Tribe rallies for OT win

FORT RECOVERY — With their team trailing 21-0 and their three-year starting quarterback now residing 107 miles to the northeast, Indians fans had to be wondering: Was the party over?

After more than two decades of futility, the Tribe had turned its program into a powerhouse. It made three straight playoff appearances, including winning the Division VII state title in 2015.

On Friday night, though, it seemed headed for a season-opening blowout.

But by the end, Barrenbrugge Athletic Park was once again party central.

Fort Recovery High School’s football team tied the game on Will Homan’s two-point conversion run with 1:34 remaining and then came through in overtime for a 27-21 comeback victory Friday over the Lehman Catholic Cavaliers.

The Indians (1-0) fell behind 21-0 in the opening half and still trailed by eight when they got the ball with 2:22 remaining. After two Will Homan carries for 13 yards, it was time to air it out. First-year starting quarterback Cade Wendel — he has taken over for Caleb Martin, who is now at the University of Toledo — found Riley Pearson for a 65-yard touchdown pass, and Homan’s two-point run pulled the home team even.

Lehman Catholic (0-1) couldn’t muster any offense in the remaining 1:34 of regulation and was stuffed for negative-one yards on the first drive of overtime thanks to an Andrew Stocker sack of quarterback Elliott Gilardi. The Indians would not squander their opportunity.

Fort Recovery stayed on the ground for its first three plays before Wendel found Ryan Braun in the end zone on second-and-goal from the 8-yard line for the game-winning score.

The Indians, who had swept their non-conference games in each of their three playoff seasons, struggled to move the ball early and trailed 21-0 in the second quarter after Brandon Barhorst got the corner and zoomed down the left sideline for a 51-yard touchdown run. They ended up getting out-gained 346-324, but made the big plays late.

Most of Homan’s 171 yards rushing, including 33 on a touchdown run, came in the second half as the Cavaliers defense focused on the senior running back. Wendel was 7-of-15 through the air, getting the Tribe on the board with an 8-yard pass to Pearson late in the second quarter with the first of his three TD tosses. Wendel also had 50 yards rushing.

Ethan Schoen and Stocker each totaled 10 tackles for Fort Recovery, which will look to move to 2-0 Friday when it visits Valley View.