Although
words do not paint the complete picture of how I am currently feeling, I will
try my very best to do so. After a period of more than five years, I am
presently back in the city which I call my “SECOND HOMETOWN.” That city
is London, Ohio. From November 2004 to March 2006, I lived in London. Before
and after that time period, I visited London a countless amount of times. I
have friends and family members who live in the city. At one point, London was
the place where I attended church. Less than a week ago, I found out that I
would be here tonight (Friday, November 29, 2019). In the past, I have said
that being a Freelance Sports Writer takes me to so many places. Due to the
fact of being able to choose where I go, I get to experience many different
stadiums and gymnasiums. Therefore, I could not pass up the opportunity to
visit London High School’s Bowlus Field. In just mere minutes, an Ohio High
School Division 3 Semifinal Football Game will commence. The game will feature
Trotwood-Madison High School (TMHS) vs. Columbus Bishop Hartley High School
(BHHS). The Rams (Trotwood-Madison) vs. Hawks (Bishop Hartley) will be a battle
between two of Ohio’s best teams. While I am very familiar with
Trotwood-Madison’s Football Program, the same cannot be said about Bishop
Hartley’s Football Program. That is about to change. I am going to find out
what Bishop Hartley is all about.
Bishop Hartley won the Official Coin
Toss. The team has elected to defer. Trotwood-Madison will start on Offense
first. After a good Kickoff Return, the Rams’ Offense started on its own
45-Yard Line. Once an Incomplete Pass was thrown and a run managed to obtain
only 1-Yard, TMHS was faced with 3rd Down and 9 from the 46-Yard
Line. After the snap-from-center, Trotwood-Madison’s Quarterback Cooper Stewart
moved the ball to Bishop Hartley’s 45-Yard Line (9-Yards – 11:11). On the
ensuing 1st Down and 10 Play, Stewart completed a 7-Yard Pass to
Wide Receiver Carl Blanton, Jr. The next play was a rush which moved the ball
to the 35-Yard Line. Due to the fact the Rams needed exactly 3-Yards to obtain
a First Down, another First Down was obtained. At 10:29, the ball was still on
the Hawks’ 35-Yard Line. Stewart went on to complete a 35-Yard Touchdown Pass.
Sammy Anderson scored the touchdown. Carter Mims’ Extra Point Kick was good.
Trotwood-Madison leads Bishop Hartley 7-0. Bishop Hartley’s first Offensive
Drive started on the team’s 32-Yard Line. On 2nd Down and 5 from the
37-Yard Line, the ball was rushed 9-Yards (to the 46-Yard Line – 9:48).
From the 46-Yard Line, the drive
ended up being a disaster. First, Quarterback Miles Fleming was sacked. Two,
ensuing runs did not gain much. With 7:01 on the scoreboard, it was now 4th
Down and 12 from the Hawks’ 43-Yard Line. The ball was punted away. The Rams’
Offense got going from its 35-Yard Line. Immediately, the ball was on the move.
Hezekiah Hudson-Davis picked up 8-Yards. The next play ended with 2-Yards being
acquired (6:21). At 4:58, the ball was positioned on the 44-Yard Line. After
the snap on 2nd Down and 11, Stewart rushed the ball. Flags were
thrown. Bishop Hartley was penalized for a Holding Violation. That penalty gave
Trotwood-Madison a First Down (on BHHS’s 42-Yard Line). On 1st and 10,
Ke’shawn Huguely ran the ball to the 31-Yard Line (11-Yards – 4:53). TMHS soon
avoided a disaster of its own. On the ensuing 1st Down and 10 Play,
H. Hudson-Davis took the hand-off. During the process of rushing the ball, he
fumbled. Luckily, the Rams’ Offense recovered the ball.
With 3:21 remaining in the 1st
Quarter, the ball rested on Bishop Hartley’s 26-Yard Line. On 3rd
Down and 5, Stewart completed a 26-Yard Touchdown Pass to Anderson. Anderson’s
catch was spectacular. In order to make the reception, he had to make a dive.
Then, he pulled the ball in with one hand. Mims’ Extra Point Kick was good.
TMHS’s lead grew to 14-0. On the ensuing Offensive Drive, BHHS’s Offense went
three plays and out. On 4th Down and 5 from the team’s own 33-Yard
Line, BHHS was forced to punt. With 6.3-Seconds remaining in the quarter, the
ball was on Trotwood-Madison’s 30-Yard Line. On 2nd Down and 9, Keon’tae
Huguely rushed for 12-Yards. He was tackled on the 42-Yard Line. At the end of
the 1st Quarter, Trotwood-Madison leads Bishop Hartley 14-0. After the
start of the 2nd Quarter, the drive came to an abrupt end. On 1st
Down and 10, Keon’tae Huguely was intercepted by Bishop Hartley’s Trey
Saunders. The Hawks’ Offensive Drive was filled with penalties. Before the
drive got underway, Bishop Hartley was hit with an Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Penalty. That penalty placed the ball on Bishop Hartley’s 10-Yard Line.
As the 1st Down and 10
Play was beginning, Bishop Hartley’s Offense committed a False Start Violation.
That mistake pushed the ball back to the 5-Yard Line. When the next play
started, flags were thrown. Once again, the Hawks was penalized for a False
Start Violation. This time, the ball was moved back to the 3-Yard Line. Was
BHHS finished with its penalty issues? The answer is NO. At 11:46, the ball was
on the 3-Yard Line. A rushing play took place. Afterward, BHHS was penalized
for a Chop Block Violation. The ball remained on the 3-Yard Line. The next play
started with a rush and ended with a fumble. Trotwood-Madison’s Tyreik Gooch
recovered the fumble. TMHS’s Offense got started on BHHS’s 4-Yard Line. With
both H. Hudson-Davis and Stewart leading the way, the ball was able to only be
moved to the 1-Yard Line. On 4th Down and 1, Mims successfully
converted an 18-Yard Kick. TMHS leads BHHS 17-0.
Bishop Hartley’s next Offensive
Drive started off being affected by 2-False Start Violations. The drive
officially started from the Hawks’ 28-Yard Line. With 8:11 remaining in the 2nd
Quarter, it was now 3rd Down and 9. The ball was on Bishop Hartley’s
36-Yard Line. Once again, the Hawks’ Offense committed a False Start Violation.
The penalty moved the ball back to the 31-Yard Line. On 3rd Down and
14, Miles Fleming completed a 34-Yard Pass to Angelo Evans (7:51). Evans was
brought down on Trotwood-Madison’s 35-Yard Line. From the 35-Yard Line, the
drive went on to experience issues. The ball was only moved to the 28-Yard
Line. At the 5:33 mark, BHHS was penalized for a False Start Violation. On 4th
Down and 8 from the 33-Yard Line, the Hawks decided to run a play. Punting was
not an option. After the snap, Fleming was intercepted (5:05) by TMHS’s Carl
Blanton, Jr. Blanton, Jr. was tackled on TMHS’s 10-Yard Line. Immediately, H.
Hudson-Davis gave the Rams some breathing room. On 1st Down and 10,
H. Hudson-Davis moved the ball to the 23-Yard Line (13-Yards – 4:58).
The very next play got off to a
rough start. The snap-from-center was high. However, Stewart managed to gain
control of the ball. He proceeded to rush the ball. Flags were thrown. The ball
was placed on Trotwood-Madison’s 16-Yard Line. On 3rd Down and 9
from the 24-Yard Line, Stewart ended up being sacked. For a loss of 3-Yards,
Stewart was dropped back on the 21-Yard Line. With 2:50 on the clock, it was
now 4th Down and 12. Dominic Reece punted the ball. The ball was
downed on Bishop Hartley’s 49-Yard Line. The Hawks’ Offense was unable to get
any momentum going. Instead of punting the ball away on 4th Down and
6, the Hawks decided to run an Offensive Play. The ball was on the Rams’
47-Yard Line. After the snap, Mason Sawyer was pitched the ball. He was about
to throw the ball. To his dismay, Sawyer was never able to release a throw. He
was dropped on his team’s 45-Yard Line (1:05).
On 1st Down and 10,
Stewart completed a 24-Yard Pass to H. Hudson-Davis. H. Hudson-Davis was able
to get the ball to Bishop-Hartley’s 21-Yard Line (53.7-Seconds). With the ball
still on the 21-Yard Line, it was now 2nd Down and 10. Stewart kept
the ball and he rushed it. As he was approaching the end zone, Stewart fumbled
the ball. The ball bounced into the end zone. Flags were thrown too. BHHS was
hit with a Personal Foul Penalty. Trotwood-Madison maintained possession.
Better yet, the penalty placed the ball on the Hawks’ 1-Yard Line
(32.3-Seconds). After three plays and a False Start Penalty (against TMHS), the
ball was on the 6-Yard Line. For the Rams, this is where matters got very
weird. 4th Down and Goal was attempted two more times. As each play
got underway, Trotwood-Madison was penalized for a False Start Violation.
Finally, the play was able to be completed. On 4th Down and Goal
from the 16-Yard Line, Stewart threw a pass to the end zone. Unfortunately, the
pass was incomplete (3.6-Seconds). The Rams’ Offensive Drive was a wasted
opportunity. At the end of the 2nd Quarter, Trotwood-Madison leads
Bishop Hartley 17-0.
After the Halftime Break, Bishop
Hartley’s Offense started from its 27-Yard Line. At 10:07, the ball was
positioned on the 35-Yard Line. On 4th Down and 2, Jalan January
proceeded to take off on a long run. A penalty would reduce January’s long
gain. As a result, the ball was placed on Trotwood-Madison’s 44-Yard Line. The ball
would go on to only move to the 40-Yard Line. On 4th Down and 6 from
the Rams’ 40-Yard Line, January rushed the ball to the 35-Yard Line (8:00). By
falling short 1-Yard, the play failed to obtain a First Down. With 6:31 on the
clock, TMHS faced 3rd Down and 2 from its 43-Yard Line. Stewart
rushed the ball to the 48-Yard Line (5-Yards). At this point, TMHS relied on H.
Hudson-Davis to move the ball forward. First, he gets the ball to Bishop
Hartley’s 45-Yard Line. Next, H. Hudson-Davis obtains a First Down. However, a
penalty (against Trotwood-Madison) took away the First Down. The next play
started from BHHS’s 48-Yard Line. On 2nd Down and 5, H. Hudson-Davis
picked up the First Down. His 16-Yard Run moved the ball to the 32-Yard Line
(5:04).
From Bishop Hartley’s 32-Yard Line, Trotwood-Madison’s
Offensive Drive disintegrated. An Illegal Shift Penalty moved the ball back to
the 37-Yard Line. With 3:41 remaining in the 3rd Quarter, TMHS made
a huge mistake. On 2nd Down and 6 from the 28-Yard Line, the
snap-from-center was high. The ball started bouncing on the field. Eventually,
Stewart fell on the ball. The ball was downed back on BHHS’s 41-Yard Line. After
a high snap, the next play ended with an Incomplete Pass. On 4th
Down and 19 from the 41-Yard Line, Reece made a good punt. The ball was downed
on the Hawks’ 10-Yard Line. An ensuing Holding Penalty and a False Start
Penalty moved the ball back to the 2-Yard Line. Bishop Hartley went on to go
three plays and out. On 4th Down and 14, the ball was on the 6-Yard
Line. At 51.1-Seconds, the ball was punted. The Rams’ Sammy Anderson fielded
the punt. When he stopped running, it was 40-Yards later. Anderson was standing
in the end zone. Mims’ Extra Point Kick was good. Trotwood-Madison’s lead grew
to 24-0.
Before the 3rd Quarter
ended, Bishop Hartley made a big play. With the ball on the Hawks’ 27-Yard
Line, it was 2nd Down and 6. At 3.1-Seconds, Fleming completed a
27-Yard Pass to Marcelis Parker. Parker was tackled on the Rams’ 46-Yard Line. At
the end of the 3rd Quarter, Trotwood-Madison still leads Bishop
Hartley 24-0. To open the 4th Quarter, BHHS alternated between
Fleming and January. Fleming had 2-Rushes for 12-Yards. January had 3-Rushes
for 24-Yards. The ball moved from the Rams’ 46-Yard Line to the Rams’ 10-Yard
Line. On 1st Down and Goal from the 10-Yard Line, January rushed the
ball to the 2-Yard Line (8-Yards – 10:39). The next play had January picking up
the 2-Yard Touchdown (10:35). A 2-Point Conversion Rush was good.
Unfortunately, a Chop Block Penalty negated the conversion. An ensuing 2-Point
Conversion Pass was no good. Bishop Hartley trails Trotwood-Madison 24-6.
After an Onside Kick,
Trotwood-Madison started from its 48-Yard Line. As the first play was
beginning, Bishop Hartley was penalized for an Offside Violation. That 5-Yard
Penalty moved the ball to BHHS’s 47-Yard Line. On 2nd Down and 4
from the Hawks’ 46-Yard Line, TMHS ended up being penalized. The penalty placed
the ball back on the Rams’ 43-Yard Line. At the 8:26 mark, Trotwood-Madison committed
a Delay of Game Violation. The ball went from the 42-Yard Line back to the
37-Yard Line. On 3rd Down and 22, Keon’tae Huguely rushed the ball
to the 49-Yard Line (12-Yards – 8:19). The next play ended with Reece punting
the ball. The ball was downed on BHHS’s 35-Yard Line. With 7:26 remaining in
the game, Fleming completed a 44-Yard Pass to Angelo Evans. Evans was brought
down on TMHS’s 21-Yard Line. Bishop Hartley proceeded to put forth a heavy dose
of Jalan January. For six, consecutive plays, January was handed the ball. His
20-Rushing Yards got the ball to the 1-Yard Line. On 4th Down and
Goal, January took the ball into the end zone (5:06). The 2-Point Conversion Rush
was no good. Trotwood-Madison’s lead has been cut to 24-12.
Once again, Bishop Hartley made an
Onside Kick. This time, the Hawks’ Special Teams Unit recovered the ball. The ball
was downed on Trotwood-Madison’s 42-Yard Line. At 4:54 on 2nd Down
and 10, Richard Kenny rushed the ball for 12-Yards (to the 30-Yard Line). The Hawks
stuck with the running game. The next, four plays were all runs. With the
scoreboard reading 3:40, the ball was on the Rams’ 1-Yard Line. On 2nd
Down and Goal, January got the ball into the end zone. Ryan Hawk’s Extra Point
Kick was good. By only 5-Points, BHHS now trails TMHS 24-19. With 3:39
remaining in the game, Trotwood-Madison’s Offense was positioned on its 22-Yard
Line. On 1st Down and 10, H. Hudson-Davis rushed the ball to the
42-Yard Line (20-Yards – 3:32). The Offensive Drive would not experience any
further exciting moments. In fact, a penalty and rushes for lost yardage would
prevent the ball from achieving multiple gains. At the 3:11 mark, the ball was
on the Rams’ 38-Yard Line. On 4th Down and 14, Reece punted the
ball. The ball was downed on the Rams’ 44-Yard Line.
Bishop Hartley continued to shove
January down the throats of Trotwood-Madison’s players. The Offensive Drive
started with January having 5-Rushes. Due to a Holding Penalty, one of the runs
was negated. On 2nd Down and 12, the ball was on the Rams’ 32-Yard
Line. After the snap, Fleming was sacked. Sammy Anderson brought him down back
on the Rams’ 45-Yard Line. The 3rd Down and 25 Play ended with a
deep pass being incomplete. Now, the drive has come down to a critical 4th
Down and 25 Play. Once again, Fleming threw a deep pass. This time, the pass
was intercepted by Carl Blanton, Jr. Blanton, Jr. was tackled on his team’s
2-Yard Line (32.7-Seconds). By the Final Score of 24-19, Trotwood-Madison will
be moving on to the Division 3 Championship Game. For three quarters, the game
was looking like it was going to be a blowout. In the 4th Quarter,
Bishop Hartley came alive. Although the team was still losing, the Hawks took
control of the momentum. While I will never be able to know what could have
happened, one thought keeps running throughout my mind. Had Bishop Hartley not experienced
a Holding Penalty; Sack; and Intercepted Pass (all at the end of the game),
would the team have pulled off the ultimate comeback and won the game? That
question will always stick with me.
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