(PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
BEHIND THE DEFENSE … Wauseon receiver Wyatt Smith escapes the Archbold coverage on an 85-yard touchdown pass from Kahle Albright in the second quarter. VIEW 164 PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
ARCHBOLD (October 11, 2024) – The Archbold Bluestreaks beat back a resurgent Wauseon Indians squad after a second-half comeback in wild play Friday night which resulted in almost 700 yards of travel by the two teams.
Archbold took the initiative early with a whole-team effort that started with a 17-yard return by sophomore Aranjer Krieger.
While continuing to gain ground despite senior quarterback Kurt Krueger getting tackled in the backfield and a nearly intercepted incomplete pass, a chop block penalty on the Indians kept the Bluestreaks moving forward.
After being placed on the Wauseon 26-yard line, freshman Anderson Bentley nearly found the end zone, stopped by Indians junior Jo Jo Flowers on the 1-yard line.
A pair of runs were unable to bring it across the plane, and a ball dropped and recovered by sophomore Jarett Rufenacht led to a successful field goal by Rudy Rodger to put Archbold up 3-0.
A holding penalty on the following kickoff put the Indians on their own 18, and they failed to make any ground, punting after an incomplete pass that went in and out of the hands of senior Wyatt Smith at midfield.
Both teams’ defenses held strong over the next two drives. The Bluestreaks were unable to gain a single yard and a touchback on the punt put Wauseon on their own 20-yard line. They were subsequently pushed all the way back to their own 3, with Krieger carrying the punt back to the 11.
Archbold capitalized on the situation with a three-yard run by sophomore Ryder Ryan followed up by a lateral pass to Bentley, who carried it in for a touchdown. Rodger’s successful kick brought the score to 10-0.
A 53-yard return by Smith nearly became breakaway for a touchdown, only stopped by Rodger nabbing him at the Bluestreaks 40-yard line after kicking off.
A seven-yard run by Flowers was followed up by a three-yard loss after junior quarterback Kahle Albright bobbled the snap and was tackled behind the line of scrimmage to end the first quarter.
Albright held the ball under pressure for a nine-yard gain on the next play, then held again for the final yard for a first down.
Archbold’s defense turned up the pressure on the next set of downs, forcing an incomplete pass, tackling Albright in the backfield on a fake handoff, and stopping him short of the first down when he held the ball again on the following play.
When the Indians went for it on fourth and three, Albright was tackled in the backfield again for a loss of 12 and a turnover on downs.
OPENING SCORE … Archbold freshman Anderson Bentley crashes into the endzone for the game’s first touchdown in the first quarter.
Wauseon cranked up their own defensive pressure on the next drive. Rufenacht took a snap and ran for 11 and the first down, but Krueger followed it up with a trio of incomplete passes to bring up fourth and 10 and a punt that was downed at the Indians’ 15-yard line.
This time the Indians weren’t taking no for an answer, with Smith catching a pass, breaking a tackle by Bluestreak sophomore Morgan Harris, and taking it all 85 yards for a touchdown. A successful point after by junior Collin Mennetti narrowed Archbold’s lead to 10-7.
The Indians built on their offensive momentum during the next drive with a pair of carries by junior Julian Jasso and one by Flowers for a first down. Another Albright run under pressure, a carry by junior Landon Ballard, a run by Flowers, and a pass to Smith yielded two more.
An Albright draw brought Wauseon to the 19-yard line before a loss on a run and a failed handoff turned backfield tackle pushed them back to the 28, but a successful pass to sophomore A’Zarrion Hicks brought another Indian touchdown and, after the kick, a score of 17-14 with 58 seconds left in the half.
What followed was a whirlwind minute starting with a 92-yard kickoff return for touchdown by Ryan which would bring the score to 24-14.
A penalty for illegal procedure against Archbold on the kickoff set up the Indians on their own 35-yard line.
After getting tackled in the backfield again, Albright threw a pass to junior Logan Peaslee who carried it 69 yards for another Wauseon touchdown – marking the third touchdown in just 53 seconds of play.
Archbold senior Tristan Wyse fought past the line and blocked the extra point to keep the score at 24-20.
Wauseon wasted no time after receiving the ball to start the second half, with a nearly 70-yard return by Peaslee followed up by trio of runs by Flowers to put them at the one-yard line.
A sneak by Albright brought an Indian touchdown just under 90 seconds into the third quarter, but another blocked extra point limited their new lead to 26-24.
Krieger dropped the ball on the kickoff return but recovered and held on at the eight-yard line. A pair of runs by Ryan and passes to senior Broden Piercefield and Bentley brought three first downs and moved the Bluestreaks to nearly midfield, but a long pass attempt to Harris was intercepted at the Wauseon 18-yard line by Indian sophomore Thad Reckner.
The Wauseon offense started struggling in the next drive, losing ground on the first play before being aided by an offsides penalty against Archbold on the following play, but then losing more ground on a dropped and recovered snap and gaining nothing on a pass attempt the next.
A low snap on the fourth-and-eight punt resulted in the ball being downed at the Archbold 45-yard line.
Archbold ran into similar hiccups, with a single first down moving them into Indian territory before catching a flag for holding and then getting stuck at second-, third-, and fourth-and-15. A high snap on their punt ended in a kick that went out of bounds at the Wauseon 39-yard line.
The Indians initially started gaining ground with a Flowers run and an Albright carry for a first down. Albright held onto the ball for three of the next four plays including a fourth-and-one conversion, the latter of which was stymied by a holding penalty to give them the first down at their own 31 instead of the 21-yard line.
A pass to Hicks under pressure brought another first down and pushed the ball to the 17-yard line, but another holding flag, an incomplete pass, and a pair of sacks by Wyatt Gericke and David Oregon brought up fourth-and-35. The ensuing punt was fair caught by senior Eddie Yoder on the Archbold 8-yard line.
Rufenacht took a snap and carried the ball two yards for second and eight and the end of the third quarter.
An incomplete pass to Piercefield that brought up a holding penalty against the Bluestreaks was followed by a successful one, and sophomore Carter King caught a third pass to gain the first down.
Rufenacht took another snap and carried the ball for what looked like it would only be a gain of two or three but kept the whole pile pushing forward for a gain of seven.
After another flag – this time for a false start – a pass to Harris yielded another first down. A 35-yard pass to Wyse yielded another touchdown, which they followed up with a two-point conversion which was interrupted first by an illegal substitution flag and then by an Archbold time out to put them back up 32-26.
A tipped incomplete pass led to an Albright run for a first down, leading to a high stakes set of downs. Albright first threw a long bomb to Smith which went over his head, then Flowers carried it to midfield for third and six.
he Bluestreaks defense poured it on, forcing Albright to hold the ball under pressure during the next play and limiting him to a gain of three.
When he tried to hold it again, he was unable to make the final three yards, turning the ball over at the Archbold 45-yard line.
After the play, Bluestreak junior Jason Grime went down on the sideline as he came off the field. He was first surrounded by staff and then his parents as he was eased up to sitting then immediately back down, before EMTs were called over.
An ambulance was eventually brought in, and he was put on a stretcher, but applause and cheers erupted as he held up a fist to the crowd while he was being loaded into the ambulance.
Seemingly spurred on in support of his injured teammate, Ryan broke free on the very next play, running 55 yards for a touchdown and the extra point extended the Archbold lead to 39-26.
Wauseon started their next drive with a run by Ballard, who took a huge hit in the backfield for a three-yard loss. A pass attempt to Smith resulted in a flag for pass interference and a first down at their own 47-yard line.
In a pair of back-to-back offensive foibles, Albright threw a pass that was intercepted by Krieger at the Wauseon 21-yard line, immediately followed by Krueger throwing a pass to Harris which bounced out of his arms and into the arms of Indian junior Brady Miller, to turn it back over on the Archbold 27-yard line.
A reverse carried by Smith pushed the Indians in sight of the end zone at the 11-yard line for a first down. Albright held the ball on the following play while looking for a receiver, gaining six yards.
An attempted pass was then tipped twice while in the air and almost intercepted. Albright carried again to make it to the two-yard line for a fourth-and-one attempt, but when Hicks attempted to carry it in, he was tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage, turning the ball over on downs.
After the Bluestreaks took possession, a trio of runs by Ryan followed by a trio by Wyse took the ball all the way to the Indian 35-yard line and ran the clock down far enough that they were able to take a knee and run out what time was remaining to take the win, 39-26.
AHS WHS
First Downs 14 15
Rushing Yards 23-172 46-104
Passing Yards 229 190
Passing 12-21-2 4-12-1
Total Yards 401 294
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties 7-52 7-42
WAUSEON 0 20 6 0 – 26
ARCHBOLD 10 14 0 15 – 39
A – Rodger 23-yd FG
A – Bentley 8-yd pass from Krueger (Rodger kick)
W – Smith 85-yd pass from Albright (Mennetti kick)
A – Harris 41-yd pass from Kruger (Rodger kick)
W – Hicks 28-yd pass from Albright (Mennetti kick)
A – Ryan 92-yd kickoff return (Rodger kick)
W – Peaslee 69-yd pass from Albright (kick blocked)
W – Albright 1-yd run (kicked block)
A – Wyse 65-yd pass from Krueger (Krueger run)
A – Ryan 55-yd run (Rodger kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Wauseon – Flowers 9-51; Archbold – Ryan 13-127; PASSING: Wauseon – Albright 4-12-190-1; Archbold – Krueger 12-21-229-2; RECEIVING: Wauseon – Wyatt Smith 2-94; Logan Peaslee 1-69; Archbold – Piercefield 4-51; Harris 3-62; Bentley 3-43; Wyse 1-65
