ASHLAND – Killian O’Brien was just too pretty in pink Friday at Community Stadium.
The senior receiver – decked out in pink-accented uniform accessories on Ashland’s “Pink Out” theme night – was a walking, record-breaking highlight reel against visiting Mansfield Senior.
O’Brien scored the last three Arrow touchdowns – a 51-yard interception return, a 78-yard reception and a 34-yard reception – as the hosts cruised to a 30-7 win over the Tygers.
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Ashland (4-3, 1-3 Ohio Cardinal Conference) and O’Brien climbed into the school’s record books in the process.
His 78-yard touchdown off a screen pass from Carson Graber saw him outrun the Mansfield defense up the left sideline just before halftime to make the score 21-7. It broke Ashland’s record for career receiving touchdowns, giving him 26 to surpass former Arrows speedster Chris Thomas (2009-2010).
“I just know I want to score, and in my head I’m thinking – once I see that play calls for me – I’m doing whatever it takes to get into the end zone,” said O’Brien, who finished with three catches for 123 yards.
“(The record) means a lot. Along the way, I just glorify God and I did this for God; God is so great. I’ve really worked my butt off my whole life for this and it means a lot to see it translate onto the football field.”
Photos by Doug Haidet
The senior, who has multiple NCAA Division I offers, has surpassed 2,100 career receiving yards. His numbers Friday have him at 62 catches and nearly 600 receiving yards through seven weeks this season, and they came at just the right time.
Ashland entered the contest with the Tygers (1-6, 1-3) all alone in last place in the OCC, having started 0-3 in league play for the first time since the conference was formed in 2003.
Things didn’t start well for the hosts, either.
Mansfield freshman JoJo Butler intercepted Graber on the third play from scrimmage and returned it for a touchdown. A holding penalty on that return brought the ball back to the Ashland 43-yard line, but the Tygers still capitalized.
Facing a fourth-and-13 from the AHS 21, freshman quarterback David Phillips III lofted a pass to Butler in the end zone and he got his touchdown anyway for a 7-0 lead 4 minutes into the game.
It was a quick start for Mansfield, which was coming off its first win of the season a week earlier, 32-27 in a late comeback against Lexington.
But the Tygers didn’t find the end zone the rest of the way and were held to a single touchdown for the fifth time in seven games.
O’Brien and Landen Cooke both intercepted Phillips (3-for-12, 38 yards) in the second quarter, and Ashland linebacker Bodie Smith recovered a fumble on the first drive of the second half.
Arrows senior lineman Greyson Blough – among a variety of other stops – dropped Phillips for a safety midway through the fourth quarter, and AHS linebackers Avion Woodard and Liam Hubacher also had multiple sacks in the contest.
“We’ve had some injuries, but just mistakes (were frustrating during the losing streak),” said Ashland head coach Scott Valentine, who picked up his 199th career win in 30 years as a head coach. “I thought we executed a lot better tonight.”
First-year Mansfield head coach David Phillips Jr. felt his squad got worn down after taking the early lead.
And once junior running back Jeffrey Lee left the game early in the second quarter due to injury after a few promising carries, the Tygers were without one of their top threats.
“It was just fatigue (after the early 7-0 lead),” Phillips said. “Our numbers are not what they used to be and it’s forcing me to play some freshmen; I played eight freshmen tonight.
“This is the learning they need to have.”
Senior running back Braylon Fletcher finished with 15 carries for 67 yards, but Mansfield consistently stubbed its toe with penalties (11 for 86 yards) – a few of them negating big plays.
Phillips said the game plan was to run the ball and take some shots down the field, but he said the penalties were “drive-killers,” even though he didn’t agree with all of them.
“It’s very important to let these guys take their whoopings now,” he said. “What I want to say to the rest of the league is, ‘I keep receipts.’ Going forward, I think our guys are gonna be fine.”
With the victory, Ashland has a three-game winning streak against the Tygers for the first time since beating them in six straight from 2006 through 2011.
It also evened the rivalry at a 40-40-3 record over 83 all-time meetings.
Valentine felt good about the bounce-back win, admitting it’s been hard to gain continuity with a lot of key injuries this season. The team again was missing a few key players Friday, including linebacker Bryden Bolen, who had posted 10 tackles in back-to-back games.
But Garber finished 10-of-15 for 176 yards through the air while also running it for 62 yards and a 2-yard touchdown on 13 carries. Senior Grayson Baith added 59 yards on eight carries.
On special teams, Layton Roop had a 27-yard field goal blocked but he hit all four of his PAT kicks, and Nevin LaRue had a solid punting performance yet again (44.3-yard average on three punts).
And with O’Brien turning the game into his own personal showcase, it was a turnaround night at Community Stadium.
His 34-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter saw him break four tackles up the right sideline, spinning off one and bouncing off another into the end zone.
“We got some turnovers, and with (O’Brien) making those plays, we got some good blocking out there on screens and he made some cuts and broke a couple tackles,” Valentine said.
“Those big chunk plays are huge, and usually the team that gets those wins.”
For his part, O’Brien said it was his second-favorite game on a personal level, trailing only a game against Marion Harding his sophomore year during which he had four catches for 161 yards and three touchdowns. He said he also had a pick-6 called back on a penalty.
“This is up there, it’s a special night,” O’Brien said.
“All week we had great intensity; those three losses really hurt us as a team and us seniors realize this isn’t a joke and our playoff spot is on the line. We’ve got to really get after it if we don’t want our season to end after 10 games.”
After hosting four games in a five-week span, the Arrows are on the road in Week 8 against West Holmes (5-2, 3-1), which was a 35-0 winner Friday over Lexington (1-6, 1-3).
Mansfield, meanwhile, heads back to Arlin Field, where it will host Wooster (2-5, 2-2). The Generals were a 44-22 loser Friday at OCC-leading Dover (5-2, 4-0).