Fireworks highlight area teams’ fast starts in Week 1

Press Sports Editor
sports@presspublications.com

Whether it was a win on the game’s final play, a dramatic, hard-fought victory over a very good team, or a dominant performance from one of the area’s best teams, Week 1 was an exciting, action-packed beginning to the football season for a number of the area schools.
Clay won a thriller over Sandusky, defeating the Blue Streaks, 33-32; Eastwood rallied to defeat perennial power Ottawa-Glandorf, 21-18, and Oak Harbor, behind the play of three of its stars, routed Bowsher, 47-6.
Clay won when Jackson Veler kicked the game-winning extra point with no time remaining. On the previous play, with the Eagles trailing, 32-26, QB Mason Heintschel, who was about to be sacked, threw up a pass that was caught by tight end Hudson Byers for a 7-yard touchdown as time expired, setting up Veler’s PAT.
To say it was a back-and-forth game would be an understatement. There were two ties and four lead changes, and each team scored five touchdowns but failed on some PATs and two-point conversions. No team led by more than eight points.
Heintschel was brilliant, completing 33-of-47 passes for 382 yards and four touchdowns; Byers caught 12 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown and WR Troy Hazuda finished with eight receptions for 114 yards and a score.
“Obviously, at the end, you’re excited and going crazy. When you’re on the winning side of games like that, it’s about as good as it gets,” said Clay coach John Galyas. “Our kids were excited and they got to the sideline and ran all the way to the north end zone (after the finish). With the touchdown pass and then the kick, it was incredible.
The coach talked about the play of his trio.
“Those three really stood out for us. That was Byers’ first varsity start and we’re expecting big things out of him at TE. He’s definitely paid his dues – he’s committed in the weight room, and I’m really glad that his hard work is starting to pay off,” said Galyas. “Troy was dedicated in the off season, too; he was a starter for us last year. We expect him to step up and be the guy and be a huge part of our offense. Mason has totally bought into our off-season program. The three of them are great leaders, all are captains and we’re expecting big things out of them.”
Eastwood coach Sam Cotterman’s career as a head coach got started off nicely as the Eagles held off O-G, rallying to score the game’s final points on a 17-yard touchdown pass from QB Kadyn Donnell to WR DaQuan Oliver with 5:10 to play to put Eastwood ahead for good at 21-18.
There were four lead changes in the game, and Donnell, in his first year as a starter replacing all-Ohioan Case Boos, was magnificent, throwing for 196 yards and two touchdowns while running 26 times for 115 yards and a score.
The Eagles took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Donnell before the Titans scored two straight touchdowns to move ahead, 12-7. Donnell found Andre Lewis on a 91-yard touchdown pass that he took away from the defensive back to put the Eagles in front early in the third quarter, 14-12, before the Titans scored later to take back the lead.
“We really struggled to get our defense off the field. We weren’t able to change field position, which put our defense in a real bad spot. I’m really happy with the way the defense stood in there,” said Cotterman. “It seemed like, finally, at the end, we were running the ball well and eventually we got a few passes that loosened up their defense and allowed us to score at the end and take the last few minutes off the clock (on the final possession).”
More than anything, Cotterman was pleased with his team fighting to the end.
“I just told them how proud I was of them for not giving up. A lot of these kids had never been down like that, and there’s a lot of places they could’ve used excuses, he said. “I was just very proud of them for how tough they played for four quarters. I told them that O-G is tough and will never give up, and we have to match that.”
Donnell had a tremendous performance, whether it was throwing the ball or running with it.
“The strides Kadyn has made, even from the first week until now, are impressive,” said Cotterman. “He wants to do it correctly, and he wants to make big plays. Sometimes we tell him that you’ve just got to take what the defense gives you and not go for the long ball.”
The Rockets won big behind the performances of QB Michael LaLonde, WR Jaqui Hayward and RB/LB Carson Ridener.
Jaxon Overmyer returned a block punt six yards for a touchdown, which put Oak Harbor ahead for good at 6-0, and the Rockets never looked back.
Hayward caught a 46-yard touchdown pass from LaLonde and returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown to push the lead to 20 points after one quarter, and he caught another touchdown pass, the final one a 59-yarder, less than three minutes into the second quarter.
With under two minutes remaining in the first half, Ridener intercepted a pass and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown before scoring on a 64-yard catch just over three minutes into the third quarter.
LaLonde completed 5-of-8 passes for 199 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, and Hayward caught three passes for 114 yards and two scores, plus the punt return that went for a touchdown.
“Michael settled in nicely after throwing an early interception. He ended up with 199 yards passing and three touchdowns. Carson had over 100 total yards on offense, but played even better on defense. He had 10 tackles and an interception for a touchdown,” said Oak Harbor coach Mike May. “Jaqui made some big plays on offense with three receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns, and also returned a punt for a touchdown. He continues to be a big-play threat for us every time he touches the ball.”
May had high praise for his defense, in particular two defensive ends, Dalton Witter and Jacob Ridener.
“Our defense played very physical and ran to the ball well. The defense did a good job of limiting Bowsher’s big-play potential,” said May. “Dalton Witter made his debut at defensive end and had a standout game. Dalton had seven tackles, including three tackles for loss, and two sacks. Jacob Ridener also added five tackles and had a sack.”