Turnovers end Bearcats' season in playoffs
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
SIDNEY — The No. 5 seeded Paint Valley Bearcats gained more yards than Lehman Catholic, but the problem for the Bearcats was they couldn't stop their miscues with turnovers, which proved to end the 2013 season for the Bearcats.
Paint Valley committed eight turnovers, which the No. 4 seeded Cavaliers took full advantage of, defeating PV by a 44-9 score Saturday night in the first round of the Division VII Region 26 playoff at Sidney Memorial Stadium.
"It's frustrating," PV head coach Pete Hollon said. "The score is very deceiving. I thought our kids played well at times, but playoff football is about hanging onto the ball and making plays when you need to."
The Bearcats end the year at 8-3 overall, sharing the Scioto Valley Conference championship in a three-way tie.
"This season was fantastic," Hollon said. "We're adults in this game, and just seeing the smiles on the kids' faces, even in defeat. They were a little frustrated, but they'll bounce back. This is a lifetime memory, and they're never going to forget it.
"I told them, this is fun. Soak it all in. Not everybody gets to do this."
PV outgained host Lehman Catholic, 239 yards to 210 yards offensively, but the Cavaliers (10-1) were able to take advantage of the turnovers by the Bearcats, turning them into a total of 23 points.
The win by Lehman Catholic puts them in the second round of the postseason, as they will play again on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. against No. 1 seeded North Lewisburg Triad (11-0) at Wapakoneta Harmon Field.
Speaking of turning turnovers into points, that's what the Bearcats did in the first quarter.
Sophomore Teagan McFadden intercepted a Lehman Catholic pass on second down with 7:51 left in the quarter, taking the ball to the 22-yard line. Three plays later, the Bearcats were one yard away from the end zone when sophomore Anthony McFadden found senior Dylan Estep for a gain of 28 yards.
The ensuing play saw senior fullback Mark Clifflord power his way to the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown with 6:39 left in the first in front of a very good PV crowd that made the two-hour drive to the playoff game. The PAT by Anthony McFadden put the Bearcats ahead, 7-0.
That proved to be the lone PV touchdown for the playoff game and the last of the '13 season for the visiting Bearcats.
The final points of the season for PV came in the second quarter when a high snap flew over the head of the Cavaliers' punter into the end zone. A player from LC fell on the ball for a PV safety with 2:29 left in the quarter, as PV trailed at that time, 20-9.
PV had a touchdown called back on a holding call with under 2:00 left in the first half following McFadden finding Estep wide-open in the end zone on what would have been a gain of 19 yards.
Instead, the momentum went away for PV, as they eventually were sacked to end the drive with no points.
"The play near halftime was an absolute momentum killer," Hollon said. "I felt it changed the complexion of the football game. If you would have told me we would have shut down their passing in the first half, I would have been a monkey's uncle.
"We didn't get a lot of pressure on them early. We did some really good things in the secondary, but in the second half, their defensive pressure caused a couple turnovers, setting them up in good situations. They're a good football team, though."
For the Cavaliers in the first half, they tied the game with 5:28 left in the first off a 30-yard pass from Nick Rouke to Greg Spearman. The PAT tied the score at 7-7.
Following a punt by PV, the host Cavaliers took the lead with 9:40 left in the second off a 4-yard run by Spearman, capping off a nine-play, 70-yard drive for the 14-7 advantage.
On the ensuing possession, the Bearcats fumbled on the 5-yard line, with LC recovering the ball five yards away from a touchdown.
The next four plays could have been the toughest plays of the season for LC and possibly the toughest six points all season.
It took four plays to go 5 yards, but LC ended the drive on a fourth-and-1 carry with John Hussa plowing his way through the PV goal line defense for the 1-yard score. The PAT was blocked by senior Dakota Morgan for the 20-7 score with 6:41 left in the first half.
LC regained possession at the start of the third quarter, building an eight-play drive for 65 yards. The drive ended with seven points when Rourke raced 20 yards to pay dirt with 9:50 left in the third frame.
PV responded with three consecutive turnovers on their next three drives, with the third one all but ending the game when LC gained a 9-yard interception for touchdown with 2:4 left in the third for a 34-9 lead.
"(The turnovers) … that was a little bit of our youth," Hollon said. "I'm certainly not blaming that (youth) because they are well-seasoned. You probably saw just a little bit better team at times take advantage of our mistakes.
"Really, for us, their aggression on defense caused a lot of the turnovers. It's been 10 years since we've been in the playoffs … you need this first time under the lights so the next time they step on the field, they are the ones who carry themselves with more swag like Lehman did (Saturday)."
The Bearcats continued to turn over the ball in a variety of ways, with LC kicking a field goal with 6:34 left in the fourth for a 37-9 lead.
Ahead by 28 points with under 4:00 left in regulation, LC decided continue their pursuit of points as they passed the ball 29 yards to the 1-yard line. They capped off the pass, with a 28-point lead, with a 1-yard score by Spearman for an eventual 44-9 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, either the ball fell off the tee or LC called for an onside (or squib) kick, which they recovered with the game already well in hand.
Hollon spoke about his senior class.
"They are a phenomenal bunch of kids," Hollon said. "A lot of this is attributed to these guys. Three of them have started since they were freshmen (Nate Yoakum, Clifford, Morgan), and their leadership and the 'show me the way' attitude ... as a coach, I couldn't be more proud.
"I've been here 18 years, and I don't know if I've been closer to a senior group than these guys. It's all the little things they do, that people on game nights don't see them do. I really think the program they've reestablished is in really good hands with the leadership they've tossed down to the underclassmen."
Hollon ended by speaking about how this year played out with various adversities his team has faced on a personal level.
"Most people know we were a year early," he said. "We knew we'd be solid, but with the adversity we faced … midseason … it's been really difficult on me …. my dad would be very proud.
"I think great things are left to come from this program."
[[In-content Ad]]"This season was fantastic," Hollon said. "We're adults in this game, and just seeing the smiles on the kids' faces, even in defeat. They were a little frustrated, but they'll bounce back. This is a lifetime memory, and they're never going to forget it.
"I told them, this is fun. Soak it all in. Not everybody gets to do this."
PV outgained host Lehman Catholic, 239 yards to 210 yards offensively, but the Cavaliers (10-1) were able to take advantage of the turnovers by the Bearcats, turning them into a total of 23 points.
The win by Lehman Catholic puts them in the second round of the postseason, as they will play again on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. against No. 1 seeded North Lewisburg Triad (11-0) at Wapakoneta Harmon Field.
Speaking of turning turnovers into points, that's what the Bearcats did in the first quarter.
Sophomore Teagan McFadden intercepted a Lehman Catholic pass on second down with 7:51 left in the quarter, taking the ball to the 22-yard line. Three plays later, the Bearcats were one yard away from the end zone when sophomore Anthony McFadden found senior Dylan Estep for a gain of 28 yards.
The ensuing play saw senior fullback Mark Clifflord power his way to the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown with 6:39 left in the first in front of a very good PV crowd that made the two-hour drive to the playoff game. The PAT by Anthony McFadden put the Bearcats ahead, 7-0.
That proved to be the lone PV touchdown for the playoff game and the last of the '13 season for the visiting Bearcats.
The final points of the season for PV came in the second quarter when a high snap flew over the head of the Cavaliers' punter into the end zone. A player from LC fell on the ball for a PV safety with 2:29 left in the quarter, as PV trailed at that time, 20-9.
PV had a touchdown called back on a holding call with under 2:00 left in the first half following McFadden finding Estep wide-open in the end zone on what would have been a gain of 19 yards.
Instead, the momentum went away for PV, as they eventually were sacked to end the drive with no points.
"The play near halftime was an absolute momentum killer," Hollon said. "I felt it changed the complexion of the football game. If you would have told me we would have shut down their passing in the first half, I would have been a monkey's uncle.
"We didn't get a lot of pressure on them early. We did some really good things in the secondary, but in the second half, their defensive pressure caused a couple turnovers, setting them up in good situations. They're a good football team, though."
For the Cavaliers in the first half, they tied the game with 5:28 left in the first off a 30-yard pass from Nick Rouke to Greg Spearman. The PAT tied the score at 7-7.
Following a punt by PV, the host Cavaliers took the lead with 9:40 left in the second off a 4-yard run by Spearman, capping off a nine-play, 70-yard drive for the 14-7 advantage.
On the ensuing possession, the Bearcats fumbled on the 5-yard line, with LC recovering the ball five yards away from a touchdown.
The next four plays could have been the toughest plays of the season for LC and possibly the toughest six points all season.
It took four plays to go 5 yards, but LC ended the drive on a fourth-and-1 carry with John Hussa plowing his way through the PV goal line defense for the 1-yard score. The PAT was blocked by senior Dakota Morgan for the 20-7 score with 6:41 left in the first half.
LC regained possession at the start of the third quarter, building an eight-play drive for 65 yards. The drive ended with seven points when Rourke raced 20 yards to pay dirt with 9:50 left in the third frame.
PV responded with three consecutive turnovers on their next three drives, with the third one all but ending the game when LC gained a 9-yard interception for touchdown with 2:4 left in the third for a 34-9 lead.
"(The turnovers) … that was a little bit of our youth," Hollon said. "I'm certainly not blaming that (youth) because they are well-seasoned. You probably saw just a little bit better team at times take advantage of our mistakes.
"Really, for us, their aggression on defense caused a lot of the turnovers. It's been 10 years since we've been in the playoffs … you need this first time under the lights so the next time they step on the field, they are the ones who carry themselves with more swag like Lehman did (Saturday)."
The Bearcats continued to turn over the ball in a variety of ways, with LC kicking a field goal with 6:34 left in the fourth for a 37-9 lead.
Ahead by 28 points with under 4:00 left in regulation, LC decided continue their pursuit of points as they passed the ball 29 yards to the 1-yard line. They capped off the pass, with a 28-point lead, with a 1-yard score by Spearman for an eventual 44-9 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, either the ball fell off the tee or LC called for an onside (or squib) kick, which they recovered with the game already well in hand.
Hollon spoke about his senior class.
"They are a phenomenal bunch of kids," Hollon said. "A lot of this is attributed to these guys. Three of them have started since they were freshmen (Nate Yoakum, Clifford, Morgan), and their leadership and the 'show me the way' attitude ... as a coach, I couldn't be more proud.
"I've been here 18 years, and I don't know if I've been closer to a senior group than these guys. It's all the little things they do, that people on game nights don't see them do. I really think the program they've reestablished is in really good hands with the leadership they've tossed down to the underclassmen."
Hollon ended by speaking about how this year played out with various adversities his team has faced on a personal level.
"Most people know we were a year early," he said. "We knew we'd be solid, but with the adversity we faced … midseason … it's been really difficult on me …. my dad would be very proud.
"I think great things are left to come from this program."
Paint Valley committed eight turnovers, which the No. 4 seeded Cavaliers took full advantage of, defeating PV by a 44-9 score Saturday night in the first round of the Division VII Region 26 playoff at Sidney Memorial Stadium.
"It's frustrating," PV head coach Pete Hollon said. "The score is very deceiving. I thought our kids played well at times, but playoff football is about hanging onto the ball and making plays when you need to."
The Bearcats end the year at 8-3 overall, sharing the Scioto Valley Conference championship in a three-way tie.
"This season was fantastic," Hollon said. "We're adults in this game, and just seeing the smiles on the kids' faces, even in defeat. They were a little frustrated, but they'll bounce back. This is a lifetime memory, and they're never going to forget it.
"I told them, this is fun. Soak it all in. Not everybody gets to do this."
PV outgained host Lehman Catholic, 239 yards to 210 yards offensively, but the Cavaliers (10-1) were able to take advantage of the turnovers by the Bearcats, turning them into a total of 23 points.
The win by Lehman Catholic puts them in the second round of the postseason, as they will play again on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. against No. 1 seeded North Lewisburg Triad (11-0) at Wapakoneta Harmon Field.
Speaking of turning turnovers into points, that's what the Bearcats did in the first quarter.
Sophomore Teagan McFadden intercepted a Lehman Catholic pass on second down with 7:51 left in the quarter, taking the ball to the 22-yard line. Three plays later, the Bearcats were one yard away from the end zone when sophomore Anthony McFadden found senior Dylan Estep for a gain of 28 yards.
The ensuing play saw senior fullback Mark Clifflord power his way to the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown with 6:39 left in the first in front of a very good PV crowd that made the two-hour drive to the playoff game. The PAT by Anthony McFadden put the Bearcats ahead, 7-0.
That proved to be the lone PV touchdown for the playoff game and the last of the '13 season for the visiting Bearcats.
The final points of the season for PV came in the second quarter when a high snap flew over the head of the Cavaliers' punter into the end zone. A player from LC fell on the ball for a PV safety with 2:29 left in the quarter, as PV trailed at that time, 20-9.
PV had a touchdown called back on a holding call with under 2:00 left in the first half following McFadden finding Estep wide-open in the end zone on what would have been a gain of 19 yards.
Instead, the momentum went away for PV, as they eventually were sacked to end the drive with no points.
"The play near halftime was an absolute momentum killer," Hollon said. "I felt it changed the complexion of the football game. If you would have told me we would have shut down their passing in the first half, I would have been a monkey's uncle.
"We didn't get a lot of pressure on them early. We did some really good things in the secondary, but in the second half, their defensive pressure caused a couple turnovers, setting them up in good situations. They're a good football team, though."
For the Cavaliers in the first half, they tied the game with 5:28 left in the first off a 30-yard pass from Nick Rouke to Greg Spearman. The PAT tied the score at 7-7.
Following a punt by PV, the host Cavaliers took the lead with 9:40 left in the second off a 4-yard run by Spearman, capping off a nine-play, 70-yard drive for the 14-7 advantage.
On the ensuing possession, the Bearcats fumbled on the 5-yard line, with LC recovering the ball five yards away from a touchdown.
The next four plays could have been the toughest plays of the season for LC and possibly the toughest six points all season.
It took four plays to go 5 yards, but LC ended the drive on a fourth-and-1 carry with John Hussa plowing his way through the PV goal line defense for the 1-yard score. The PAT was blocked by senior Dakota Morgan for the 20-7 score with 6:41 left in the first half.
LC regained possession at the start of the third quarter, building an eight-play drive for 65 yards. The drive ended with seven points when Rourke raced 20 yards to pay dirt with 9:50 left in the third frame.
PV responded with three consecutive turnovers on their next three drives, with the third one all but ending the game when LC gained a 9-yard interception for touchdown with 2:4 left in the third for a 34-9 lead.
"(The turnovers) … that was a little bit of our youth," Hollon said. "I'm certainly not blaming that (youth) because they are well-seasoned. You probably saw just a little bit better team at times take advantage of our mistakes.
"Really, for us, their aggression on defense caused a lot of the turnovers. It's been 10 years since we've been in the playoffs … you need this first time under the lights so the next time they step on the field, they are the ones who carry themselves with more swag like Lehman did (Saturday)."
The Bearcats continued to turn over the ball in a variety of ways, with LC kicking a field goal with 6:34 left in the fourth for a 37-9 lead.
Ahead by 28 points with under 4:00 left in regulation, LC decided continue their pursuit of points as they passed the ball 29 yards to the 1-yard line. They capped off the pass, with a 28-point lead, with a 1-yard score by Spearman for an eventual 44-9 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, either the ball fell off the tee or LC called for an onside (or squib) kick, which they recovered with the game already well in hand.
Hollon spoke about his senior class.
"They are a phenomenal bunch of kids," Hollon said. "A lot of this is attributed to these guys. Three of them have started since they were freshmen (Nate Yoakum, Clifford, Morgan), and their leadership and the 'show me the way' attitude ... as a coach, I couldn't be more proud.
"I've been here 18 years, and I don't know if I've been closer to a senior group than these guys. It's all the little things they do, that people on game nights don't see them do. I really think the program they've reestablished is in really good hands with the leadership they've tossed down to the underclassmen."
Hollon ended by speaking about how this year played out with various adversities his team has faced on a personal level.
"Most people know we were a year early," he said. "We knew we'd be solid, but with the adversity we faced … midseason … it's been really difficult on me …. my dad would be very proud.
"I think great things are left to come from this program."
[[In-content Ad]]"This season was fantastic," Hollon said. "We're adults in this game, and just seeing the smiles on the kids' faces, even in defeat. They were a little frustrated, but they'll bounce back. This is a lifetime memory, and they're never going to forget it.
"I told them, this is fun. Soak it all in. Not everybody gets to do this."
PV outgained host Lehman Catholic, 239 yards to 210 yards offensively, but the Cavaliers (10-1) were able to take advantage of the turnovers by the Bearcats, turning them into a total of 23 points.
The win by Lehman Catholic puts them in the second round of the postseason, as they will play again on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. against No. 1 seeded North Lewisburg Triad (11-0) at Wapakoneta Harmon Field.
Speaking of turning turnovers into points, that's what the Bearcats did in the first quarter.
Sophomore Teagan McFadden intercepted a Lehman Catholic pass on second down with 7:51 left in the quarter, taking the ball to the 22-yard line. Three plays later, the Bearcats were one yard away from the end zone when sophomore Anthony McFadden found senior Dylan Estep for a gain of 28 yards.
The ensuing play saw senior fullback Mark Clifflord power his way to the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown with 6:39 left in the first in front of a very good PV crowd that made the two-hour drive to the playoff game. The PAT by Anthony McFadden put the Bearcats ahead, 7-0.
That proved to be the lone PV touchdown for the playoff game and the last of the '13 season for the visiting Bearcats.
The final points of the season for PV came in the second quarter when a high snap flew over the head of the Cavaliers' punter into the end zone. A player from LC fell on the ball for a PV safety with 2:29 left in the quarter, as PV trailed at that time, 20-9.
PV had a touchdown called back on a holding call with under 2:00 left in the first half following McFadden finding Estep wide-open in the end zone on what would have been a gain of 19 yards.
Instead, the momentum went away for PV, as they eventually were sacked to end the drive with no points.
"The play near halftime was an absolute momentum killer," Hollon said. "I felt it changed the complexion of the football game. If you would have told me we would have shut down their passing in the first half, I would have been a monkey's uncle.
"We didn't get a lot of pressure on them early. We did some really good things in the secondary, but in the second half, their defensive pressure caused a couple turnovers, setting them up in good situations. They're a good football team, though."
For the Cavaliers in the first half, they tied the game with 5:28 left in the first off a 30-yard pass from Nick Rouke to Greg Spearman. The PAT tied the score at 7-7.
Following a punt by PV, the host Cavaliers took the lead with 9:40 left in the second off a 4-yard run by Spearman, capping off a nine-play, 70-yard drive for the 14-7 advantage.
On the ensuing possession, the Bearcats fumbled on the 5-yard line, with LC recovering the ball five yards away from a touchdown.
The next four plays could have been the toughest plays of the season for LC and possibly the toughest six points all season.
It took four plays to go 5 yards, but LC ended the drive on a fourth-and-1 carry with John Hussa plowing his way through the PV goal line defense for the 1-yard score. The PAT was blocked by senior Dakota Morgan for the 20-7 score with 6:41 left in the first half.
LC regained possession at the start of the third quarter, building an eight-play drive for 65 yards. The drive ended with seven points when Rourke raced 20 yards to pay dirt with 9:50 left in the third frame.
PV responded with three consecutive turnovers on their next three drives, with the third one all but ending the game when LC gained a 9-yard interception for touchdown with 2:4 left in the third for a 34-9 lead.
"(The turnovers) … that was a little bit of our youth," Hollon said. "I'm certainly not blaming that (youth) because they are well-seasoned. You probably saw just a little bit better team at times take advantage of our mistakes.
"Really, for us, their aggression on defense caused a lot of the turnovers. It's been 10 years since we've been in the playoffs … you need this first time under the lights so the next time they step on the field, they are the ones who carry themselves with more swag like Lehman did (Saturday)."
The Bearcats continued to turn over the ball in a variety of ways, with LC kicking a field goal with 6:34 left in the fourth for a 37-9 lead.
Ahead by 28 points with under 4:00 left in regulation, LC decided continue their pursuit of points as they passed the ball 29 yards to the 1-yard line. They capped off the pass, with a 28-point lead, with a 1-yard score by Spearman for an eventual 44-9 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, either the ball fell off the tee or LC called for an onside (or squib) kick, which they recovered with the game already well in hand.
Hollon spoke about his senior class.
"They are a phenomenal bunch of kids," Hollon said. "A lot of this is attributed to these guys. Three of them have started since they were freshmen (Nate Yoakum, Clifford, Morgan), and their leadership and the 'show me the way' attitude ... as a coach, I couldn't be more proud.
"I've been here 18 years, and I don't know if I've been closer to a senior group than these guys. It's all the little things they do, that people on game nights don't see them do. I really think the program they've reestablished is in really good hands with the leadership they've tossed down to the underclassmen."
Hollon ended by speaking about how this year played out with various adversities his team has faced on a personal level.
"Most people know we were a year early," he said. "We knew we'd be solid, but with the adversity we faced … midseason … it's been really difficult on me …. my dad would be very proud.
"I think great things are left to come from this program."