WAPAKONETA – For the fourth straight season the annual Battle of Auglaize County between St. Marys and Wapak was settled with one score.
Redskin kicker Kyle Beach knocked home a 22-yard field goal with 3:36 remaining in the fourth quarter to give his team a 10-7 lead they would hold onto for the victory.
The past two seasons the teams split overtime wins with the Riders taking 2020 14-7 and the Redskins 2019 19-13.
While St. Marys was able to move the ball into Wapak territory on the first drive of the game they were unable to pick up a first down on fourth and forced to turn over the ball on downs before the teams traded a quartet of first quarter punts.
Wapak’s first opportunity to score in the contest came late in the first quarter thanks to a special teams mistake by the Riders who fumbled the football to give the hosts new life at the St. Marys 41 yard-line once the fumble was recovered with 2:25 remaining.
Unfortunately for the Redskins however they would be forced to punt after an incomplete pass from QB Braeden Goulet but found themselves again blessed with a break as the kick rolled to the Riders six yard line.
Four first downs runs propelled the Roughriders deep into opponent territory early in the second quarter and ultimately into the endzone for a 7-0 lead as the returning Braeden Hemmelgarn raced in from 19 yards out to put his blue and gold squad on top.
Starting their next possession from the 28 the Redskins moved to the other half of the field in a flash on a 59-yard jaunt from Jace Mullen who just a pair of plays later tied up the game at 7-7 as he finished off the four play 72-yard drive with a five yard score with 7:22 remaining before the halftime break.
Wapak found themselves with the best chance to add a score before the halftime stoppage with just under a minute remaining but were unable to connect on a 35-yard field goal attempt by Beach that sailed past the right upright.
St. Marys first drive of the third quarter produced big results on the ground as a handful of backs ripped off big gains but were bottled up at the line of scrimmage on third down and forced to settle for an attempt at a school record 46-yard field goal that missed to the left in an attempt to take the lead.
In an almost exact replay of the first half the teams traded a quartet of punts through the third and deep into the fourth quarter before the Redskins five minute drive that ended in the go ahead field goal by Beach.
Saddled with a pair of penalties at the start of their final drive the Roughriders nearly flipped the field on a screen pass from Gavin Reineke to Tanner Howell for a 20-yard gain but were forced to march backwards on the next play as a fumble cost them 21 yards.
Pressured by the Wapak defensive line Reineke’s deep throw down the middle was intercepted by Austin Staufer to give the hosts the football and a short field to work with as they melted off the final two plus minutes for the win.
Wapakoneta improves to 2-1 on the season and remains unbeaten at 2-0 in the Western Buckeye League standings. The Redskins travel to defending state and league champion Van Wert next weekend while the Roughriders (2-1, 1-1) will hit the road for the second consecutive Friday night as they head to Ottawa to battle the OG Titans.
Jace Mullen paced the Redskins rushing attack with 167 yards on 22 rushes and a score while teammate Braeden Goulet ended with 16 carries for 97 yards on the ground to go along with his 2 of 10 for 37 yard passing performance.
Senior back Ross Henschen tallied 67 yards on 14 carries to top eight ball carriers for the Roughriders who tallied 49 totes for 252 of their 275 total yards on the evening.