Strong start lifts Perry football to OHSAA regional semifinal win over Garfield

MAPLE HEIGHTS — Garfield has worked hard to make its single wing offense more versatile — and with great success.

Versatility, it turned out, was something top-seeded Perry also had in spades Friday.

Whenever the Pirates needed a big play, they got it, and reached the end zone on each of their first four crisp, methodical and workmanlike drives. The G-Men couldn’t quite match those key third-down plays in the early going and ultimately found themselves in a deep hole as a result.

Perry thus cruised to a 42-14 victory over Garfield in a Region 17 semifinal battle of undefeated teams.

"It's tough to put in words, really," G-Men coach Mike Moser said. "I love those guys and we've had a lot of great times together and you hate to see it go out like this. I know how much it meant to them and ultimately they didn't reach their goal, but I told them they're going to look back at this and they're going to say, 'We were playing football in Week 13,' and they're going to have fond memories. They may not right now, but just what a special group of kids."

For seniors like Eric Geddes and Keegan Sell, the loss was the end of an era — a remarkable era in which the G-Men won three league titles in four seasons.

Garfield's record over the last four years? 42-6.

Remarkable, indeed.

"We knew it was going to be tough, and we worked so hard," Geddes said. "To get to Week 13, not a lot of teams do that. Sweet 16. Most of our opponents we played have [gone] home, so it's just a great feeling. We worked so hard for this. It sucks it came to an end with the way it did, but I can't be more proud of the senior class and this group. I just love them so much."

Big plays, versatility guide Perry to big lead

What was most impressive about the Pirates' performance was their ability to turn to any weapon at anytime, including a couple of critical junctures early.

On Perry's first drive, it faced a third-and-1 that quarterback Walter Moses converted by speeding around left end for 7 yards. Never mind that Moses had just 21 carries through the Pirates' first 12 games. He delivered against the G-Men, and Owen McKoon capped the drive with a 4-yard plunge into the end zone.

After Garfield's opening possession came to an early end due to a low snap on third-and-1, Perry's second drive was spurred by a big return from Brayden Richards. Strong field position aside, the Pirates (13-0) quickly faced third-and-9 when Moses fired a crisp hook to Armani Chiappone for a first down.

Never mind that Chiappone entered the game with just seven catches. He delivered when it mattered most, and Jayden Studio capped the drive with a 3-yard dash into the end zone for a 14-0 lead.

The Pirates had no shortage of winning ways. Take their third drive, set up by another monstrous return by Richards, with Moses throwing out of an old-school full house formation to McKoon on second-and-goal from the G-Men 12 to take a 21-0 lead.

Studio later added two 60-plus-yard touchdown runs as the Pirates padded their lead.

Keegan Sell delivers performance to remember

A 28-point deficit barely 11 minutes into the game isn't easy to swallow. Not for anyone. Certainly not for a G-Men team that has dominated its competition all season.

Still, Garfield (12-1) fought on, with a couple of plays to remember, including a remarkable leaping interception by sophomore Brandyn Bogucki.

"That's what we do. I mean, we fight," Geddes said. "We win, we're going to fight. If we're down, we're going to fight. We just fight for each other, fight for the team, fight [for] the coaches, for the community. They come out here and support us every game and they're just awesome, so we're not going to roll over. That's not what we do. We're just going to work hard until the final whistle, and that's what we did."

That fight was epitomized by the G-Men's first touchdown drive in the closing minutes of the first half. The 13-play, 58-yard march included a perfectly blocked fourth-down conversion carry by Geddes.

The next fourth-down conversion was no less remarkable as Sell, a running back, rolled right and fired a jump pass to fellow senior Deacon Sommer. Two plays later, Sell made an equally sensational touchdown catch as Geddes rolled right and fired to the left edge of the end zone.

"Nobody was open," Geddes said. "I looked back. I'm like, 'Keegan against their kid, I'm taking Keegan all day.'"

It was fitting that one of the greatest players in Garfield history went out with a bang, with Sell later battling his way into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown run.

Oh, and Sell also somehow picked off a batted ball to end the first half.

Sell was one of 12 G-Men players to play his final game Friday, a group that also includes Ethan Bittence, Alex Carter, Christian Gallagher, Leo Grandizio, Aidan Kissell, Gavin Peska, Deacon Sommer, Aiden Turnbull, Kaid Turnbull, Jon Wiczen and Geddes.

The good news for Garfield? The G-Men's younger players got more experience than perhaps any other backups in Portage County given all the lopsided games they won.

But the Class of 2024? That class is irreplaceable, no doubt.

"It'll be a changing of the guard as we go forward," Moser said. "Those guys, not only are they 12 seniors, but a lot of them played a lot of football, for three and four years, a lot of those guys. They played a lot of games. They played into the playoffs. They played deep into the playoffs. They've left their mark on me and on the program."

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Perry football reaches end zone on first four drives, tops Garfield