Lancaster’s offense stymied by Groveport in OCC loss
GROVEPORT – On Lancaster’s first offensive possession against Groveport, the Golden Gales ran 14 plays and took 6:09 off the clock. The drive ended with a JD Thomas 39-yard field goal to give Lancaster a 3-0 lead.
On the Gales’ second possession, they continued to run the ball well, reaching the Cruisers’ 14-yard line but had to settle for another field goal attempt. However, this one sailed wide left.
As it turned out, those were the best two offensive drives Lancaster had the rest of the game as Groveport (4-3, 2-0) held the Gales (3-4, 1-1) in check the rest of the way in a 13-3 Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division victory.
Groveport’s defensive line dominated from the second quarter on and didn’t allow the Gales’ running game to get going. Lancaster finished with only 107 total yards and had just 73 yards rushing on 36 attempts.
Lancaster senior running back Cole Dickerson, who rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns last week, was the focus of Groveport’s defensive front. He finished with 25 yards rushing on 15 carries.
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“We knew if we could slow Dickerson down and force them to throw the ball, it kind of plays into our wheelhouse,” Groveport coach Mitch Westcamp said. “We have some guys that can get after the quarterback. We feel like we have a pretty good defensive line, and they are really the heart and soul of our defense. It makes it easy for an offensive guy like me because we don’t need many points to win, and we showed that tonight because there were zero offensive touchdowns scored from either team.”
Groveport scored the lone touchdown of the game on a fumble return and connected on two second-half field goals.
“Give Groveport credit. They played well up front, but we had chances in the first half. We were moving the ball, but we have to capitalize when we get opportunities, and we didn’t,” Lancaster coach Bryan Schoonover said. “We had some crucial mistakes, and those things can’t happen. We have to be able to make plays when they are presented to us.”
Two crucial plays turned the tide
With both defenses playing well, the difference in the game came down to a pair of plays. Lancaster’s Jackson Burke intercepted a pass at the 12-yard line as the Cruisers were on a scoring drive late in the first half. However, on the Gales’ first play after the turnover, Lancaster fumbled the ball, and a Groveport defensive lineman scooped it up and scored from the 5-yard line to give the Cruisers a 7-3 halftime lead.
While the Gales’ defense held firm, not allowing the Cruisers to score an offensive touchdown, they were on the field almost the entire second half because Lancaster’s offense went three-and-out on four straight second-half offensive possessions.
The second defining play came after Lancaster forced a fumble and took over at the Cruisers’ 12-yard line. At that point, it looked like the Gales had some momentum and a chance to score, but it was short-lived. After two running plays netted three yards, the Gales threw an interception at the goal line. Lancaster never threatened to score again.
Up next
The Gales will be on the road again next week as they travel to Reynoldsburg to face a Raiders team that was 0-6 before getting their first win against Newark.
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on Twitter @twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Gales struggle to get anything going in second half in loss to Groveport
