It’s not the way the Wadsworth Grizzlies wanted to start the 2015 High School football season. The Ashland Arrows scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat the Grizzlies 28-20 at Art Wright Stadium.
A couple of big plays in the fourth quarter by Ashland junior quarterback Grant Denbow put the win in the victory column for the Arrows.
“We just got outhit up front. That was disappointing for us because that’s where we have our veterans” said Wadsworth head coach Greg Dennison. “We got to get a lot better there”.
Both teams played a scoreless first quarter.
Ashland grabbed the lead with 2:11 to go in the second quarter. The Arrows covered 67 yards in just 6 plays. Senior running back Lonzo Dampier scored on a three-yard touchdown. The point by Bryce Stormer was good and Ashland had a 7-0 led.
Wadsworth would tie the game before the half ended. A 35-yard pass from Grizzly senior quarterback Connor Montgomery to sophomore receiver Mitchell Blackburn set up Wadsworth deep in Ashland territory. Following a Grizzly holding penalty. Montgomery found Wadsworth tight end Aaron Wolf near the front right corner of the end zone. Wolf came down with the 20-yard pass and reached for the goal line. The ball crossed the line and the Grizzlies had a touchdown. Following a Cameron Mendel extra point, the score was tied at seven with 30 second to go in the first half.
The Grizzlies kept that momentum into the third quarter. Following a short punt by Ashland of 20 yards,
Wadsworth drove 21 yards in two plays to take a 14-7 lead. It was senior tailback Dan Weinerman who scored on a 13-yard run followed by Mendel’s point after,
Ashland tied it late in the third quarter on a one-yard run by Denbow.
Following a Wadsworth three-and-out, Ashland stormed down the field on an 8-play, 67-yard drive. Dampier scored on a 13-yard run. With the point after, it was Ashland 21 Wadsworth 14 with 9 minutes to go.
The Grizzlies came right back with a heavy dose of Weinerman. With the help of a late hit penalty by Ashland, it was a 6-play, 59-yard drive that ended with Weinerman scoring from 19 yards out. But, Mendel missed the extra point giving Ashland a one-point lead at 21-20.
Then, Ashland put the game away a 13-play, 65-yard drive. Denbow and the offense converted on both a 3rd-and-14 and a 4th-and-9 that kept the drive alive. A pass interference call on Wadsworth in the end zone on a 4-and-6 placed the ball on the Grizzly 3-year line. On the next play, Denbow swept left end for the touchdown to make the final score 28-20.
“We were just a couple of plays away. We had them third-and-long and fourth-and-long in that final drive. We just needed a stop. Offensively, up front, we have to get a lot better fast”, said Coach Dennison.
The improvement will have to take place in one week. Wadsworth will be at home for a second consecutive week as the Grizzlies play host to the Wooster Generals, Friday September 4th at 7 pm.
If you can’t make it to the game, listen to it on 97.1/Wadsworth Community Radio.
