Run game, turnovers help Barons past Comets

[clecinosu]

Delaware Buckeye Valley 14, Marion Elgin 0

DELAWARE -- The Buckeye Valley Barons rushed for 209 yards and converted two of six Elgin Comet turnovers into 14 points in their 14-0 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference victory Friday at Buckeye Valley High School.

Lightning delayed the start of the game 12 minutes, but the accompanying rain stayed all evening and made for miserable field conditions. That, in large part, was what caused a total of eight turnovers in the game, two interceptions by Buckeye Valley (3-2, 3-1) and five fumbles and a pick by Elgin (1-4, 1-3).

But the Barons couldn't get on the scoreboard until the second quarter. Elgin drove into Buckeye Valley territory and senior fullback Dustin Kramp carried the ball for 11 yards to the Baron 37-yard line, but senior safety Colt Brownstead hit Kramp and caused him to fumble and senior linebacker Chris Hughes recovered for the Barons.

An eight yard run by junior fullback Kyle Rehner and a face mask penalty on Elgin moved the ball back into Elgin territory at the 40, and Brownstead sprinted around left end on the next play for the first touchdown.

Elgin had plenty of opportunities to score all evening. The Comets held the ball in Baron territory on eight of 12 drives in the game, but came away empty-handed on all eight -- four times on fumbles, once on an interception, once on a missed field at the end of the first half and once on downs.

At one point in the game, the two teams turned the ball over on five straight possessions, three Elgin fumbles and the two Buckeye Valley interceptions -- on the only two passes BV quarterback Nathan Roberts attempted all evening. The final Elgin fumble set up the Barons at the Elgin 15, and four plays later, Roberts carried the ball over from a yard out for the final touchdown.

Strange happenings filled the time. Each team tried a fake punt at one point in the game and both succeeded, but neither drive led to a score. Nathan Isler attempted the field goal, a 39-yarder at the end of the second quarter, but the wind and rain knocked the ball down and it fell to the ground halfway into the end zone.

And near the end of the ballgame, four Elgin students ran around the track at the stadium in front of the Buckeye Valley student section and were nearly hit by flying plastic water bottles. No injuries were suffered, and there was no word after the game whether the students throwing bottles were disciplined.

Brownstead led all rushers with 80 yards on 10 carries for the Barons. Rehner had 49 yards on 10 carries, Hughes added 37 yards on 11 rushes and Roberts 29 yards on nine totes. Ryan Smart also carried eight times for 16 yards.

Kramp topped the Comet ball carriers with 61 yards on 11 rushes while Wes Pinney added 35 yards, carrying 14 times. John Mallett completed just 3-of-7 passes for 78 yards, but one was a screen to Kramp that the senior fullback took for 58 yards. Kramp had two receptions in the game for a total of 67 yards while Jason Marks caught one pass for 11 yards.

Both teams will play just outside of Marion next week, Elgin going to the east side to face River Valley and Buckeye Valley venturing south of the city to take on Pleasant, the top-ranked team in the latest Associated Press Division V football poll.

Elgin........................0.....0.....0.....0.. ........0
Buckeye Valley........0.....7.....0.....7........14

SCORING SUMMARY
SECOND QUARTER
BV - Colt Brownstead 40 run (Jeremy Tiller kick), 6:54. (2 plays, 63 yards, TOP 0:26)
FOURTH QUARTER
BV - Nathan Roberts 1 run (Jeremy Tiller kick), 7:45. (4 plays, 15 yards, TOP 1:33)

STATISTICS.........................ELGIN.......... ..BV
First Downs................................6............ 10
Rushes-Yards.......................35-84.....50-209
Passing Yards...........................78..............0
Comp-Att-Int........................3-7-1........0-2-2
Total Offense..........................162..........209
Punts-Avg...........................3-41.7......4-29.5
Fumbles-Lost...........................6-5..........0-0
Penalties-Yards......................5-43.........2-24
Possession Time...................19:13.......28:47

RUSHING: Elgin - Dustin Kramp 11-61, Wes Pinney 14-35, Nathan Isler 1-5, John Mallett 8-5, Team 1-(minus-22); Buckeye Valley - Colt Brownstead 10-80, Kyle Rehner 10-49, Chris Hughes 11-37, Nathan Roberts 9-29, Ryan Smart 8-16, Team 2-(minus-2).

PASSING: Elgin - John Mallett 3-7-1-78; Buckeye Valley - Nathan Roberts 0-2-2-0.

RECEIVING: Elgin - Dustin Kramp 2-67, Jason Marks 1-11; Buckeye Valley - None.

INTERCEPTIONS: Elgin - John Mallett 1-0, Wes Pinney 1-0; Buckeye Valley - Tony Cain 1-0.