Tribe upsets Trojans

ARCANUM, Ohio — The Indians had to wait to find out if they were in the playoffs.

Granted another week, they were tasked with containing one of the nation’s most prolific quarterbacks.

Mission accomplished.

Fort Recovery High School’s football team kept one of the top passers in the country mostly in check, built a three-score lead and held on for a 40-30 victory against the Arcanum Trojans in the opening round of the Division VI Region 24 tournament Saturday.

“Feels really good,” said FRHS coach Brent Niekamp. “With the season we’ve had it was awesome to get the opportunity to play in the postseason. To get a win in the first week and move on, it’s icing on the cake.

“One more week with these guys at least. I’m proud of how we’ve progressed through the year. I think we’re playing our best ball right now. It’s great to have the opportunity.”

The Indians (4-7), the region’s No. 14 seed, advance to the quarterfinal round.

They’ll meet No. 11 seed and Midwest Athletic Conference rival Anna Rockets (5-6), who upset No. 6 seed Springfield Northeastern 17-3.

Anna shut out Fort Recovery 28-0 Sept. 10 at Barrenbrugge Athletic Park.

The Indians, who scored on their opening possession on a 6-yard run from Riley Hiser, fell behind as the No. 3 seed Trojans (8-3) responded as Bryce Schondelmyer connected with Garrett Garno for a 3-yard TD.

Schondelmyer, who entered the game with 3,047 passing yards — it ranks him 13th in the country — and 43 touchdown passes, threw the 2-point conversion pass to Garno to give the Trojans an 8-6 advantage with less than four minutes gone in the game.

Fort Recovery went three-and out on the ensuing possession, then came up with the only turnover on the Trojan’s next drive.

Schondelmyer did a brunt of the work, running four times and throwing six passes. His last pass of the drive went to Tyler Huber. Caleb Evers forced Huber to fumble and he recovered the loose ball at the Indian 14.

“That was big,” Niekamp said of the game’s only turnover. “At that point in the game we didn’t show signs of stopping them. … We’re not very well equipped to play from behind. Our style is to run the ball and control things in terms of the pace of the game.

“They were the exact opposite, firing away 90% of the time.”

Ten plays later, Hiser scored the second of his four touchdowns, putting the Indians on top 14-8 and giving them a lead they never surrendered.

Cale Rammel threw an 8-yard TD pass to Logan Homan with 28 seconds before half as Fort Recovery went into the break ahead 20-8.

Schondelmyer sandwiched a 6-yard touchdown pass and a 3-yard TD run around a Hiser 6-yard score in the third quarter. Rammel reached the end zone on a 13-yard run to start the fourth, and with 5:38 to play Hiser crossed the goal line from the 34 to put the Indians on top, 40-22.

Hiser finished with a game-high 233 yards on 27 carries, including a 38-yard rush for the game’s longest play from scrimmage.

“Riley played a great game and it might have been his best game in terms of his elusiveness, determination and being physical running the ball,” Niekamp said. “It’s definitely a group effort. I think part of what happens, over the course of the season our line keeps improving. We’re picking things up well. Five linemen and two tight ends did a great job of controlling the line of scrimmage and letting Riley operate.”

Schondelmyer scored his fourth and final TD on a 1-yard run with 1:29 left on the clock.

Averaging more than 300 yards and four touchdowns through the air per game, Schondelmyer totaled 215 yards and two TDs Saturday against Fort Recovery on 24-of-41 passing. He also had 183 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries as the Trojans’ high-powered offense ran 75 plays.