HART – 24 points separated Hart and Shelby football, Friday, Sept. 13 and though the Pirates walked away with a 30-6 victory, things were much closer than the scoreboard showed.
Through three quarters of play, neither team was able to gain an advantage, battling to a 6-6 stalemate with just one period of play remaining.
The home-standing Pirates got on the board relatively quickly, converting on a splash play through the air to get the game’s first points. Senior quarterback Halen Boos released a beauty of a pass, arching the ball just over the outstretched arm of Shelby’s Trevor Weiss in coverage. Hart senior Eman Hertzler tracked the ball, hauled it in and jaunted into the endzone for a 50-yard touchdown connection.
As they so often do, Hart lined up for a two-point conversion, but were unable to find a hole in Shelby’s defense, leaving the score at 6-0.
In an early hole, there was no panic from the Tigers. Led by junior quarterback Isaiah Garcia and some nice runs from sophomore Brody Fessenden, Shelby marched right down the field. Chunk plays were the bulk of that drive, but a one handed catch by senior Griffin Olmstead proved to be the catalyst for Shelby’s response to the initial touchdown by Hart.
“Griffin made an unbelievable catch when it really matted on that first drive,” Shelby Head Coach Phil Fortier said. “He’s such a long athletic kid. We brought a tight end into our offense because of him. He had a great night and he has a great feel for finding open space and catching the football.”
Garcia ended a long offensive series for Shelby with an eight yard touchdown scramble, giving the Tigers an opportunity to take the lead. Senior Eli Kelley – one of Shelby’s best athletes on the soccer field – lined up for an extra point, but watched the ball leave his foot and immediately ricochet backward as Hart’s Alex Hicks stepped in front for a block to secure the 6-6 tie.
The second quarter was highlighted by failed drives and missed opportunities for both teams.
Hart once again found themselves deep in Shelby territory, with the ball inside the five yard line. A stout defensive stand from the Tigers found Hart with a fourth down situation. Without a dedicated kicker, the Pirates were forced to go for six, but were turned away by Shelby, forcing a turnover on downs.
“That was a fantastic effort after (Hart) pounded us down the field,” Fortier said. “(Those were) tremendous individual efforts by all 11 of those guys. I was really proud of our offense on the first play (after the turnover on downs), busting it for 40 to get it out of there. There were moments in that game that were amazing.”
Shelby responded late in that same quarter with a deep drive of their own, bringing the ball down inside Hart’s 10-yard line. Garcia did his best to create points, nearly turning a highlight scramble into a touchdown connection with Olmstead. That throw came up just short and with just seconds left on the clock, the Tigers opted to trot Kelley back out for another attempt.
Kelley got a clean hold from Jaylin Henderson, but was unable to fit the ball between the goal posts, sailing the ball wide left to end the half still knotted up at 6-6.
“When it came down to it, our guys rose to the occasion,” Hart Head Coach Joe Tanis said. “We talk about winning the middle eight, which is the last four minutes of the second quarter and the first four of the third. We had them down here inside the 10 and we held them to a field goal attempt and they missed it. They were getting the ball coming out of the half, so that was huge. If we had let them score there, then it was going to be an uphill battle.”
It seemed Shelby may have found a golden opportunity in the third quarter when Olmstead came out of a pile with a fumble recovery, handing his team the ball near midfield. Hart recovered a fumble of their own just three seconds after that play, giving the Pirates another chance.
Hart drove the ball down to Shelby’s 11-yard line, but watched disaster strike yet again. With zeroes on the clock, Hart fumbled for the second time in a 12-minute span. Garcia ripped the ball out of the hands of Hertzler, creating another opportunity for the Tigers.
Clearly tired of the way things had played out to that point, Hart’s offense turned it on in the fourth and final quarter.
After receiving a Shelby punt at the 44-yard line, it took the Pirates just 90 seconds to find paydirt. Sophomore Keaghan Monroe broke off a 35-yard touchdown run and Hicks added a two-point conversion to pull Hart in front, 14-6.
That started a scoring frenzy for the Pirates. With under four minutes remaining, Hart added an additional two touchdowns for insurance. The first came on a one-yard punch from junior Kyle Greiner and the second on a 34-yard scamper from Hertzler. Greiner added two-point conversions on both of those touchdowns to bring the final score to 30-6.
Hart hoisted the Blood, Sweat and Tears jug at midfield following the game, etching a bit of history as well. For the first time in the storied history of their rivalry with Shelby, the Pirates have now claimed five consecutive victories.
Hart’s offense was highlighted by a three-headed attack on the ground. Hertzler led the way with 127 yards on nine carries, Greiner followed up with 84 yards on 13 carries and Monroe had 70 yards on 11 carries. All three had a touchdown on the ground as well, with Hertzler adding one touchdown as a receiver.
“There was a new offensive line this week. Abdel Lopez, Haegan Hansen, Jose Torres, Hollis Rockwell, Blake Helenhouse – who’s 130 pounds – and Eric Hannan at our tight end spot. Those guys really led the way,” Tanis said. “Those backs ran hard and gave us everything we could have asked for.”
On defense, Boos led with nine total tackles, including one for a loss. Senior Kaden Bond added six tackles and an interception for Hart as well.
Shelby’s offense struggled to score, but they did have some standout performances. Garcia went 9-for-19 through the air for 107 yards, adding 14 on the ground and a touchdown. Senior running back AJ Melchor chipped in 80 yards rushing on 14 carries. Olmstead had 37 yards on four catches while Kaden Hallack added three catches for 52 yards.
Ethan Viterna led Shelby in tackles with 11, while Fessenden added 10 of his own. Henderson had eight tackles, adding a team-high two tackles for loss.
Hart pushed to 2-1, recovering from a conference loss to Ravenna the week prior. The Pirates will start a three-game road trip, Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m., as they travel to Kent City.
Shelby (1-2, 0-2 WMC Rivers), is in the midst of a three-game road stretch as well. The Tigers will play game two of that trip, Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. against the Ravenna Bulldogs.
