ST. MARYS – Backfield mates Dominik Osborne and Colton Mabry combined for over 300 yards and five touchdowns as the Roughriders raced to a 33-14 season opening win.
A year ago in their visit to St. Henry the Roughriders were held to just 71 yards with their longest single carry netting seven. This season the blue and gold exerted their physicality up front to the tune of 405 yards on the ground on 64 carries.
“We have a veteran group and the amount of work invested in week one showed up tonight” said St. Marys head coach Bo Frye. “Our kids played hard and we were tough.”
Dominik Osborne, the fourth leading rusher in the WBL last season tossed the first major punch of the evening at the visiting Redskin defense early. On the second play of the Riders second drive, the senior showed the opener would belong to him as he raced 33 yards deep inside St. Henry territory.
St. Marys opened up the first lead of the game, 6-0 just four plays after the big gain with a nine yard touchdown jaunt by Colton Mabry but were unsuccessful on the ensuing extra point.
Seven plays and 74 yards after forcing the third straight three and out series by St. Henry, the Riders struck paydirt once more in the first half as Osborne’s first scamper of the season, a 34-yard sprint ran the lead to 12-0.
Returning Midwest Athletic Conference rushing leader Charlie Werling cut the host advantage to 12-7 in the second as he connected on a 40-yard run and a two yard touchdown with 9:35 to go before half. Werling would finish the evening with 149 yards and a pair of scores to lead the Redskins.
Despite having a 95-yard kickoff return for touchdown called back moments later for a tripping foul, St. Marys found themselves kicking their lead up to 19-7. 18 plays, all on the ground covered 80 yards and nearly nine minutes until just before the half and culminated on a six yard Osborne score.
“Dom Osborne is a Friday night lights guy. He will show up every Friday, he’s been through the hard and played extremely hard tonight as he will have to for the rest of the season for us to be successful” said Frye.
Finding new life through a dedicated running game led by Werling in the third, St. Henry pulled themselves within 19-14 just seconds into the half after a 28-yard touchdown from the junior back.
As their history has shown, the Riders will run the ball and run the ball and run the ball some more. Following the Werling touchdown the hosts regained their breathing room on a four play, 73-yard drive culminating in a Mabry three yard punch in.
Leading 26-14 late in the fourth after forcing a quartet of incomplete passes at the St. Henry 10, the Riders charged forward for the last tally of the evening on the last of three scores and 193 yards for Osborne to run the final to 33-14.
Redskin signal caller Jack Huelsman finished just 4/18 for 29 yards through the air while Werling hit on 1/4 for six yards in addition to his second straight 100+ yard effort against the Riders.
Colton Mabry’s 115 yards on the night extends his streak of 100+ yard games to five straight dating back through the final four outings of 2023.
Next up for St. Henry (0-1) will be a home contest against the Bluestreaks of Archbold. St. Marys (1-0) will also be inside their own friendly confines next weekend as they welcome Grand Lake rival Celina into Grand Lake Health Field for their annual battle.