the fact that numerous players were hampered by leg cramps in the second half.
Trainers, coaches and players tried to help stretch out limping athletes on the sidelines like a battlefield MASH unit.
With his players fading, Johnson decided to put the game in the hands of an offensive line that paved the way for more than 300 rushing yards on the night.
“On the road – you go win the game,” he said.
And if high school extra points were spotted at the two, Marysville would have won. But in the end, Heard’s second straight plunge into the line came up a yard short of pay dirt.
The hole the Monarchs attempted to dig for themselves in the first half made it miraculous that they were even able to force overtime.
Marysville moved down inside the five on its first two drives, with each march propelled by long completions from Heard to Bodie Eberhart respectively for 38 and 34 yards. Both series came up empty as Marysville fumbled the ball.
Delaware took advantage of the first fumble to put together a 97-yard scoring drive that cleaned six minutes off the first quarter clock.
Luke Jackson got the three-yard score and Klumpp hit the PAT as the Pacers took a 7-0 lead with 3:49 left in the first quarter.
Marysville finally dented the scoreboard in the second period, although the results were again a bit disappointing to the visiting team.
Heard ripped off a 34-yard gain on a keeper and the Monarchs were seven yards away from cracking the end zone.
A play for negative yards and a penalty quickly dashed those hopes. The Monarchs settled for a 27-yard field goal from Thomas Wolfe to put the score at 7-3 with 4:03 left in the half.
The Monarch defense forced a three-and-out to open the second half and MHS once again drove deep into Pacer territory.
However, another costly fumble gave the home squad the ball back at the four.
The Pacers went on their second long scoring march of the game, killing eight minutes off the clock. That sent the game into the fourth quarter.
Delaware faced third down at the 16-yard-line when the Monarchs finally caught a break.
An uncovered Pacer receiver was spotted by quarterback Blake Eiland, but they couldn’t connect on the slant pattern.
As such, the home squad settled for a 33-yard Klumpp field goal to put the score at 10-3.
It took one play for the Monarchs to get back in the contest, but even that did not come easy.
At the 35-yard-line with just over 10 minutes left to play, Eberhart took a pitch and broke through a crease.
Nobody on the field could catch him – if he was healthy. At about the 30-yard-line, it appeared a cramp set in and the Monarch senior slowed.
It still took another 28 yards for the Pacers to haul him down, but a healthy Eberhart would have surely scored on the play.
As it turned out, Marysville finally was able to solve the red zone jinx as Heard went into the end zone on the next play from the two. Wolfe’s extra point tied the score, but neither team could threaten the end zone in the final minutes of regulation.
That eventually set up the heartbreaking overtime loss for the Monarchs.
Marysville dominated the offensive stats, gaining 424 yards on the night while the Pacers picked up 281.
Chase Kilgore had a workmanlike-100 yards on 16 carries, while Heard and Eberhart also threatened triple digits with 93 and 87 yards respectively. Heard completed 4-of-11 passes for 85 yards, all of which went to Eberhart.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the 1-1 Monarchs as they travel to Olentangy Liberty on Friday. With many players being asked to go both ways, the Monarchs are searching for a way to get fresh bodies onto the field to alleviate the late-game fatigue.
“We are trying rotate as much as we can,” Johnson said. “But to compete in this league, you have to play your (best) guys.”