Nelsonville-York 21 Berne Union 20

[NYBuckeye96]

http://athensmessenger.com/articles/2009/09/12/sports/high_schools/doc4aaba09bebd86309579663.txt

Buckeyes comeback for thrilling victory over Rockets

By JOE HIGGINS
Messenger staff writer
Published: Saturday, September 12, 2009 9:25 AM EDT

NELSONVILLE — Facing a 20-0 deficit at the half — not to mention an unhappy coaching staff — the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes roared to life and battled back to win a 21-20 thriller over Berne Union Friday night.

The Rockets from Berne Union (0-3) invaded Boston Field and put up a 20-spot on the scoreboard, having their way with the host Buckeyes (3-0) in the first half. The vibe from the home crowd still held hope for their Bucks but an amount of fear could be felt as well as the fans knew their squad was going to hear an earful from coach Dave Boston and the rest of the coaching staff.

“Our backs were against the wall. We were staring a blowout right in the face,” said Boston. “We gave (the team) a gut-check and told them if they want to step up and show some pride in the program and all the things we believe in here at Nelsonville-York, then you seniors will take charge here and make these kids believers.”

Whatever the words used at the break, they worked for Nelsonville-York.

In the first half, Berne Union held the Buckeyes to just 46 total yards, forced two lost fumbles and created a third turnover with an interception. Rocket quarterback Brock Shull led the offense to three first-half touchdowns, punching it in himself on two one-yard dashes and connecting with receiver Chase Wright for a dynamite 58-yard touchdown pass.

However, the second half was a complete turnaround. Nelsonville-York flipped the momentum meter and held Berne Union to 48 second-half yards while piling up 183 yards for itself. The Bucks also did not commit a second-half turnover.

Boston said, “Our kids certainly know how to play football and certainly know how to win. Obviously in the first half, we had a little let down and our kids understood at halftime that this team was up and they were fired up and we had to take a little steam out of them.”

Berne Union began the second half with possession but found itself at a fourth-and-1 at its own 40-yard line. Workhorse Seth Lavey, who rushed 20 times for 56 yards in the game, was stymied on the short-yardage situation and the Rockets turned the ball over on downs.

The Buckeyes steadily marched downfield and showed the coaching staff they were listening in the locker room and capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown rush by Derek Arnold.

“Fortunately, we come out and had a big stop on the first series on defense. They went for it on fourth down and we got a big stop and got good field position and we took charge. That was Nelsonville-York football at its finest there,” said Boston.

Still down by 13 points, the Buckeyes forced a three-and-out and took over on the 46-yard line. Justin Cunningham took the ball out of the backfield and powered his way to a 38 yards and set Nelsonville-York up for excellent field position. Change-of-pace back Isaiah Andrews made the most of his only carry on the night and scampered 15 yards to cut the lead down to six points at the end of the third quarter.

With the momentum squarely back on the home team’s shoulders, Nelsonville-York’s go-to man, Arnold fired up the crowd by busting a 69-yard rush to set the Bucks up for first-and-goal inside the nine-yard line just minutes into the final frame. The very next play, Arnold danced his way into the end zone and Nathan Dean’s third extra point kick of the evening put the Buckeyes on top, 21-20.

Boston said, “Our coaches put together a tremendous gameplan in the second half. In just that short time, we realized some weaknesses they had and we put together some schemes up front that really threw them off guard. I’m real proud of what we did at halftime scheme-wise. It was well executed by our kids. We just do what we do. Hopefully we grow from it.”

The remainder of the fourth quarter was an intense battle between Nelsonville-York’s defense and a desperate Berne Union offense looking to find points.

Only 20 yards from paydirt, Berne Union kept the pressure on the defense and were threatening until Mychal Mitchell stepped in the passing lane and picked off Shull’s throw, sealing the win for Nelsonville-York.

“We flattened their tires in the second half. We came after them and put more pressure on them,” said Boston. “Mychal (Mitchell) came up with a big pick there late in the ballgame to seal the deal. They got after it. It’s a game we knew we needed to win and our kids stepped up in the second half and were able to get the job done.”

Nelsonville-York now turns its sights to the Wellston Golden Rockets as Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division play begins. Boston said the Buckeyes need to and will be ready for the challenge next week.

“I think we learned a lot tonight. Up front, we played a much bigger team. They had great size up front and I think our young people learned a little bit on how to handle those big boys, especially in the second half. We’ve got to get stronger up front, utilize our quickness and learn what we need to learn in order for our offense to function. We’re getting better each day in practice. We play five sophomores offensively, we’re still picking up things but we’re excited about where we’re at.

“We have a huge ballgame with Wellston next week. They’re a powerhouse this year. They’re big, they’re strong, they’re physical and they throw the football. It’s going to be a great match-up next week and we gotta come out to play.”

[Nybucks70-80]

The first half was very bad for the Bucks. They played like a bunch of 10th graders .( which they are)...
The second half was great. The D was hitting hard (Cunningham, Leitwein, Dennis, Young and many more) were playing like they wanted to put the hurt on someone..
The O-Line played better and there were no turnovers. I was shocked to see Arnold had 150 yards. But hed did have 60+ in that one big run.
Great job Bucks! Bring that same attitude the rest of the year!