Announcement
From The GAZETTE by Adam Ferrise, Special to The Gazette
Behind a grinding offensive attack led by running back Cory Reisner and a timely play by quarterback Mike Kelly, Buckeye finally left the field with a win for the first time this season Friday. Reisner rushed for 164 yards on 30 carries and the Bucks’ defense was able to hold Lutheran West quarterback Paul Fackler in check in the second half on the way to a 34-18 Patriot Athletic Conference win.
"It finally it took to Week 5, but that’s who we are,” Buckeye coach Billy Burke said. “We showed glimpses all year long. We ran for a bunch of yards and that’s our offense. Mike makes the decision whether Cory takes it or Mike keeps it.”
With Buckeye leading 2018 and facing a fourth-and6 with 6:43 remaining, Kelly dashed for a 23-yard touchdown. The run capped a 16 play, 86-yard drive that deflated Lutheran West in every possible way. “That kid has a little bit of a knack for making opportune plays,” Burke said. “He worked so hard and things haven’t gone his way, but finally things fell his way. And he had some real success.”
Fackler ran 91 yards for a touchdown on the following play from scrimmage, but it was called back because of a clipping penalty that happened 10 yards behind the ball. That was the only break the Bucks’ defense needed.
After Buckeye switched to a nickel defense at halftime, Fackler, who had 194 yards in the first half on 14 of 23 passing, was a nonfactor. He finished with 247 yards passing on 18 of 34 attempts. “High school football is a funny thing,” Burke said. “Last week, we had a 200-pound tailback who can run the football. This week, we have a kid that can fling the ball around the field. Our defense has to be different. We made an adjustment that helped take away the pass routes.”
Reisner started the scoring on a 1-yard touchdown burst that came three plays after a fake punt which Chad Gapp took for 40 yards. The Bucks and Longhorns went back and forth for the entire second quarter. Fackler tossed a 16-yard touchdown, but 58 seconds later, Buckeye’s Ryan McCormick (106 yards, 7 carries) hit a huge hole and took it 67 yards for a score. Fackler tossed anotherTD followed by another Reisner score from 3 yards out.
The Longhorns cut the score to 20-18 on a Fackler pass with 42 seconds left in the half. Nearly 18 minutes then went by without a score until Kelly’s fourthdown touchdown run. Kelly ended the game with 81 yards rushing and 53 passing. “It feels good, but it’s always been there,” Burke said. “I’ve never been down or depressed because I know we’re a very good team. We just haven’t got the breaks or made the big play. That makes the difference in the game. It always been there and finally it came together.”
UP NEXT: Buckeye (1-4, 1-1) is at Wellington, while Lutheran West (3-2, 1-1) travels to Keystone. Ferrise may be reached at sports@ohio.net.
