(PHOTO BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
ELUDING THE DEFENSE … Stryker freshman Cody Stewart runs the ball with a St. Mary’s tackler closing in. VIEW ALL PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
STRYKER (September 21, 2024) – Turnovers and big plays offensively led to a 40-0 second quarter lead, and Sandusky St. Mary’s held off a late Stryker rally to post a 54-22 win in the Northern 8, eight-man football league.
St. Mary’s Josh Will went 54 yards on the game’s third play to open scoring in the first 23 seconds. After Brayden Gill picked a Jacob Myers pass, Bryan Gibson scoring the plays later to give St. Mary a 13-0 margin.
Gill’s second theft of a pass two minutes later was returned 84 yards for a score before Will ran 78 yards for another TD, and Gibson ran in twice more from 8 and 48 yards away to increase the Stryker deficit to 40-0, 10 seconds into the second quarter.
Cody Stewart led a 13-play drive to get Stryker on the board just before half. The freshman quarterback hit 7/10 passes, then ran in himself from a yard away to get Stryker on the board.
After Gibson romper 46 yards to set up his fourth scoring run of the game from the six, Stewart went to work again.
On consecutive drives, Stewart hit Myers with scoring shots from the 30, then from 61 yards out to get Stryker within 47-22.
St. Mary’s freshman Rylan Wikel ran in the last touchdown of the game, a 17-yard jaunt to cap scoring.
St. Mary’s ran just 24 plays and totaled 369 yards all on the ground. Gibson had 147 on nine carries and Will 132 on just two touches.
Stewart was 21/33 for 247 yards and two scores. Myers caught eight passes for 145 yards and Eli Capps grabbed for 75 more. Stryker hosts Toledo Christian next Saturday.