by Bay Village, OH: George Eggers found the end zone four times as the Napoleon Wildcats shut out the Bay Rockets 28-0 in round two of the OHSAA football playoffs.
After forcing Bay to punt on their first possession, Napoleon wasted no time getting their workhorse in junior George Eggers going as they handed him the ball 7 times on the drive, including their first four plays of the drive. The result of his runs was 32 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 in favor of the Wildcats, a lead they would not lose.
Following a turnover on downs for Bay, Napoleon returned to work quickly. In the first play, Eggers ran the ball 13 yards and drew a penalty, which gave him 15 more yards. Senior QB Owen Espinoza then found senior TE Garret Hull for a 27-pitch and catch. Then, following an offsides penalty, Eggers found himself back in the end zone, giving the Wildcats a 14-0 lead.
Following a turnover on downs by Bay, the teams would exchange interceptions on each of the next two possessions. The Wildcats were looking poised to strike again down in Rocket territory, then Michael Farrell, the Rocket QB who also plays DB, intercepted his Napoleon counterpart in Owen Espinosa.
The Rockets moved the ball well on their ensuing possession. Junior RB Rocco Ereditario ran the ball out of the wildcat formation 4 times for 29 yards on the drive. Unfortunately for the Rockets, QB Michael Farrel was 0 for 3 through the air, which included an interception on the final play by Napoleon’s Parker Woods.
On their first possession of the 2nd half, Napoleon held onto the ball for approximately half of the 3rd quarter. The tempo was slow and methodical, with runs and a few passes mixed in. Their workhorse in Eggers saw the ball for 6 of Napoleon’s 12 plays on this drive, rushing it for 34 yards, including a 10-yard run. With a touchdown as the result, the drive extended the Napoleon lead to 21-0.
Following a turnover on downs by Bay, Napoleon got back to work. Espinoza found his favorite target in Kent State, committing Trey Rubenstein for two completions in three attempts for a combined 15 yards. Espinoza then handed the ball off to backup RB Hayden Groll 3 times for a combined 9 yards. They would then turn to Eggers, who ran the ball 3 times in a row, combining for 21 yards, including a 10-yard TD run to give the Wildcats a 28-0 lead, with which they would finish the game.
With the win, Napoleon prepares to play the top-seeded Sandusky Perkins in what should be a thriller in Division 4, region 14 semi-final game. As for Bay, the Rockets battled the entire 48 minutes, but their season has concluded.
The player of the game for Napoleon is RB George Eggers. The junior RB rushed the ball 24 times for 135 yards, scoring 4 TDs. In what is not even his best sport according to a Napoleon parent (he is a better wrestler, the parent said), the junior RB was a bruiser and a force to be reckoned with. He also exhibited a ton of patience and waited for the holes to open up, and if they didn’t open up, he made his moment. Whatever sport this junior chooses to play at the next level, any college coach will be thrilled in a few years.
