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The Elyria Pioneers went into Bearcat Stadium and handed the Bedford Bearcats a 26-6 loss on Friday.
Pioneer quarterback Ryan Klotz completed 10 of 14 passes for 125 yards. Bedford QB Ethan Hardnick was not as successful through the air, completing just 50% of his passes to go along with an interception. He did however show off his elusiveness on the ground, accumulating 69 yards on 17 carries, one of which resulted in a touchdown. Elyria running back Lance Glover had 17 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown.
The first half of today’s contest was a defensive struggle, or mainly an offensive struggle for both teams. Neither team had much of a rhythm going during the first quarter, as both team’s first drives were very uneventful. The Pioneers went three and out on their first set of downs. They quickly punted and were able to get a defensive stop on Bedford and QB Ethan Hardenick, mainly due to sloppiness on the offensive side for the Bearcats.
The Bedford offense just was never really in sync throughout the half. When Bearcat RB Willie Powell busted through for a first down run, the Bearcat offensive line committed holding on the play, which offset the positive yardage gained on the play. They then doubled down by committing holding on the very next play which resulted in the Bearcats being backed into a corner as they needed over 30 yards to reach the first down marker.
Elyria has been known for instituting a very run-heavy offensive philosophy, and they were not subtle about their game plan tonight, with Pioneer running back Lance Glover powering through the Bearcat defense. Glover, who reminded several people in the press box of Kareem Hunt, showcased his hard-nosed and aggressive running style throughout the second quarter.
On their first drive of the second quarter, Glover wasted no time, powering through for a 37 yard run and then followed that up with back to back 8 yard runs to get Elyria towards the goal line. However, the Pioneers failed to score on this drive, as they consistently cost themselves with sloppy mistakes. Though Glover ran his way into the endzone, the play was negated by a holding penalty that pushed them back to the Bedford 9 yard line. After another unsuccessful running play, they set up in the wildcat formation only for the center’s snap to sail past Glover, resulting in a 12 yard loss. Pioneer QB Ryan Klotz was stripped on the very next play, resulting in a turnover.
Despite throwing away a golden opportunity to get on the board early in the second quarter, Lance Glover finally cashed in for a 4 yard touchdown run. A beautiful fade route by Pioneer Receiver BJ Todd and a beautiful throw by Klotz gave Elyria an 8-0 lead. The Bearcats had one final possession to close out the first half, and they stalled, with noticeable miscommunication between first year head coach Zac Toth and his players. Throughout the first half, the Bearcats were constantly rotating players in and out right before they were going to snap the ball and were hardly set at snap. The half came to a close with a series of sloppy offensive plays and Ethan Hardnick running for his life.
Elyria opened the second half with an onside kick that was unsuccessful. On Bedford’s first drive of the half, Hardnick was sacked, which resulted in a turnover on downs. The second half did not fare much better for the Bearcat offense, as they continued to show little pace or direction. During the third quarter, they began to show a little bit of fight. On the defensive side, Willie Powell intercepted Ryan Klotz. On the offensive side, they had a chance to get within striking distance, but Ethan Hardnick’s pass was underthrown and missed a wide open receiver down field. Lance Glover took it to the house on a 46 yard run to put Elyria on the board again 14-0. Bedford cut the deficit when Hardnick shook off a tackler and ran his way 24 yards through the Elyria defense. The failed 2 point conversion made the score 14-6.
The Bearcats showed a glimmer of hope, but that glimmer of hope faded quickly on Elyria’s next possession. After making a great stop on 3rd and 15, the Bearcat defense was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. After guaranteeing themselves the ball back, the Bedford defense had to remain out there. That’s when Elyria once again took advantage of their stout run game, as BJ Todd broke through the defense on a 24 yard touchdown run, making the score 20-6.
The Bearcats proceeded to suffer their most heartbreaking moment of the night, as a dime by Hardnick went for nothing as it went through the hands of Robert Pearson-Hendon. The bleeding did not stop for the Bearcats, however, as Hardnick was hit hard as he threw the ball, which went right into Isaiah Johnson’s hands, and he took it to the house for a pick 6 and officially put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter.
Bedford had plenty of opportunities to keep themselves in this game, but shaky play calling and silly mistakes cost them this one.
Player of the Game
There are a few choices here, but I went with RB Lance Glover. His running style and aggressiveness impressed me, especially when he broke out for his 46 yard touchdown run. He also exploded for a 37 yard gain in the first half. WR/DE Isaiah Johnson also deserves some recognition, making a couple tackles for loss, keeping Ethan Hardnick on his toes, and also scoring on a pick 6.
What’s Next
Bedford will travel to Alliance High School as they hope to right the ship.
Elyria will play host to Lorain High School.
