GALION, Ohio – Buckeye Valley quarterback Ben Spaulding delivered the knockout blow Friday at Unckrich Stadium.
Spaulding powered his team to a game-winning drive after a late Galion turnover, capped by his 7 yard touchdown run with 50 seconds left to upend the Tigers, 38-32, in a shootout.
During the game-clinching rumble, Spaulding shook off a hit around the 4-yard line and fell into the end zone with Tigers defenders draped over him.
“It was just a little stiff arm,” he said. “I like to pride myself on trying to break as many tackles as I can.”
The junior QB accounted for five touchdowns – four through the air and the late-game scamper. He finished the night 17-of-26 passing for 341 yards and added 66 yards on the ground.
His top target was Gabe Miller, who caught seven passes for 225 yards and three scores, including two 80-yard bombs. Nathan Bisang caught six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown.
“I’m so proud of my teammates for putting it all out there,” Spaulding said. “I couldn’t ask for anything better than that.”
In all, Buckeye Valley (2-2) totaled 444 yards to tame the recently punishing Galion (3-1) defense.
“When you beat a good team and beat them on the road, that gives you a lot of momentum,” Buckeye Valley coach Matt Stephens said. “I hope to play on that and pump these kids up.”
Barnett Shines: Galion runningback Drake Barnett was the Tigers’ bell cow Friday night, finishing the game with 230 yards on the ground with four touchdowns.
He also made a trip to paydirt via a 53-yard pass from quarterback Chase Cooke, which put Galion up 25-21 with 8:51 left in the third quarter.
“He’s a kid who has the physical tools, and he plays with so much talent and so much heart,” Tigers coach Chris Hawkins said. “And he has a motor that does not stop – I mean he never asks to come out of the game.”
In the fourth quarter, Barnett slammed through the trenches for an 8-yard TD run that gave his team a 32-24 lead.
But late-game mistakes ultimately doomed the Tigers.
“I don’t want to take anything away from our kids – our kids played hard – but there’s a difference, I think we need to play hard and with heart,” Hawkins said. “And I think if we do that, we could have overcame some of those mistakes that we made.”
In total, Galion racked up 461 yards during the game.
Sharing Snaps: The Tigers featured two quarterbacks in the dogfight – Cooke and senior Jacob Fryer.
Hawkins said he is still trying to figure out the situation for his signal-callers.
“Chase is still learning it, and Jacob’s back,” he said. “I can see what [Ohio State University coach] Urban Meyer is going through when you have two really talented quarterbacks.
“They’re completely different, and each did great things tonight, and each did some head-scratching things tonight.”
Cooke tallied 105 yards through the air, completing seven of 12 passes, while Fryer was 3-for-4 for 31 yards.
The QBs also were a big part of Galion’s 325 total rushing yards. Fryer ran for 64 yards, and Cooke had 43.
“As good as we are up front, it’s getting tougher and tougher to put seven guys in the box all the time,” Hawkins said. “So we’re going to have to throw, and what we were trying to do is eke out a win.”
1985 State Champs Honored: The 1985 state champion Galion Tigers were honored during halftime of Friday’s game, as coaches and players from the team were recognized at midfield.
Lee Owens, who coached the team to the championship, said it was great to be back in Galion.
“A big part of the opportunities that I’ve had coaching has been because of the guys on this ’85 team and what we were able to accomplish together,” he said.
Owens currently is the head football coach at Ashland University.
The 1985 Tigers went 14-0 and defeated Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, 6-0, in the championship game. The teams holds the only state football title in Crawford County and the most current one in the area.
Out of his many coaching accomplishments, Owens said the 1985 championship season was his best in 32 years as a coach.
“I’ve been a part of nine or 10 championship seasons, and I’ve been a part of over 200 victories as a head football coach,” he said. “But those 14 wins and that state championship, they don’t take a second seat to any of them.”
