At the onset of the backyard brawl between the Edon Blue Bombers and Edgerton Bulldogs, the guests made it very clear they had no intentions of heading home without a victory. After putting 46 points on the board last week, the Bombers quick strike offense picked right up where they left off shooting out to a 35-6 halftime advantage, and overcoming 13 penalties on the way to caging the Bulldogs by a score of 48-26.
The aerial assault that amassed a school record 349 yards last week, took little time to get fired back up. Starting the night on their 32 yard line, Quarterback Kaden Sapp’s first attempt sailed off target, then running back Trevor Green was dropped for a two yard loss. Facing third and twelve Sapp connected with Connor Hug for a 23 yard gain. Sapp called his own number for a six yard pick up, then added 23 more to his passing stats when he hit Brock Thiel. With the ball now resting at the Bulldog 25, Sapp found a new target, Mike Peeples, on a bubble screen in the left flat. Peeples followed the wall and broke free for the touchdown. After Sapp hit Green for the two-point conversion, the Bombers had covered the sixty-eight yards to the end zone in just 1:44.
The Bomber defense held the Bulldogs in check their first two possessions, while Edgerton returned the favor once to Edon. However, the “Boys in Blue” got the ball back on their 31 yard line with 4:07 remaining in the first quarter. A completed pass from Sapp to Thiel gained four, except the play was nullified by a holding call. Backed up to their 17, the Edon “O” heated up in no time. Sapp hit Peeples on a post over the middle for a 51 yard gain and Green added four more on the ground. It was Sapp to Hug once again, this time for a 28 yard touchdown and still 3:06 was left on the clock. After the extra point attempt by Peeples missed right, Edon was left with a 14-0 advantage.
Edgerton added a little spark to the flame when Duane Miller hit Dallas King on the first play from scrimmage for a 60 yard touchdown. The extra point attempt was not good, but suddenly the “Dawgs” were right back in it trailing 14-6.
Edon needed just 58 seconds to respond to the Bulldog score. Sapp ran for five, then after an incompletion he let Landon Bloir join the parade to pay dirt when the duo connected for a 52 yard scoring strike. Thiel grabbed the 2 point pass from Sapp to increase the Bomber advantage to 22-6 with 1:49 remaining in the opening period.
Edgerton returned the kickoff to their 36 yard line and promptly gained five more on an Edon offsides penalty. However that was about all the Bomber defense allowed and the Bulldogs punted the ball back just into the second stanza.
Thiel returned the kick to the Bomber 33, and then the ground game took two turns. Green moved the chains with a ten yard run, followed by a 20 yard jaunt by Sapp. Hug caught a toss for four yards on first down moving the ball to the Edgerton thirty-seven. Sapp had Thiel open just short of the goal line, but the aerial was just high. The junior quarterback added ten more on the turf before finding Hug for their second TD of the night from 23 yards out. The extra point by Peeples sailed true; however the kick was nullified an illegal procedure infraction. Sapp tried another toss to Hug for the conversion; however the ball fell to the ground leaving the Bombers with a 28-6 lead with 10:12 left in the quarter.
Edgerton appeared to be poised to cut the deficit when they moved the ball from their 45 to the Bomber 17 in 2:30. However, the premise came to a crashing halt when Jordan Whitaker pounced on an Edgerton fumble at their 22 yard stripe.
Edon moved the ball to the 27, after a Bulldog offsides penalty, and needed just 1:43 to cover the 73 yards for another score. Sapp to Thiel moved the ball 37 yards, but Sapp lost three on the ground. Another completion to Bloir added 32 more. Sapp sprinted through the heart of the Bulldog defense to cover the final ten yards. Peeples split the uprights as the lead was pushed to 35-6 in favor of the Bombers.
Edgerton marched back on offense with 5:42 left in the half. They methodically marched the ball to the Bomber 20, in just over three minutes. However, history repeated itself as the Bulldogs put the pigskin on the turf and the Bomber defense swarmed on the loose ball at their 30, with 2:25 left before halftime. Sapp to Thiel was good for 47 more, and Green galloped for nine on the ground. Following two incompletions, Sapp followed his line straight up the middle for 2 yards and the first down. However a high snap resulted in a loss of nineteen and a sack lost another 10 yards to send the game to halftime.
What a half it was as Edon led 35-6. Sapp had already broken the passing yardage record he set the week before as he finished 12-20 for 355 yards, with four passing touchdowns and another on the ground.
The start to the second half mimicked the first for the home team as Edon held the Bulldogs to a three and out. Edgerton punted the ball to the Edon 29 yard line. However, the turnover bug bit the Bombers on their first offensive play of the half. Edgerton pounded the ball on the ground in nine plays to paydirt quickly cutting the deficit to 35-12.
After exchanging punts, Edon got the ball back on their 19 yard line. Sapp lost the handle on first down, but was saved by the hands of Wyatt Zulch. However the trouble was just beginning. A holding penalty followed, and then another miscue led to Edgerton recovery five yards short of the goal line. The opportunistic Dogs needed just two plays this time to cross the white stripe of happiness and suddenly the seemingly insurmountable halftime lead was down to 35-17.
Edgerton realized they needed points quickly and attempted an onside kick. However, the Bombers were not surprised and covered the ball at their 45 yard marker. The offense still looked like deer in the headlights as the drive started with a false start penalty and an incomplete pass. Abruptly momentum made a 180 degree turn back in favor of the Edon. Sapp hit Peeples with another bubble screen in front of the Bomber bench. The senior split end zigged and zagged across the field and back until he was all alone with nothing but green grass and a goal post in front of him. Understandably winded, the Peeples kick was off target. However, the jaunt pushed the Edon lead to 41-18 with 1:17 left in the third quarter.
The score provided a much needed boost of fuel into the Bombers’ tank as Sapp picked off a Miller throw giving Edon possession at their 25 yard line. Green moved the ball 6 yards on the ground, and a personal foul on Edgerton, and then offsides on the Bulldogs advanced the ball to just past the 50 yard line. A bad taste was left in the mouth of the Bombers as the shotgun exchange sailed high and Sapp recovered the errant snap back at the Edon 35 yard line as the quarter ended.
The final frame started like the previous one ended for the Bombers. A Sapp pass intended for Thiel fell incomplete. Then Edon went to the well once too often as the bubble screen was read perfectly by Edgerton’s Alex Michaels as he stepped in front of the toss returning the pick to the 11 yard line.
The Bulldog offense was frothing for a comeback as they sprinted back on the attack with 11:36 left in the game. A low snap to Miller moved the leather back to the sixteen. Two incompletions followed setting the stage for the Bombers put to rest any notions of a Bulldog uprising. Facing third and 15, Miller dropped back once again to pass. Peeples read the mind of the Edgerton signal caller as he stepped in front of the toss racing 84 yards away from the pack to seal the deal. Somehow there was still enough adrenaline left in the body of number 3 to split the posts and drive the margin to 48-18 with 10:49 still to play.
Edgerton somehow dug deep enough to answer with a thirteen play, 63 yard drive that consumed over five minutes off the clock to cut the spread to the final of 48-26.
The Bomber reserves received an opportunity the final 5:18 of the contest and showed some bright glimpses of the future. Freshman Blake Thiel took over where Sapp left off as he ran for 25 yards straight up the gut, then added five more only to have it taken away on the 13th and final Bomber penalty of the night. Cameron Winners Castillo busted off a run of 13 yards, and then Jordan Julian and everyone in attendance heard his name over the PA after gaining a yard. The younger and faster Thiel added another yard to his total and Julian added two more on fourth down, putting the lid on the awesome offensive output by the Bombers.
For the second straight week, Sapp ended the night with the aforementioned school passing record of 416 yards, finishing 14-27 with five touchdown tosses, and one rushing TD. Peeples led the receiving corps with 3 catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns, along with the 84 yard interception TD. Hug had 6 grabs for 90 yards and two scores, Bloir added 2 snags for 87 yards and one run to the endzone, and Brock Thiel finished with 3 receptions for 100 yards. Blake Thiel led the ground game with 2 carries for 26 yards; Sapp carried the ball 12 times for 20 yards, while Green gained 16 yards on 7 totes. Winner Castillo picked up 13 yards on one carry and Julian 3 yards on two attempts.
Now 2-0, Edon takes the trek a little further south down Route 49 Friday into Defiance County. The Bombers will have to face the tough task of invading Hicksville. The Aces, although 0-2 to begin the season, will provide the toughest test yet for the Bombers. Kickoff will be at 7:00 pm for the non-league affair.
Kent Hutchison can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
