Rocky River receiver Bobby Porter hauls in a pass from quarterback Eric Schade during the first half of last Friday night’s game with Westlake. (West Life photo by Larry Bennet)

Rocky River stuns Demons
By Jim Horvath
Sports
Published Sept. 10, 2008

Last Friday night’s non-league football game between Westlake and Rocky River proved to be a game of inches.

Maybe less.

In a game where power football met finesse, the latter won out in the end because of a defensive stand. The Pirates stopped Westlake’s Jim Campbell just short of the goal line on a two-point conversion attempt in the second overtime to give River a 21-20 win in the final non-league match up for both teams.

Both teams head into this week’s league schedule at 2-1. River will begin defense of its West Shore Conference crown this Friday night at North Ridgeville, while Westlake will host 2-1 Midpark in its Southwestern Conference opener that night.

“I think our defense set the tone,” said River coach Rick Adams as his team overcame a 7-0 deficit to tie the game in the fourth quarter.

“Coach (Mark) Wagner made some adjustments with our defense early in the game and we were able to slow down their running game,” said Adams. “I think once our offense saw what the defense was accomplishing, they felt like they had a chance.

“That last touchdown was an audible, and I have to give Eric credit for that. We had a run called, but he saw that the pass play was there. It’s great to see the kids step up and make a play like that to put us in a position to win the game,” he added.

Adams was referring to senior quarterback Eric Schade, whose team was facing a second down and 16 at the Westlake 47-yard line after a penalty for an illegal shift. A pass out in the left flat to junior Bobby Porter had gained five yards, but the penalty erased it.

On the very next play, Schade found Porter on the left side again. As the Demon defense closed in, Porter started cutting back to the right to the wide side of the field. He broke a couple of arm tackles as he moved down the line, then cut up field down the right sideline.

Leading the way inside the 15-yard line was Schade, who made the final block to allow Porter to score. Alex Baltas kicked the extra point, and the game was tied, 7-7, with 6:39 left in the game.

Westlake running back Ryan Smugala, 13, runs the ball up the middle during the first half against Rocky River last Friday night. (West Life photo by Larry Bennet)

The Pirate defense forced a three and out on Westlake’s next possession, giving the offense one last crack in regulation. After a 15-yard punt return by senior Jensen Mrozinski, River got down to the Westlake 24. A 41-yard field goal attempt went wide left with 49 seconds left, sending the game into overtime.

Both teams scored on their first possessions. Sophomore Hanford Dixon ran the ball three straight times for the Demons, scoring from four yards out. River answered with a 10-yard pass play from Schade to Porter to make it 14-14. River also got the next possession and went ahead as senior running back Taylor Custenborder found a big hole and went 14 yards up the middle for the score.

Baltas’ kick was good, giving River a 21-14 lead. Westlake, sticking to its power running game, scored its second touchdown in OT as Campbell ran right from nine yards out for the score. Junior kicker Nick Tecco came out to tie the game and send it into a third overtime, but Westlake called a timeout.

“We have a lot of confidence in our kids,” said Westlake head coach Mark Hollars. “We believe in them, and they were pretty fired up at the time. We went for it right there, but we came up a little short.

“Give River credit. They made the plays they needed to win the game tonight,” said Hollars.

The big play came shortly after the timeout. Tecco left the field, and the offense came back out to run the two-point conversion. Campbell took the handoff and again went right, running down the line behind his offensive line. He dove forward, but met head on with a number of River defenders. After a brief pause, the officials ruled Campbell was stopped short, giving River the win.

“Our kids really busted their humps out there tonight and left it all out on the field,” said a disappointed Hollars as a light rain continued to fall. “We had some injuries tonight, but the kids played through that and had us in a position to win the game.

“But you can’t leave points out on the field. A fumble, a missed field goal…you just can’t do that against a good team like Rocky River,” he added.

Westlake did have its chances to build a bigger lead, but to no avail.

After a scoreless tie in the first quarter, the Demons had the ball with a first down and goal at the River three. A fumble, recovered by the Pirates’ Trevor White, ended that threat. Westlake did take advantage of River’s second turnover of the game after Nick Lowe intercepted a pass at his own 49.

On the seventh play of the drive, the Demons scored on a six-yard run by sophomore Jacob Kutz. Tecco made the kick, and it was 7-0, Demons, with 4:22 left in the first half. The Pirates drove down to the Westlake 33 with 1:11 left, but four straight incomplete passes stalled that drive.

In the third quarter, Westlake took its first drive and made it all the way down to the River 11. On fourth and five, the Demons missed wide left on a 27-yard field goal attempt that would have given them a 10-0 lead. The score remained 7-0 until Porter’s big reception late in the fourth.

“We had some turnovers early in the game, but even then we were having success moving the football,” said Adams. “We had our opportunities. It was just a matter of sustaining our drives and holding on to the ball, which we were able to do in the second half and the overtime.”