Teamwork made conversion possible

Football is the epitome of a team sport.

There are 11 players, each with their own role working toward a common goal.

Offense: move the football down the field.

Defense: prevent it from happening.

Michael Schlechty, a Jay County High School senior, had just barreled through the Blackford defense for a 5-yard touchdown with 32.6 seconds remaining Friday to put the Patriot football team within one, 21-20.

Jay County coach Tim Millspaugh called a timeout before the ensuing two-point conversion.

There was little discussion. The Patriots were going for the lead.

Which play to run, however, was the question. Rather than call a play in the offensive arsenal, Millspaugh drew one up on the spot.

The talk in the huddle was simple; give the ball to Michael Schlechty. On the drive leading up to his 5-yard score, he had gained 40 yards on three carries and caught a Grimes screen pass for eight yards. The Bruins couldn’t stop him.

“Our up-the-gut running was going well, so we either decided to do Strike Strong or just run, everybody squeezes down on the line and we barrel right in,” said Charlie Brunswick, a junior center. “That’s what we ended up going with.”

The play — the linemen wedge block the line of scrimmage and Parker Grimes hands off to Schlechty, who then pounds his 6-foot, 2-inch, 246-pound frame up the gut.

Eleven players, each with separate roles with one goal in mind: gain three yards, cross the goal line and get the lead.

“It was either a float or sink kind of thing,” said senior right tackle Kyle Grayson. “It was win or lose. There was not much time left on the clock. We had to get it done.”

Here’s how the play transpired:

Jay County had its five down linemen with a tight end (Isaac Moeller) to the right side of the line. Wide receiver Gabe Faulkner was split wide left, and Trey Castillo — he already had two rushing touchdowns on the night — was a wing back to the right. Ryan Schlechty and twin brother Michael were split in the backfield behind the guards; Michael to the left, Ryan on the right.

Blackford lined up in a 3-4 defense, with three down linemen, four linebackers and four defensive backs.

Castillo started the play, motioning across the field to the left.

Brunswick snapped the ball and blocked the nose tackle in front of him. Left guard Dawson Frasher helped on a double team, and left tackle Lucas Schmit hit both the defensive end and a linebacker.

Right guard Trevor Shaneyfelt and tackle Kyle Grayson attacked blitzing linebackers. Moeller released to the second level.

By now, Castillo and Faulkner were out of the play and had taken one defender each away from the action.

Meanwhile, the other two linebackers attacked the line of scrimmage. Ryan Schlechty went straight up the gut toward the right side of the line.

Grimes turned to his right and handed the ball to Michael Schlechty, who attempted to go to the right side of Brunswick. But there was no hole.

So he made a small cut to the left, lowered his shoulders and got met by two Blackford linebackers, one of which Schmit was able to slow down on his pursuit of the ball. The Bruin pair hit Schlechty's legs, which never stopped moving.

He bruised his way toward the end zone, coming to rest on the goal line.

Did he make it?

“I knew it was going to be in,” said Frasher, a senior. “It was a dive right but Michael ended up going to the left right beside me. I saw the ball go in and I knew it was in.”

But the officials didn’t immediately confirm the call.

“Honestly my heart stopped,” Schmit said. “It was really intense. It was unreal.”

Moments later, the line judge signaled. Good.

“It was the biggest play of the game,” Shaneyfelt said.

It wouldn’t have happened if all 11 players had not worked in unison toward that common goal.

Schlechty trusted his teammates to do their jobs on that conversion, and the other 10 put their trust in him.

“Even if they would have ruled that he didn’t get in, I’d take my chances with that kid every time,” Millspaugh said.

Had Faulkner, Schmit, Frasher, Brunswick, Shaneyfelt, Grayson, Moeller, Castillo, Grimes, Michael Schlechty and Ryan Schlechty not each executed their roles on the play, Jay County would not have made the conversion. It would have lost 21-20 and would not be 1-0 on the year in consecutive seasons.

But football is a game of teamwork. And it took a team to get those three yards and the win.