NON-LEAGUE CONTEST … Evergreen’s Trevor Johnson is pursued by a Green Bear defender in the first quarter. (PHOTO BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Joe Blystone
METAMORA (August 25, 2023) – There were dropped passes, dropped kickoffs, muffed onside kicks, and missed interceptions.
However, the most telling tale from Evergreen’s 40-7 loss to Ottawa Hills was when Viking quarterback Hunter Vaculik went down with a lower limb injury on the third play of the game.
Vaculik, who threw four touchdown passes in the Vikes opening week win over Elmwood, bulled over an Ottawa Hills defender on the way to a first down but didn’t get up and spent much of the rest of the game on crutches.
With the senior out, the Evergreen offense was stale at best and the Green Bears used primo field possession to break away from a 7-7 tie to score 33 straight points.
An 82-yard Chase Miller to John Perozek play off a screen pass after an Evergreen punt, set up Rocco Pillarelli’s five-yard score late through the first for a 7-0 Ottawa Hills lead.
The Vikings answered back four plays later when Jesse Spradlin took backup quarterback Bryce Bolger’s short pass, blew through two tackles, and romped 51 yards down the right sideline to tie the game on the last play of the first. From then it was all Ottawa Hills.
Perozek’s 28-yard catch set up a second Pillarelli score to give the Bears the lead for good at 13-7.
The Vikings fumbled the ensuing short kick and Ottawa Hills took over at the Evergreen 25 which led to Reddik Pillarelli’s short TD run which gave the Bears a 21-7 halftime lead.
A Miller to Pillarelli 39-yard pass led to Perozek’s fourth and one TD off the swinging gate snap and a 27-7 margin, then another onside miscue set up Miller’s 11-yard touchdown to Cooper Eidenier when a Viking defender had the interception go through his hands.
Rocco Pillarelli got his third score after yet another short field, which after with the 30-point running clock rule in effect, Ottawa Hills tried yet another onside kick which drew the ire of the majority of those in attendance.
After the 31-point burst last week, Evergreen only got eight first downs and 171 yards total offense.
The big plays in the passing game led to 210 yards in the air for Ottawa Hills, whose starters never left the field.
UP NEXT: September 1 – Evergreen (1-1) at Rossford (1-1) 7pm.
OHHS EHS
First Downs 14 7
Rushing Yards 24-106 12-69
Passing Yards 150 80
Passing 8-13-0 5-15-0
Total Yards 256 149
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-1
Penalties 1-5 1-5
OTTAWA HILLS 7 14 19 0 – 40
EVERGREEN 7 0 0 0 – 7
OH – Rocco Pillarelli 5-yd run (kick good)
E – Spradlin 51-yd pass from Bolger (Mossing kick)
OH – Rocco Pillarelli 1-yd run (conversion failed)
OH – Reddick Pillarelli 2-yd run (conversion good)
OH – Jack Perozek 1-yd run (conversion failed)
OH – Eidenier 11-yd pass from Miller (kick good)
OH – Rocco Pillarelli 1-yd run (conversion failed)
Joe can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com