ST. MARYS – A blocked field goal and a touchdown run in overtime pushed the St. Marys Roughriders into the next round of the playoffs on Friday night as they defeated visiting Franklin 6-0 at Grand Lake Health Field.
In a game that saw a pair of missed field goals already, the Roughriders biggest defensive play of the game came on a 37 yard field goal attempt by Franklin that was blocked and and bounced off of the facemask of lineman Stash Patterson to put his team in position for a score and a victory.
Starting at the Wildcats 20 on their offensive possession in overtime the Riders used two plays, a run by Tanner Howell and a 14 yard score from Ross Henschen for the only marker of the contest to emerge 6-0 winners and advance into the third round of the playoffs.
For the Roughriders the shutout of Franklin represents the first defensive blanking of an opponent since they shut out rival Celina in 2018, 27 games ago.
St. Marys started the ballgame off at their own 20 and were able to move the football behind Aiden Hinkle but found themselves stopped and forced to punt on three of their four first half possessions. The only time the Roughriders were able to not punt away the ball came early in the second period thanks to a pair of big plays to Dylan Trogdlon and Hinkle again but ended inside the Wildcats redzone when a fourth down pass fell out of the hands of target Devin Shannon and to the turf below.
Franklin was able to move the football with ease at times on their first half possessions but were unable to dent the scoreboard and were forced to punt a pair of times and watch as an 18-yard field goal attempt from kicker Isiah Bales missed wide right.
Scoreless deep into the third quarter the Roughriders moved the football again deep into opponent territory on the strength of first down runs by Ross Henschen and QB Gavin Reineke but were stopped after a penalty and forced to punt once again.
Aidan Eigenbrod picked off a pass to give his offense great field position just on their side of midfield but again the Franklin defense rose up to stop the possible first score before an attempt of 39 yards on a field goal by Spencer Trogdlon came up short with 6:22 left in the fourth to keep the game scoreless.
The last opportunity for Franklin to win the game in regulation came and went on a missed 47 yard field goal attempt again by Bales who pushed the potential game winner wide right.
Though Franklin lost QB Tressel Gibson early in the fourth quarter he was able to come back into the game in the overtime period. Unfortunately the same could not be said for St. Marys injured starters Ethan Wedding and Aiden Hinkle who were lost for the rest of the game in the second half and did not return to play.
Franklin (4-4) was led through the air by Gibson who finished 6/14 for 73 yards and an interception in addition to his 71 yards on 23 carries. RB Cyre Williams paced the ground game with 16 carries for a team high 73 yards to keep the Riders defense on their heels at times.
St. Marys moves to 6-2 on the season and will advance to play at top seeded Bellbrook next Friday night at 7:00 P.M.
Gavin Reineke rushed for 10 yards on a pair of carries and connected on 2/7 passes for 39 yards but it was the junior Ross Henschen who tallied 59 yards on 11 carries and the lone touchdown for St. Marys that earned offensive player of the game honors in the win and proved to be the difference maker against the Wildcats for the second season in a row in the postseason.