On the football field, inclement weather can be a great equalizer when there is a significant talent disparity between two teams. And for a few fleeting moments on a very windy night at Springfield Community Stadium, it looked like it could keep the Blue Devils on more even footing against the much deeper and more stout Yellow Jackets.
On the third play of the game, Perrysburg’s junior quarterback dropped back for his first pass of the game, firing a deep pass down the far sideline. But that stiff breeze, blowing left to right from the home side, stifled that pass from reaching its target.
Instead, it landed in the waiting arms of Springfield junior defensive back Kaiden Taylor who returned the interception 12 yards to breathe some immediate life into the Blue Devils sideline and crowd. Senior quarterback–and later Homecoming king at halftime–Will Scott found his intended target on the first pass of the night, a nine-yard gain to classmate Nate Pope to move the chains.
But that drive was quelled moments later after Scott’s next two passes sailed well over the intended receivers to force a punt.
From there, the Yellow Jackets quickly established their run game going into the wind and marched 69 yards on nine plays–eight of those runs–to take a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. It was the first of seven straight touchdown drives that resulted in a 47-6 rout of the Blue Devils.
“I loved our energy in the first quarter,” Head Coach LaCharles Smith said. “Again, I think we talked about it last week that our energy for the first quarter was really, really good. But we get to that second quarter, See Perrysburg is a really good team and their will power just kind of took us.”
With few exceptions, the Yellow Jackets have been a difficult team for anyone to move the ball against. That the Blue Devils came up short in that regard was nothing of which to be ashamed.
But Smith knew that for any significant stretch of the game to be competitive, his offense needed to take advantage of the early turnover.
“I was just talking to the kids all week about having a good start, and we got the start that we wanted,” he said. “You wish that the offense could’ve punched it in there and that’s what we’re missing right now as a program. The defense will get a turnover but our offense is not punching it in. But we’ll get there.”
A big part of getting there, sophomore tailback Eli Beal, returned to the field for Homecoming after missing time with an injury. He did not start the opening drive of either half, but did see the lion’s share of the touches in the backfield with four receptions for 23 yards and six carries for 28 yards including the Blue Devils only touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.
“Just today, first game back and everything, kept him on a pitch count,” said Smith. “But next week he’ll be ready to go. It’s good to have him back.”
Scott turned in one of his better statistical performances of the season, finishing 10-20 for 112 yards passing plus 35 yards rushing along with no turnovers. But he was also sacked three times in the first half, twice on third down.
Those negative plays, along with some running plays that were stopped in the backfield, took the Blue Devils off schedule on offense and ultimately resulted, especially when punting into the wind, in some very favorable field position for the visiting Yellow Jackets.
As disappointing as the game became, Smith and his staff did find something positive to employ late. Trailing 47-0 with inside nine minutes to play with a running clock, the coach dug into his bag of tricks in an attempt to avoid the shutout.
Some backfield misdirection ultimately ended with the ball back in Scott’s hands on a flea flicker type of play, and his deep ball down the far sideline was tipped but still reeled in by Taylor and good for a 44yard gain to the Perrysburg 17. Beal punched it in two plays later from five yards out off left tackle to erase the zero from the home team’s scoreboard.
A cynic might look at such a play and drive as meaningless given the game was already well in hand for Perrysburg, and though that sentiment is accurate on its face, it’s something that has real value as Smith rebuilds the Blue Devil football program.
“I think it’s something that we can build towards–I mean I hate talking about next year–but we’re two-for-two right now on our trick plays, and I’m going to talk to the offense about putting more trick plays in there,” the coach said. “I think it’s fun for the kids for the week doing trick plays. Some of those trick plays you see on Saturdays and Sundays, and the kids can kind of relate to that.”
Practically speaking, those too can prove something of an equalizer when the Blue Devils find themselves overmatched on Friday nights. With Whitmer next up to close out the 2023 campaign and another daunting season of Northern Lakes League Buckeye Division play awaiting in 2024, more trickeration might become standard–and essential– in this offense.
That’s something with which players, coaches and fans alike can all get on board.
“It’s game 10 and everything is going to be on the table,” said Smith. “So, you might see a lot of different stuff.”
Kick off is at 7 p.m., in a home game for the Blue Devils.
