LUCAS — The knuckles on both hands were bloodied and there was noticeable bruising on one leg, but the physical pain Lucas running back Mason Galco may have been feeling took a backseat to the emotional sting of Saturday’s season-ending 42-21 loss to Western Reserve in the Division VII, Region 23 semifinals.
The junior sensation wanted to extend the season for at least another week, not so much for himself but for the five seniors on the Cubs’ roster.
“It’s that we wanted to do something for the seniors that has never happened,” said Galco, who scored two touchdowns and rushed for 115 yards on 30 carries in the loss. “There weren’t many of them and they stuck to it the whole way through, so we wanted to give them something they never had.”
The Cubs enjoyed a record-setting season in 2014 thanks in no small part to Galco. Unofficially, the Richland Bank Athlete of the Week rumbled for a single-season school record 1,981 yards, topping 2013 graduate Nick Swainhart’s previous mark of 1,817 yards.
Lucas advanced to the postseason for the third time in school history and won its first ever playoff game in a wild, come-from-behind 37-34 victory over Plymouth in the regional quarterfinals. Galco rushed for 276 yards and three touchdowns and picked off a pass that led to Rueben Luna’s game-winning field goal as time expired.
“Mason has had a pretty special season,” Lucas coach Scott Spitler said. “He’s a talented kid and a hard worker.”
Galco’s 11 yard run in the second quarter Saturday gave the Cubs a short-lived 9-7 lead, but the Blue Devils scored twice late in the first half to take a 21-9 advantage with less than two minutes remaining in the first half.
That is when Galco and the Cubs went back to work. Lucas pieced together a nine-play, 60 yard hurry-up drive and Galco’s 1 yard run with nine seconds left in the first half cut Western Reserve’s advantage 21-15.
“We were able to move the ball on them,” Galco said.
The Blue Devils put it away in the third quarter, scoring twice to take a 35-15 lead to the fourth.
“Their size caught up to us in the second half,” Spitler said. “We knew they were a good football team and they have a great tradition, but we believe in our kids and we knew we could play with them.”
The future looks bright for the Cubs. Galco and Luna (a multi-threat quarterback) lead a talented 10-man junior class.
“We are in uncharted territory as a program,” Spitler said. “No Lucas team has ever been this deep into the tournament.
“Hopefully, our young kids have got a taste of it and it’s going to drive them to continue to work hard this off-season and through the summer.”
With Galco leading the way, Lucas may add to its growing trophy case.
“We all signed a ball and it’s (on display) in the trophy case,” Galco said. “Now we know what it takes to get here.”
