Marysville’s Jake Carper (28) is up-ended by a pair of Hilliard Davidson defenders Friday evening. The Monarchs fell to the Wildcats, 28-7.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson)
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You know it’s a strange night on the gridiron when Hilliard Davidson and Marysville combine for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
The pair of run-first offenses showed some aerial highlights Friday night, as the Wildcats cruised past the Monarchs, 28-7.
Marysville will occasionally approach double-digit passing attempts, so Monarch QB Walker Heard’s 88 yards and a touchdown on 5-for-13 passing was not abnormal.
However, Davidson (8-1) rarely needs to pass at all and while signal caller Carson Felicity only when to the air four times, two of those caught the Monarchs sleeping.
The Wildcats’ success on the ground is storied and builds outward from their dive option. Through a series of fake handoffs, toss sweeps and options, defenses have to stay focused on the ball carrier.
That’s when trouble happens.
After seeming sluggish last week against Upper Arlington, the Monarchs were hitting hard and holding down the Wildcat ground attack
“Our kids came to battle tonight,” MHS coach Brent Johnson said. “They came out with energy.”
Marysville played Davidson to a scoreless stalemate through the first 11 minutes, before the Wildcats marched 78 yards for a score in the closing seconds of the initial quarter.
Jordan Hicks punched the ball in from a yard out and the point after put the Wildcats up 7-0 with 26 seconds left in the first frame.
“That first quarter, we really went toe-to-toe with them,” Johnson said.
Marysville responded by pushing into Wildcat territory on a bomb from Heard to Bodie Eberhart for 49 yards. The march eventually stalled when the Monarchs turned the ball over on downs at the HD 25.
The teams traded punts, with Marysville coming out on top in the field position battle when Eberhart put his foot into a nearly70-yard kick that put the ball on the Davidson 21.
The Monarch defense was confident, having seen the best of the Davidson ground game and being able to contain it.
Containing the Wildcats, though, comes at a price. When Marysville’s secondary started creeping up on the line of scrimmage, it was time for play action.
Felicity faked the dive, which pulled up the Monarch linebackers. At the same time, Christian Sweet ran a slant over the middle, using a game official to help screen his defender. He caught a laser quick pass from Felicity.
Although he was perhaps just 10 yards from the line of scrimmage, Sweet was behind the Monarch defense and was off to the races for a 75-yard touchdown. The point after put the score at 14-0 with 3:35 left in the half.
A bobbled punt snap on the next Monarch possession gave the Wildcats the ball at the 12.
They went into the end zone again, with Hicks again doing the honors from two yards out. The PAT was good and Davidson went into the lockeroom with a 21-point lead.
The Monarchs came out in the second half and played like the score was 0-0.
“We tell them, don’t worry about the outcome,” Johnson said. “Play the game the right way.”
MHS runner Mike Power picked up some hard fought first downs after the intermission, but the local squad could not sustain the drive.
The defense continued to keep a lid on the Wildcat running game, but again, selling out to stop the run came with a price.
About eight minutes into the quarter, Felicity sold the Monarchs on a fake quick pitch to the right and then looked down field.
What he saw was teammate C.W. Hess streaking alone behind the MHS secondary. Felicity delivered the ball and Hess took it in from 42 yards out to complete the Wildcat air attack for the night – four attempts, a like number of completions, 149 yards and two touchdowns.
The Wildcats took the 28-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
The teams traded punts before the Monarchs mounted their lone scoring drive of the night.
Passes to Eberhart and Mike Bonzak picked up first downs, as did Heard’s 20-yard scramble.
The Monarchs got some help on a personal foul call before Heard found Anthony Kessler open at the goal line for an 11-yard TD.
Thomas Wolfe’s point after closed out the scoring at 28-7 with 5:19 left in the fourth.
If the Monarchs could have upset the Wildcats, it’s not inconceivable that they could have gotten into the Division I playoffs, based on the number of computer points they stood to gain off Davidson.
Johnson said the fact that the Monarchs are playing a game with playoff implications in week 9 is important.
“That game meant something,” he said.
He said the current class of seniors, who played their last home game, have bought into the idea of playing tough, physical football again and are helping the underclassmen understand what it takes to rebuild a program.
“We’re turning this ship around,” Johnson said.
However, the next step of reaching the playoffs will have to wait, as the Monarchs are hoping to finish the 2018 campaign with a 5-5 record next week at Central Crossing.
“It’s a process,” Johnson said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”