GALION — Matt Dick has seen enough of Brady Bowman to last a lifetime.

Galion’s veteran coach probably will see Bowman in his sleep.

Shelby’s senior standout caught five passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns as the Whippets rallied for a 31-14 win Friday night at Unckrich Stadium.

Bowman caught seven passes for 104 yards and two TDs against the Tigers in last year’s Region 14 championship game at Arlin Field. 

It was more of the same Friday — much to Dick’s dismay.

“That Bowman kid, I’m glad he’s graduating,” Dick said. “He makes a very simple play like a bubble (screen pass) very, very special. It’s amazing to watch him catch and accelerate.

“That play should be a 3-yard gain and sometimes he can take it to the house.”

Bowman spotted the Whippets (4-0, 1-0 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference) to a 7-0 lead when he took a screen pass from Branson Reed and turned it into a 41-yard touchdown with 3:09 remaining in the first quarter. 

Reed and sophomore QB Hayden Duval shared snaps in place of Michael Shepherd, who missed his second straight game after being diagnosed with mononucleosis.

“We would like to have Michael back, but you have to work with what you have,” Bowman said. “Branson has done a good job filling in.”

Eye of the Tiger

Galion (2-2, 0-1) pulled even when quarterback Kane Hay hooked up with Jameson Glew on a 17-yard scoring strike early in the second quarter.

The Whippets reclaimed the lead when Everett Harris booted a 22-yard field goal with 2:36 to play in the first half. 

Galion responded when Hay found tight end Dom Capretta for a 16-yard touchdown with just 42 seconds left before halftime, giving the Tigers a 14-10 lead at the break.

“We’re missing some people, but we went in at halftime an talked about the guys in the locker room getting the job done,” Bowman said. “We played better in the second half both offensively and defensively.”

Taking Command

Shelby scored a pair of third-quarter touchdowns to take control. Trent Rodman got behind Galion’s defense and hauled in a 57-yard touchdown pass from Hayden Duval to give the Whippets a 17-14 lead with 10:45 to play in the period.

“I’m extremely proud of the guys who stepped up,” Shelby coach Rob Mahaney said. “Trent Rodman, a senior for us, made a huge play. A sophomore quarterback (Duval) threw the ball.

“A lot of guys stepped up when we needed it.”

Bowman and Reed connected for a second scoring pass, this one a 17-yarder, to give Shelby a 24-14 advantage with 4:19 to play in the third. The drive was kept alive when Luke Blevins completed a 35-yard pass to Lucas Mohn on a fake punt on fourth-and-13 near midfield.

“Luke. Blevins … played his butt off on defense and he was a difference-maker on special teams,” Mahaney said. “He did a great job.”

Reed iced it with a 2-yard keeper to make it 31-14 early in the fourth quarter.

Leaders

Duval completed 5-of-10 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown, while Reed was 5-for-10 for 73 yards and two scores.

Gavin Baker rushed for 95 yards on 13 carries. 

For Galion, Hay completed 18-of-38 passes for 254 yards and two TDs. Twin brother Kurt Hay caught nine passes for 78 yards. 

(photos by Curt Conrad and Tom Theodore)