FR runs at 'Will'

FORT RECOVERY — Will Homan had four rushing touchdowns all season.
He matched that number in the first half Friday.
Fort Recovery High School, which is ranked eighth in Division VII, totaled 641 yards of total offense and Homan scored a career-high four times as the Indians blasted Miami Valley Christian Academy Lions 62-34 in the Region 26 quarterfinal.
It was the first home playoff game for Fort Recovery, which is making its second appearance in the postseason.
The third-seeded Indians (9-2) advance to the regional semifinal against Lehman Catholic, who upset No. 2 seed and 10th-ranked Covington, 20-16. FRHS defeated Lehman Catholic 36-0 in its season opener.
“Four touchdowns because of the (offensive) line,” said Homan, who totaled 108 yards on seven carries. He scored twice from 7 yards out and reached the end zone from the 17- and 38-yard lines as well. “I don’t think I got touched on half the runs.”
Fort Recovery coach Brent Niekamp was pleased with the ability of the offense to move the football. The starters totaled 433 yards in the first half alone, and the reserves added 208 after intermission.
“Our offense played well, I thought,” Niekamp said. “(We) executed (and) controlled the line of scrimmage.
“We were able to run the ball basically at will. We did what we had to do.”
The Indians had 151 rushing yards in the first half, with Homan accounting for 108 of those. Kyle Schroer, who had his 15th rushing touchdown of the season in the first quarter, carried the ball twice for 34 yards. Caleb Martin and Jason Roessner each had one rush in the opening half for 7 and 2 yards respectively.
Martin, a junior quarterback, was 12-of-15 passing for 219 yards before giving way to Roessner in the second half. Martin opened the scoring when he connected with Tanner Koch for a 52-yard touchdown on the Indians’ first play from scrimmage after the defense forced Miami Valley (8-2) to punt.
The Lions punted on each of their first five drives, and turned the ball over on downs on their sixth possession.
Following Schroer’s score and Homan’s first touchdown, Martin tossed a 57-yard TD to Wes Wenning, who ran the final 50-plus yards on his own after catching a short pass. Wenning’s score gave the Indians a 27-0 lead.
The second-team all-Midwest Athletic Conference receiver totaled 118 yards on six catches.
Roessner led Fort Recovery in rushing with 150 yards on nine carries, including two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. His first was from 10 yards out nearly five minutes into the final frame, and it gave the Tribe a 55-21 advantage.
His second came on the next drive for FRHS. After a 40-plus yard kick return from Darien Sheffer was negated by a holding call, the Indians were backed up to their own 9-yard line. Cole Dues — he had 60 yards on six carries — ran for six yards on first down, and Roessner broke free at the Tribe 24 for an 85-yard touchdown run, the third longest rush in team history.
“Fort Recovery is a heck of a good football team,” said Miami Valley coach Robert Vilardo. “That’s why they are in the playoffs and that’s why they are seeded where they are.”
The Indians led 48-8 at half, with the Lions’ only score coming on a 42-yard pass from Bransen Vilardo to Brandon Conklin. It marked the only points the Lions scored against Fort Recovery’s starting defense.
“We’d like to put up a goose egg, but we flew around, made plays and won the ball game,” said Adam LeFevre, who sacked Vilardo in the first quarter to set a new single-season record of 9 1/2 sacks. “It’s not just me, it’s the whole (defensive) line … taking on double teams every time. It leaves me open to go make plays.”
Miami Valley scored six points in the third quarter and 20 in the fourth, all against the younger Tribe players.
“I was glad they got some experience out there in a playoff game under the lights,” Niekamp said. “That was valuable. I think it’s going to help them grow and be better players.”
Vilardo used his legs to score the only touchdown of the third quarter, going around the right side of the line for a 36-yard TD. He also added another touchdown pass, rolling out to his left and finding Conklin again in the end zone from 8 yards out.
He finished 15-of-25 for 351 yards through the air, 220 of which were after halftime.
James Heaton and Conklin each had rushing touchdowns for the Lions.