By Joe Eusebio
COLUMBIANA, OH — In a game that tested the limits of both the scoreboard and the local supply of athletic tape, the Columbiana Clippers edged out the Western Reserve Blue Devils for a 38-37 overtime victory on Friday night at Fisher Stadium.
The contest was played under thick, heavy humidity that turned the gridiron into an endurance challenge. Trainers from both programs earned their keeps, navigating frequent second-half delays as players on both sidelines routinely went down with painful muscle cramps. Ultimately, Columbiana’s roster had just enough fluids left in reserve to stop a game-winning conversion in the extra period.
The action started with an immediate shock to the system. At the 9:32 mark of the first quarter, Western Reserve opened its night on its very first offensive play. Quarterback Dominic Krut connected with wideout Jayden Goddard for a quick 88-yard touchdown pass. The extra-point attempt was blocked by Devin Brode, leaving the score at 6-0.
Columbiana responded with a more methodical, clock-chewing approach. At 7:19 of the second quarter, Ethan Lehnerd put the Clippers on the board with a 13-yard touchdown run. Kicker Geoffrey Malcomson added the extra point, allowing Columbiana to take a modest 7-6 lead into the halftime locker room.
The defensive composure displayed in the first half completely evaporated in the third quarter, giving way to a track meet where defense seemed entirely optional.
Western Reserve struck first at 11:36 of the third when Carson Meyers broke loose for a 58-yard touchdown run. The point-after failed, keeping Western Reserve up 12-7. Columbiana answered at 7:04 with a 3-yard touchdown run from Danny Mangiarelli to lead 13-12 after a missed conversion of their own.
The trading of punches continued at 4:18 when Krut found Goddard again, this time for an 18-yard touchdown pass to make it 18-13. Less than a minute later, at 3:28, Lehnerd went over the top to Devin Brode for a 65-yard touchdown pass, and a Malcomson PAT put Columbiana back in front 20-18.
Western Reserve got the final word of the quarter when Meyers intercepted Lehnerd and returned the pick 18 yards for a touchdown with 50 seconds left. Krut kicked the extra point, giving the Blue Devils a 25-20 lead entering the fourth.
The final frame brought special teams drama. At 10:48, Western Reserve’s Vito Armeni blocked a punt by John Parks, setting up the Blue Devils inside Clipper territory. A minute later, Krut scored on a 5-yard run, stretching the Western Reserve advantage to a comfortable 31-20.
With Lehnerd sidelined, sophomore backup quarterback Carter Griffith was thrown into the fire. He showed veteran poise, guiding the Clippers on a drive that resulted in a 26-yard Malcomson field goal with 5:34 left, cutting the deficit to 31-23.
After a defensive stop, the Clippers got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining. With 55.6 seconds left in regulation, Brode scored on a 1-yard plunge. Needing a two-point conversion to keep the game alive, Brode took the handoff again and found the end zone, tying the game at 31-31 and sending the exhausted squads to overtime.
Columbiana took the ball first in the extra period. Mangiarelli scored his second touchdown of the night on a 3-yard run, and Malcomson added the PAT for a 38-31 lead.
Faced with a 4th-and-8 on their possession, Western Reserve kept their hopes alive when Krut hit Vito Armeni in the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown pass, closing the gap to 38-37.
Rather than risking a second overtime with an increasingly dehydrated roster, Western Reserve coach John Armeni elected to go for the win on a two-point conversion try. Krut dropped back to pass, but Columbiana’s John Parks made up for his earlier blocked punt by swatting the ball down at the line of scrimmage, securing the victory for the hosts.
With the win, Columbiana moves to 3-0 for the first time in several seasons. The Clippers face a critical road test next week when they travel to Hanoverton to play the United Eagles for first place in the EOAC. Western Reserve falls to 1-2 and will look to rebound next Friday on the road against Waterloo in Atwater.