LEADING RECEIVER … Edon’s Gannon Ripke fights off a tackle after a first half reception. (PHOTO BY RICH HARDING, STAFF)
By: Daniel Cooley
It appeared that Edon quarterback Drew Gallehue’s 353 yard passing performance was all for nought. With one minute to go, the Bombers’ three-point lead was in jeopardy, with Fort Loramie collecting a first and goal situation at the Edon five-yard line.
But the Redskins were only able to gain one yard on two running plays and two straight passes were incomplete, enabling Edon (5-1) to prevail in front of a homecoming crowd, 24-21.
“We saw on film that their quarterback, when pressured, doesn’t get his feet set,” said Edon head coach Bob Olwin. “On both passes, we were able to get pressure on him and he didn’t get his feet set and threw the ball low.”
Edon had trailed at one point, 21-8, but rallied back with two fourth quarter touchdowns. On the first, Gallehue hit Gannon Ripke with a 60-yard touchdown pass.
“Coach called for a long pass and Drew threw it right on the money,” Ripke said. “I just had to catch it and the play seemed to light a fire under us.”
Gallehue then ran in the two-point conversion to cut the Redskins’ lead to 21-16, with 9:02 left in the game.
After forcing a Fort Loramie punt, Edon took over on its own 27-yard line, with 6:49 left in the contest.
Gallehue then completed a 39-yard pass to Ethan Steinke, to move the ball to the Ft. Loramie 34-yard line. On second down from there, Gallehue completed a 16-yard pass to Henley Dye. Gallehue then threw an eight-yard pass to Steinke.
Next, on third and two from the Ft. Loramie 10-yard line, Gallehue completed two straight five-yard passes to Caden Nester, with the second strike going for the touchdown. Gallehue’s two-point conversion pass to Steinke put Edon up, 24-21, with 4:17 left.
After receiving the Edon kickoff, Ft. Loramie kept alive its hopes for a win, with a 14-yard pass on fourth down and seven from its own 38. Next, on third down and five to go from the Edon 43, a 38-yard completion put the Redskins with a first and goal situation from the Edon five-yard line. Edon’s incomplete pass on fourth down came with just 14 seconds left in the game.
“We had great coverage on both of those incomplete passes and we were able to hold on,” Ripke said. Early on, Ft. Loramie had taken a 7-0 lead, on quarterback Caleb Maurer’s 25-yard TD pass to Logan Eilerman.
But Edon came roaring back and took an 8-7 lead on Gallehue’s one yard TD plunge and his two-point conversion pass to Ripke.
Ft. Loramie then put together a late second quarter drive and scored with just 16 seconds left in the first half on Maurer’s eight-yard TD pass to Eilerman. That put the Redskins up at the half, 14-8.
The Ft. Loramie lead grew to 21-8, early in the third quarter, when Maurer hit Eilerman with his third touchdown pass, this time from 21 yards out.
Offensively, Gallehue completed 25 of 37 passes for 353 yards. Ripke led the Bombers receiving crew with nine catches for 157 yards.
For Ft. Loramie (2-4), Maurer completed 19 of 31 passes for 258 yards, while Eilerman finished with eight receptions for 87 yards. Jacob Sherman led the Redskins ground attack with 50 yards on 11 carries.
UP NEXT: Edon will return to TAAC play with a trip to Hilltop (0-6).
Statistics
Ft. Loramie Edon
First Downs 15 15
Rushes-Yards 21-68 10-(-7)
Passing Yards 258 353
Passing 19-31 25-37
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 2-1
Penalties-Yards 8-76 4-57
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Ft. Loramie 7 7 7 0 – 21
Edon 8 0 0 16 – 24
FL – Eilerman 25 pass from Maurer (Bolin kick)
E – Gallehue 1 run (Ripke pass from Gallehue)
FL – Eilerman 8 pass from Maurer (Bolin kick)
FL – Eilerman 21 pass from Maurer (Bolin kick)
E – Ripke 60 pass from Gallehue (Gallehue run)
E – Nester 5 pass from Gallehue (Steinke pass from Gallehue)
Dan can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com