Davidson grinds it out
By Steve Blackledge The Columbus Dispatch
Hilliard Davidson coach Brian White has a simple mantra for his run-oriented offense: Stay on schedule. By that, he figures that three runs of 3 1/2 yards each should produce a first down, chew up the clock and keep opposing offenses on the sideline.
Uncharacteristic penalties and turnovers, coupled with a staunch defensive effort by Upper Arlington, kept Davidson behind schedule for a large chunk of a Division I regional semifinal last night.
When push came to shove, however, the Wildcats wore down the Golden Bears with a trademark fourth-quarter drive and made just enough plays for a 15-6 victory at DeSales.
“It wasn’t one of our better performances, but at this time of year when you look up at the scoreboard and you’ve got more points than they do, you’ve taken care of business,” White said.
Top-seeded Davidson (11-0) will play second-seeded Pickerington Central (9-2) on Saturday at a site to be determined for the regional title. It marks a rematch of last year’s regional final, won by the Wildcats 13-6.
Davidson’s first pivotal play occurred with five minutes remaining in the first half. Atoning for a fumble deep in UA territory, Tyler Talbott returned a punt by Frank Epitropoulos 40 yards to the Bears 31-yard line.
Alex Mickley plowed in from the 1 on third-and-goal with just 51.2 seconds remaining. The extra-point kick was blocked.
Switching to a hurry-up offense, David Smith completed 4 of 5 passes and drove UA (9-3) to the Davidson 15. With 4.2 seconds left, however, Chris Harris intercepted Smith in the end zone.
UA coach Mike Golden complained that a Davidson defender tackled intended receiver Epitropoulos on his route, but no penalty was called.
The defensive standoff continued deep into the third quarter when Davidson finally put together one of its patented time-consuming drives. On fourth-and-inches, Mickley found a hole over left tackle and ran 34 yards to the end zone. Another failed point-after left the Wildcats with a 12-0 lead and 11:24 remaining.
“The defense knew what was coming, but we executed the play perfectly and everyone did their jobs just the way we practice them every day,” said Mickley, who finished with 205 yards on a 41 carries. “Sam Coles made the big block, taking out one of their linebackers, and no one else was there.”
On Davidson’s next series, Mickley carried on 12 straight plays to the UA 2, and White settled for a 19-yard field by Jack Johns to make it 15-0 with 2:28 left.
Again facing desperation, UA went to the air successfully. Smith went 5 of 7 for 58 yards, capped by a 20-yard TD catch by Epitropoulos, who outwrestled two defenders for the ball. Coles blocked the extra point at 1:05, keeping Davidson’s lead at nine and securing the victory.
“They put together a couple nice drives and wore us down a little in the second half,” Golden said. “It was a hard-fought game like everybody expected, and we had our chances. The bottom line is you need to make some plays and put together some first downs yourself, but their defense held strong.”
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Hilliard Davidson coach Brian White has a simple mantra for his run-oriented offense: Stay on schedule. By that, he figures that three runs of 3 1/2 yards each should produce a first down, chew up the clock and keep opposing offenses on the sideline.
Uncharacteristic penalties and turnovers, coupled with a staunch defensive effort by Upper Arlington, kept Davidson behind schedule for a large chunk of a Division I regional semifinal last night.
When push came to shove, however, the Wildcats wore down the Golden Bears with a trademark fourth-quarter drive and made just enough plays for a 15-6 victory at DeSales.
“It wasn’t one of our better performances, but at this time of year when you look up at the scoreboard and you’ve got more points than they do, you’ve taken care of business,” White said.
Top-seeded Davidson (11-0) will play second-seeded Pickerington Central (9-2) on Saturday at a site to be determined for the regional title. It marks a rematch of last year’s regional final, won by the Wildcats 13-6.
Davidson’s first pivotal play occurred with five minutes remaining in the first half. Atoning for a fumble deep in UA territory, Tyler Talbott returned a punt by Frank Epitropoulos 40 yards to the Bears 31-yard line.
Alex Mickley plowed in from the 1 on third-and-goal with just 51.2 seconds remaining. The extra-point kick was blocked.
Switching to a hurry-up offense, David Smith completed 4 of 5 passes and drove UA (9-3) to the Davidson 15. With 4.2 seconds left, however, Chris Harris intercepted Smith in the end zone.
UA coach Mike Golden complained that a Davidson defender tackled intended receiver Epitropoulos on his route, but no penalty was called.
The defensive standoff continued deep into the third quarter when Davidson finally put together one of its patented time-consuming drives. On fourth-and-inches, Mickley found a hole over left tackle and ran 34 yards to the end zone. Another failed point-after left the Wildcats with a 12-0 lead and 11:24 remaining.
“The defense knew what was coming, but we executed the play perfectly and everyone did their jobs just the way we practice them every day,” said Mickley, who finished with 205 yards on a 41 carries. “Sam Coles made the big block, taking out one of their linebackers, and no one else was there.”
On Davidson’s next series, Mickley carried on 12 straight plays to the UA 2, and White settled for a 19-yard field by Jack Johns to make it 15-0 with 2:28 left.
Again facing desperation, UA went to the air successfully. Smith went 5 of 7 for 58 yards, capped by a 20-yard TD catch by Epitropoulos, who outwrestled two defenders for the ball. Coles blocked the extra point at 1:05, keeping Davidson’s lead at nine and securing the victory.
“They put together a couple nice drives and wore us down a little in the second half,” Golden said. “It was a hard-fought game like everybody expected, and we had our chances. The bottom line is you need to make some plays and put together some first downs yourself, but their defense held strong.”
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Commentary: Davidson uses familiar script to pound way into regional final
By DAVE PURPURA ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Sometimes, familiarity does breed contempt, especially if you’re a linebacker seeing basically the same play for the 30th time in a football game and aren’t sure what else you can do to stop it.
It doesn’t if you’re a Hilliard Davidson High School fan who has watched your team run to two Division I state championships and climb to the top of the pecking order in central Ohio football during the past decade.
And it doesn’t for this old-school football fan, who never gets tired of watching linemen smack each other in the mouth as one 4-yard gain begets another, and another, and another.
The Wildcats’ 15-6 victory over Upper Arlington in a Division I, Region 3 semifinal Saturday, Nov. 12 at DeSales didn’t contain too many surprises. Davidson didn’t throw a pass other than on a two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter. Senior running back Alex Mickley carried 41 times for 210 yards and two touchdowns as the team amassed 255 yards on the ground, and the Wildcats foiled all but one of the handful of quality chances UA had to score.
The Golden Bears were held to 182 total yards, 154 of them passing.
Every time I’ve heard the sentiment “that quarterback’s probably never taken a snap from under center in his life” — and it’s been way too often for my tastes — the Midwestern, wing-T-loving, smash-them-in-the-face fan in me cringes.
I’m not the only one, it seems.
“You just try to get those 3-yard runs and eventually you’re going to break one,” Mickley said. “That’s what we did in the first quarter. We just started wearing them down.”
It showed, especially by the fourth quarter when Mickley carried on 16 consecutive offensive plays.
“It’s always the combination of the defense doing its job until the offense can break through,” Davidson coach Brian White said. “I heard (UA) coach (Mike) Golden give us a big compliment the other night on the radio. He said our offense, our defense and our special teams complement each other so well, and that’s what we obviously try and do.”
The game was only the fourth this year in which Davidson has allowed points. The Wildcats shut out five opponents during the regular season, allowed seven points each to their three toughest opponents – Dublin Coffman, UA and Hilliard Darby – and six Saturday night.
“They’ve given up 27 points this year, and 13 of them have been against us,” UA coach Mike Golden said, able to chuckle some after the loss but still disappointed that his team couldn’t find the tonic to beat Davidson three weeks after finishing with minus-32 yards rushing in a 25-7 loss.
Golden Bears running back Ryan McSheffery summed up what he thinks is the key to Davidson’s success on defense.
“They cut off the lead blockers right away and their linebackers find exactly what they have to on pulling and isolation plays,” said McSheffery, one of 25 UA seniors. “They get exactly where they need to be at the right time.”
Yet no team in this area this year has stopped it.
Perhaps nothing has been so maddening and elegant at the same time since Elizabeth Taylor, and even Richard Burton figured her out well enough to marry her twice.
Next week, we get the Region 3 Super Bowl most observers anticipated.
Hilliard Davidson against Pickerington Central, site to be announced.
Old versus new. Tried-and-true, not-so-diverse against tried-and-true, everyone gets a piece of the action.
We’ll find out what beats what, not that the result would change either team’s modus operandi.
“You dance with the one that brung you,” the old saying goes. And once you’ve found the one who’s right for you, don’t let her go.
Sometimes, familiarity does breed contempt, especially if you’re a linebacker seeing basically the same play for the 30th time in a football game and aren’t sure what else you can do to stop it.
It doesn’t if you’re a Hilliard Davidson High School fan who has watched your team run to two Division I state championships and climb to the top of the pecking order in central Ohio football during the past decade.
And it doesn’t for this old-school football fan, who never gets tired of watching linemen smack each other in the mouth as one 4-yard gain begets another, and another, and another.
The Wildcats’ 15-6 victory over Upper Arlington in a Division I, Region 3 semifinal Saturday, Nov. 12 at DeSales didn’t contain too many surprises. Davidson didn’t throw a pass other than on a two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter. Senior running back Alex Mickley carried 41 times for 210 yards and two touchdowns as the team amassed 255 yards on the ground, and the Wildcats foiled all but one of the handful of quality chances UA had to score.
The Golden Bears were held to 182 total yards, 154 of them passing.
Every time I’ve heard the sentiment “that quarterback’s probably never taken a snap from under center in his life” — and it’s been way too often for my tastes — the Midwestern, wing-T-loving, smash-them-in-the-face fan in me cringes.
I’m not the only one, it seems.
“You just try to get those 3-yard runs and eventually you’re going to break one,” Mickley said. “That’s what we did in the first quarter. We just started wearing them down.”
It showed, especially by the fourth quarter when Mickley carried on 16 consecutive offensive plays.
“It’s always the combination of the defense doing its job until the offense can break through,” Davidson coach Brian White said. “I heard (UA) coach (Mike) Golden give us a big compliment the other night on the radio. He said our offense, our defense and our special teams complement each other so well, and that’s what we obviously try and do.”
The game was only the fourth this year in which Davidson has allowed points. The Wildcats shut out five opponents during the regular season, allowed seven points each to their three toughest opponents – Dublin Coffman, UA and Hilliard Darby – and six Saturday night.
“They’ve given up 27 points this year, and 13 of them have been against us,” UA coach Mike Golden said, able to chuckle some after the loss but still disappointed that his team couldn’t find the tonic to beat Davidson three weeks after finishing with minus-32 yards rushing in a 25-7 loss.
Golden Bears running back Ryan McSheffery summed up what he thinks is the key to Davidson’s success on defense.
“They cut off the lead blockers right away and their linebackers find exactly what they have to on pulling and isolation plays,” said McSheffery, one of 25 UA seniors. “They get exactly where they need to be at the right time.”
Yet no team in this area this year has stopped it.
Perhaps nothing has been so maddening and elegant at the same time since Elizabeth Taylor, and even Richard Burton figured her out well enough to marry her twice.
Next week, we get the Region 3 Super Bowl most observers anticipated.
Hilliard Davidson against Pickerington Central, site to be announced.
Old versus new. Tried-and-true, not-so-diverse against tried-and-true, everyone gets a piece of the action.
We’ll find out what beats what, not that the result would change either team’s modus operandi.
“You dance with the one that brung you,” the old saying goes. And once you’ve found the one who’s right for you, don’t let her go.