Lake County Sentinel
Blue Devils run over Badgers 34-6
. BY TIM SHIRER
SPORTS EDITOR
The Wickliffe Blue Devils entered Friday Night’s contest 7-1(4-1 in the Chagrin Valley Conference) and had hopes left to possibly host a home playoff game. They travel to
Burton, to face the Berkshire Badgers who entered the game 1-7 (0-5 in the CVC). Things went pretty much as planned on a cold rainy night at Dr. William A. Reed Field as the Blue Devils ran over the Badgers 34-6.
For nearly ten minutes of the first quarter the game was scoreless until 2:17was left on the game clock in the quarter Senior Tony Fisher Award Nominee Isaac Pettway scored on a two-yard run to get the Blue Devils on the board. The Devils lead 7-0 after Senior Brad Dieterich converted the extra point.
Just 1:52 later Pettway scored again, this time on an eight-yard run. Once again Dieterich converted the extra point and the Blue Devil lead was now 14-0 and the rout was on with 10:25 left in the second quarter.
As many teams have found out this season and for the last four years the Badgers had no answer for Pettway as he rambled once again from eight yards out for another Wickliffe Touchdown with 1:21 left on the clock in the second quarter. Dieterich was perfect on the extra point and gave Wickliffe a 21-0 lead.
The final blow of the first have by the Blue Devils came, not on the ground but through the air as Dieterich hit Sophomore Chase Fortkamp with a 29-yard pass that Fortkamp took into the end zone. Dieterich converted his fourth extra point of the night to give the Blue Devils a commanding 28-0 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.
After scoring quickly with 8:50 left on the third quarter clock on a four-yard TD run by Dieterich the Blue Devils led 34-0 after the Badgers blocked Dieterich’s extra point attempt.
With the game decided Wickliffe called off the dogs and gave playing time to some of their underclassman.
The Badgers got on the board with just 4:04 left in the game when Jacob Brown hit Jacob Young with a 47-yard touchdown pass. The Badgers could not convert the two-point conversion and the score was 34-6, which turned out to be the final.
The numbers were as expected lopsided as the Blue Devils put up 373 yards of offense and their defense allowed the Badgers only 119 yards offensively. Of the 373 Blue Devils offensive yards 285 came on the ground and Pettway led all rushers with 137 yards on18 attempts. Fortkamp averaged eight yards on a carry on 11 attempts for 88 yards on the ground. Ryan Pennypacker was the leading rusher for the Badgers. Pennypacker carried the ball 13 times for 41 yards.
The Badgers Jacob Young led all receivers in the game with 53 yards on three catches. Fortkamp led Wickliffe with 35 courtesy of 2 catches. Five Wickliffe receivers had catches in the game, Fortkamp, sophomore Isaiah Bolon, junior Evan Rypinski, senior DeNarre McRae and senior Jaylen Bowers.
The Blue Devils will finish the regular season next week against the powerhouse Kirtland Hornets (9-0) at home at Wickliffe Memorial Stadium at 7:00 p.m. The Badgers will finish their season next Friday at home against Cardinal at 7:00 p.m.
@SportsSentinel POSTED 10/19/2018 22:45
