Edison digs deep, gets big win over Buckeye Local to solidify playoff spot
RICHMOND -- Edison has lost three times this season, and after Friday night's 33-21 win over Buckeye Local, it has won the next game each time.
"It says a lot about their character and their belief in each other," Edison coach Mike Collopy said. "It says a lot about our leadership. It wasn't a perfect game, but they played extremely hard. I couldn't be more proud."
Coming off a tough loss at Harrison Central and having slipped out of position for a home playoff game, the Wildcats overcame giving up the first score and battened down the hatches after a late push from the Panthers, who were trying to stay in the Division V, Region 17 race.
"We're happy to get out of here with a win, Buckeye is a good football team," Collopy said. "We told our kids coming into the game we had to match their physicality. Our line played really well; our line has been our strength for us all year.
"We've been up big, down big, had to come back. We've been in about every situation this year. They have that belief in each other regardless of the situation. They play hard for each other and these guys are a team, and as a coach that is something to be very proud of."
Wildcats quarterback Gage Cline continued his stellar junior campaign, going 8 of 12 passing for 125 yards and three touchdowns, adding another 61 yards on the ground, including several key fourth down conversion runs and a late touchdown to help seal the deal.
The Panthers were able to limit his favorite target, Jacob Cusick, who entered the week as the Herald-Star/Daily Times coverage area's leading receiver, to just one catch for seven yards. However, the rest of the Edison receiving corps stepped up in a big way, led by Tyler Petrey's four catches for 75 yards and two scores.
"When you get (nine) weeks into the season, every coach is smart and kind of knows what the book it on every team," Collopy said. "I'm proud of our receivers, they stepped up and made some big catches."
Cline and Petrey connected for two scores in the third quarter to open up a 27-7 lead after three quarters after the Wildcats (6-3) led 13-7 at the break.
The Panthers, who fell to 2-5, did not go away quietly, however.
After scoring first and seeing the offense get bottled up for the next two quarters, coach Jim Hoover's club put together a long scoring drive that started late in the third and extended early into the fourth quarter, capped by a 2-yard Trey Hoover run, his second score of the night, making it 27-14.
Edison went on a long march deep into Panther territory, but Talan McClurg fumbled at the Buckeye Local 10 and Ethan McHugh scooped it up and returned it 76 yards to the Edison 14.
Two plays later, Skyler Ebright fired a strike to Johnny Leput to make it a one-score game with just under four minutes to play.
The ensuing onside kick did not travel 10 yards before a Buckeye player fell on it, though, and Edison got the ball back, Cline's late 3-yard score and then a Cusick interception on the final Panthers possession sealed the Wildcat win.
"Last week, we kind of quit, this week, we didn't," coach Hoover said. "I'm proud of our kids for that. They fought their butts off the whole second half. I'm darn proud of them.
"We didn't execute a couple offensive series early in the game, that cost us, and special teams ends up hurting us again, but I'm proud of our kids because they kept fighting."
McClurg and Trey Hoover entered the week separated by one yard for the area lead. McClurg went for 109 yards, while Trey Hoover finished with 60 and two scores, 37 of which came on Buckeye's 13-play scoring drive on the first possession of the game which he capped with a 5-yard score.
That initial Buckeye score was answered by a 78-yard Tyler Griffith kick return touchdown, then a Cline pass to Matt Parsons in the second quarter gave Edison the halftime lead.
"They have a potent rushing attack," Collopy said of Buckeye Local. "Trey Hoover is probably the best running back around. You let him get five yards past the line of scrimmage and its dangerous. I thought we were able to contain him.
"I told the kids Buckeye Local is a good team, they're going to play hard, it's not going to be a perfect game, you just have to keep playing hard."
Ebright, just a sophomore, had perhaps the best game of his young career going 10 of 14 passing for 94 yards and the TD to Leput (five catches for 36 yards) and adding another 63 yards on nine carries.
"He played well, he's only a sophomore is only going to get better," coach Hoover said. "All of our skilled players will be back next year. They didn't quit, they kept fighting."
UP NEXT
Buckeye Local: Returns home to host Harrison Central in the annual VALES Trophy Game on senior night.
Edison: Entered the week 11th in the region, and should enter next week's Route 43 Bowl hosting Indian Creek in the top-10 and solidly in a playoff spot.
Edison 33, Buckeye Local 21
Buckeye Local 7-0-0-14 -- 21
Edison 6-7-14-6 -- 33
SCORING
First Quarter
BL: Hoover 5 run (Kalman kick) 4:39
E: Griffth 78 kick return (kick failed) 4:27
Second Quarter
E: Parsons 18 pass from Cline (Montgomery kick) 2:53
Third Quarter
E: Petrey 12 pass from Cline (Montgomery kick) 5:55
E: Petrey 27 pass from Cline (Montgomery kick) 4:16
Fourth Quarter
BL: Hoover 2 run (Kalman kick) 11:27
BL: Leput 12 pass from Ebright (Kalman kick) 3:49
E: Cline 3 run (kick blocked) 1:29
RUSHING: Buckeye Local 31-127-2TD (Ebright 9-63; Hoover 18-60-2TD; Kourim 1-4); Edison 43-200-TD (Cline 16-61-TD; McClurg 20-109; Cusick 5-25; Petrey 1-(-6); VanGossen 1-11).
PASSING: Buckeye Local 10-14-94-TD-INT (all by Ebright); Edison 8-12-125-3TD (all by Cline).
RECEIVING: Buckeye Local 10-94-TD (Leput 5-36-TD; McHugh 3-15; Palmer 2-43); Edison 8-125-3TD (Petrey 4-75-2TD; Cusick 1-7; Parsons 2-25-TD; Griffith 1-18).
FIRST DOWNS: Buckeye Local 7; Edison 16.
PENALTIES-YARDS: Buckeye Local 5-21; Edison 7-71.
FUMBLES-LOST: Buckeye Local 2-1; Edison 2-1.
PUNTS-AVERAGE: Buckeye Local 4-35; Edison 1-28.