Rain delays Tribe’s homecoming victory

FORT RECOVERY — After nearly two hours sitting and waiting in their locker room for lightning to pass, the Indians marched right down the field.

It was a sign of things to come.

Fort Recovery High School’s football team scored touchdowns on each of its first four possessions Friday night as it cruised to a 35-0 homecoming victory over the Parkway Panthers.

Rain passed through in the hour before the game. It cleared long enough for Emma Kahlig and Kendrik Wendel to be crowned the queen and king but more rain and lightning chased the players from the field and fans from the stands before the opening kickoff.

It was nearly 9 p.m. before the players took the field again, with the Indians receiving the kickoff. After an opening incompletion, they ran the ball on 10 consecutive plays, with Cale Rammel recording the opening points on a 1-yard quarterback sneak.

Fort Recovery (3-5, 1-5 Midwest Athletic Conference), which had opened league play with five consecutive losses after opening 2-0, needed just five plays for its next scoring drive. Logan Homan finished that one off on a 33-yard run.

Rammel added his second TD on a 4-yard run in the second quarter, and Riley Hiser scored on a 5-yard run and added the 2-point conversion to make it to 28-0 at the half.

Parkway (1-7, 1-5 MAC) finally stopped the Tribe thanks to an interception in the third quarter, but it didn’t help the visitors. The Panthers managed just 47 yards of total offense compared to 444 for Fort Recovery.

The Indians recorded their final touchdown on an Ethan Hartnagel 4-yard run on the second play of the fourth quarter.

FRHS did the bulk of its damage on the ground, with Hiser (169 yards on 22 carries) and Homan (141 yards on 10 carries) leading the way. Rammel had 34 yards and two scores on the ground while completing 5-of-14 passing for 71 yards.

Eddie Nichols’ 27 rushing yards were tops for Parkway.

Wendel followed up his crowning earlier in the night by leading the stifling FRHS defense with five tackles. Ross Pearson had four tackles, including a sack.

The Indians will be at home again Friday as they host the St. Johns Blue Jays (2-6, 2-4 MAC).