by In a battle between a grizzly and a wildcat, the grizzly would most likely win in the wild, but on the football field in Mayfield, Ohio, that was not the case as Mayfield defeated Wadsworth 32-21 in a cold and rainy fight.
It all started when Mayfield got the first possession of the game. It was a run fest from Wildcats running back Ben Koret as he ran with speed and agility to drive the offense into a rhythm. Along with a catch from Kingston Murchison, Mayfield did not stop until a hand to the face penalty set them back into a long fourth down. Choosing to punt, Murchison took the snap and faked the Grizzlies special teams and ran for a twenty-yard conversion and a chance to redeem themselves. A few plays later, QB Dario D’Agostino found receiver Ryan Eppich for a 12-yard connection for a touchdown to give the Cats the first score and lead of the night at 7-0.
Wadsworth took over and had great runs from Braydan Todd and Noah Ries, but they did not go anywhere as a fourth down turnover gave the ball right back to Mayfield. The Wildcats went three and out and the Grizzlies redeemed themselves as Todd and Brysen Hall found wide lanes from the o-line to set the offense up into good field position. Hall found Jay’len king in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, but the call got overturned after the ref determined that King pushed off the Wildcat defender to catch the ball. This was critical as Mayfield forced two Hall incompletions to complete their goal line stand and not give Wadsworth any points.
Koret and Jayden Haynes helped the Wildcats give the Grizzlies some scare on their next drive, but Wadsworth caused an incompletion on fourth down to give the ball back to the offense. Todd, Ries and Hall helped push the ball downfield through the ground and gave the team some momentum. But on the second pass of the drive, Hall overthrew one of his targets over the middle and Murchison picked the pass off to give the Wildcats a chance for comfort.
Brody Colello and Haynes helped the Wildcats get going with consistent big runs and catches to get them going. After a D’agostino to Eppich connection that put the Cats offense at the two-yard line, Mayfiled broke out the t formation and gave it to CJ Melarango and he punched it in the end zone to 13-0 after a failed extra point.
Hall and Todd led the offense to give the Grizzlies a chance to score before the half, but the hail marry did not convert after The Wildcats forced a Hall scramble short of the goal line.
Wadsworth took the second half kickoff and started the half with a bang. On the first play of the half, Hall found King racing down the sideline past the Wildcats secondary for a 72-yard touchdown to give the Grizzlies their first points of the night and to make up for what happened in the first quarter to cut the lead to 13-7.
Mayfield fed Koret the ball on the ground to help open the passing game on the ensuing drive. After catches from Murchison and Haynes helped Koret out on what he was doing, Mayfield then forced a Wadsworth penalty that gave them new life and a fresh set of downs. A Murchison catch for ten yards helped set up a Koret touchdown run to the right side of the end zone to extend the lead to 19-7 after a failed two-point conversion.
Wadsworth then took the ball, and Hall had a nine-yard run to give the Grizzlies fourth and one at their own 40-yard line. Hall then took a “b” scramble and went up the middle, but Mayfield d lineman Johnathan Harris got in the way and forced a turnover on downs. On the next play from Mayfield, D’agostino found Eppich for the second time in the end zone from 41 yards out to make the Wildcat lead bigger at 26-7.
Wadsworth then took the next kickoff and put the offense in a place to succeed in Wildcat territory. Kolbey Ostervich gave the offense a first down on their first play, but the Wildcats stopped any hope as a few plays later, Hall threw his second interception of the night as Nick Barna jumped the route and gave the ball right to the Wildcats offense. Haynes then caught a big catch that took Mayfield into the Grizzlies red zone. After a few plays that went nowhere for the Wildcat offense, Grady Spetz kicked a thirty-yard field goal to help salvage the drive and extend the lead to 29-7.
Hall found King for a 32-yard gain to help get the Grizzly offense going. After a few failed plays that went nowhere, Hall found Alex Porter alone in the end zone that led to a Porter catch for a touchdown to cut the lead to 29-14. On the ensuing kickoff, Wadsworth went for the onside kick, and after a few tips and juggles around, the Grizzlies recovered the ball and gave new life to the whole team. A Haynes catch for 8 yards and a Hall run for 9 yards helped set up a Hall to King connection from 24 yards out for a touchdown and the score to 29-21 to give Mayfield some threat of a comeback.
Mayfield kept feeding Koret on the next drive and he delivered. After a D’agostino gain went 14 yards, Koret found a hole and took the ball for a big 28-yard gain to put the Wildcats into the red zone. After a few plays that went nowhere and being stuck in a fourth down, Spetz delivered with a 33-yard field goal that extended the wildcat lead to 32-21.
Mayfield then forced Wadsworth in a do or die fourth down. With the Grizzly season on the line, Hall stepped up the pocket and delivered a ball that went over King’s stretched out hands near the sideline and Murchison took the ball after a juggle and completed his second interception of the night and returned it to near midfield. Koret then converted a first down on the very next play to secure a 32-21 win for the Mayfield Wildcats and another week to compete for the state title.
Wadsworth finishes the year at 9-3 and looks to get right back into the playoffs with many key returners, like Hall and King leading the charge. Mayfield keeps their perfect season alive at 11-0 and will head out to Highland next week for a showdown with the Hornets in the regional semifinals.
Players of the Game:
Wadsworth- Jaylen King; 6 catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns, gave Wadsworth the engine to make a second half run with big catches that helped open the offense when needed.
Mayfield- Ben Koret; 160 all-purpose yards and a touchdown, had clutch runs with consistency that helped Mayfield grind out the clock and force Wadsworth to rush on their offensive possessions.
