Wickliffe suffers first loss 28-14 in delayed game with Orange
BY JUSTIN LADA
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
After Wickliffe has until 6 p.m. on Saturday to game plan how to score two touchdowns to avoid losing its first game of 2019 and Orange has the same time to game plan to make sure they hold on and win its first game of 2019. The two teams played to a 28-14 score with the Lions leading the Blue Devils with 5:15 to play in the fourth quarter before Friday the 13th storms reigned down over northeast Ohio and ended most games early and pushed off many until Saturday, including this one. When the game picked up Saturday at 6:00 p.m. nothing changed as Orange prevailed 28-14 sending the Blue Devils to their first loss of the season.
Tied 14-14 late in the third quarter, Orange got favorable field position on a 10 yard punt return from Diante White. The Lions drove 45 yards to pull ahead 21-14 thanks to a 32 yard touchdown run from White.
Just before the weather delay the Lions overcame back to back holding penalties to smashmouth its way to a 28-14 lead. An error on a punt by Wickliffe set Orange up with good field position White ran for 42 yards on the drive. Quarterback Zak Bashart ran for 12 yards on 2nd-and-26 and four on 3rd-and-14. White picked up the first down on 4th-and-10 and got to the Wickliffe nine yard line before Marvin Davies IV powered his way into the end zone to take the two touchdown lead with 5:52 to play.
Both teams struggled to get on the board out of the gate until Wickliffe caught a bit of a break with just over eight minutes to play in the second quarter when Duke Stanczak got tangled up with a cornerback from Orange on fourth down in the Lions' end zone. Initially two officials threw flags but both were picked up. After talking it over, the officials decided that Stanczak and the Orange defensive back both committed pass interference and replayed the fourth down for Wickliffe from the Orange 20 yard line.
Evan Rypinski ended up connecting with Mason Bala on a 20 yard catch for a touchdown on the replay of the down to get Wickliffe the lead, 7-0.
Orange running back Diante Whiteccarried the load on the Lions' following drive, an 80 yard march to tie the game capped by White's 10 yard touchdown run. White picked up 50 yards on the Lions drive to tie the game.
On the Lions' next drive, Tre'von Davis hauled in a pass and went 82 yards from Bashart to put Orange up 14-7.
Wickliffe attempted and recovered an onside kick to start the second half. That gave the Blue Devils momentum on the sidelines and Bala, who caught the team's first touchdown pass, carried three times for 13 yards on the drive, capped off by a seven yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14-14 before Orange responded with two unanswered touchdowns to take control of the game.
The Blue Devils will be in action next week in Gates Mills at Hawken to take on the Hawks at 7:00 p.m.
Tim Shirer contributed to this article.
POSTED 09/14/2019 22:17
