by Garfield Heights, OH – Garfield Heights defeated Benedictine in the second round of the OHSAA conference playoffs. With a final score of 36-13, this was a relentless game fought hard by both sides.
Benedictine kicked off Friday night’s game at Garfield Heights, and the first fierce series of many began with the Bulldogs on offense. With a relentless opening offensive drive, Garfield Heights was able to bust right through Benedictine’s defensive line.
Senior Byron Turner got the opportunity to rush into the end zone within the opening minutes of the game, quickly putting six points on the board for Garfield Heights. This put the score at 6-0 with 9:30 remaining in the first quarter.
Benedictine, now on offense, brought an aggressive strategy to take back the touchdown they had just surrendered. Slowly making progress up the field, the Benedictine offense found key openings to drive the ball forward.
Garfield Heights retaliated with strong tackles and an even stronger defensive line. Benedictine’s offensive drive was knocked off course by a fumble, which Garfield Heights quickly recovered. This put the Bulldogs right back on offense, driving close to their opponents’ end zone.
Benedictine managed to find some momentum on defense, however, with key sacks stopping Garfield Heights from making another breakthrough. The Bengals managed to hold them off just 10 yards from the end zone.
On the turnover, Benedictine began driving up the field once again, but its momentum was quickly brought to a stop by another fumble. This led to a scoop-and-score from senior Rayjon Anglen, putting another six points on the board for Garfield Heights and making the score 12-0.
With 12 points separating the teams, Benedictine was ready to make something happen on offense that would surprise both the crowd and its opponent. With a key completion to Kai Caldwell, Benedictine found the end zone, putting six points on the board and bringing the score to 12-6.
Moving back to offense, Garfield Heights quickly got fired up with key rushes from senior Jariah Morgan. This charged the Bulldogs up the field, with play after play becoming a relentless assault against Benedictine’s defense.
This gave Elijah Harris the opportunity he needed to sweep into Benedictine’s end zone for another six points for the Garfield Heights Bulldogs. The score moved to 18-6, putting the pressure back on Benedictine to make a move in this game.
Benedictine was feeling that pressure on offense, as Garfield Heights continued making key tackles that eventually led to another fumble recovery by the Bulldogs.
This led to a monumental 50-yard touchdown from senior Byron Turner, putting another six points on the board for Garfield Heights and making the new score 24-6.
Benedictine, back on offense, was met yet again with a flurry of tackles from Garfield Heights’ defensive line. Unable to make a breakthrough, the ball was quickly turned over as the Bengals struggled to make any headway.
Garfield Heights returned to its relentless and aggressive offense, with key rushes moving the ball quickly toward Benedictine’s end zone. However, the Bengals managed to make the stop just one yard away from the end zone, ending the half.
Moving into the third quarter, Benedictine started on offense, showing signs that despite the point differential, it wouldn’t let that stop it from being a contender in this game.
Slowly driving up the field, Benedictine pulled out a myriad of plays to break through Garfield Heights’ defensive line. However, it wasn’t enough, as Garfield Heights managed to meet the Bengals at every turn.
Garfield Heights returned to offense for its first series of the half with 6:55 remaining in the third quarter. The Bulldogs quickly made their way up the field once again, finding another breakthrough through Anthony Black, who scored another touchdown for Garfield Heights.
This put another six points on the board for the Bulldogs, bringing the score to 30-6.
Back on offense with five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Benedictine knew it was down but not out. However, Garfield Heights continued meeting the Bengals at every stop, quickly shutting down yet another offensive series.
Turning the ball over once again, Benedictine gave Garfield Heights another opportunity to score. The Bulldogs capitalized with yet another quick touchdown, pushing the game into a running-clock situation and putting the Bengals’ remaining time to work.
Benedictine returned to offense with 2:20 remaining in the third quarter, leaving just under 15 minutes of game time to make something happen. However, Garfield Heights continued to meet the Bengals at every stop, and Benedictine’s series carried into the end of the third quarter.
Moving into the fourth quarter, Benedictine quickly turned over the ball, giving Garfield Heights another opportunity to seal the game. But Benedictine brought in 1 last touchdown to bump their score up another 6 points, with the extra point being scored.
Garfield Heights secured the 36-13 victory, advancing to the next round of the OHSAA playoffs.
Player(s) of the Game:
Garfield Heights’ Byron Turner-(2 TDs, 50 YDS)
Benedictine’s Kai Caldwell-(1 TD, 20 YDS)
