Boggs powers SJ over Indians

FORT RECOVERY — For the second week in a row, Ethan Hartnagel got the Indians on the board first.

And for the second week in a row, they were in a deep hole by the time they found the end zone again.

The St. John’s Blue Jays scored 27 consecutive points Friday as they handed the Fort Recovery High School football team a 27-14 defeat.

The possibilities looked good for the Indians (1-4, 0-3 Midwest Athletic Conference) in the early going as they took the ball to start the game, drove the field and scored on a 1-yard Hartnagel run. (He also scored on a 1-yard run to close the opening drive in the previous week’s 48-14 loss to St. Henry.) But FRHS wouldn’t see the end zone again until midway through the third quarter while the Blue Jays (2-3, 1-2 MAC) took the lead at halftime and then scored twice in the span of 11 seconds in the third quarter to put the game away.

St. John’s was up 13-6 at the half and got a 44-yard TD run from Drew Boggs — his third of the game — at the 10:11 mark of the third quarter. The Indians fumbled the ensuing kickoff with Austin Shafer making the recovery and taking it to the end zone for another touchdown and a 21-point lead.

Boggs was lethal to Fort Recovery, averaging more than 10 yards per carry. His 44-yard scoring run in the third quarter matched one of the same length in the first and he also had a 12-yarder in the second as he rushed nine times for 118 yards. He also went 9-of-12 through the air for 104 yards.

Riley Mueller added 46 yards on 14 attempts for the Blue Jays, and Tyler Lindeman caught three passes for 30 yards. 

Reece Wendel, who got the second Fort Recovery TD on a 24-yard run in the third quarter, again handled the bulk of the offense for the Indians with 162 rushing yards on 23 carries and three completions for 25 yards. Caden Grisez, Breaker Jutte and Hartnagel each caught a pass for FRHS, which turned the ball over twice in the loss.

Hartnagel and Wendel also led the defense with nine and eight tackles, respectively. Josh Evers followed with seven.

FRHS will be back on the road Friday when it visits New Bremen (3-2, 1-2 MAC). The Cardinals are coming off of a 48-7 loss to Division VII No. 1 Marion Local.