Photographs by Andrews Photography
1997 MHS HOMECOMING COURT (l-r)
Sophomore Attendant Neily Dingledine
Senior Attendant Kelli Fisher
Queen Jessica Howison
Junior Attendant Rose Patterson
Freshman Attendant Rachel Knous
(© 1997 Andrews Photography)
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DATELINE SEPTEMBER 26 - SKIP BAUGHMAN STADIUM - HOME of the ROUGHRIDERS
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| Rider Fans (© 1997 Andrews Photography) |
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On a football night - no wind, no clouds, no bugs; sweatshirt weather dropping from 65 F. at the National Anthem to 55 F. when the scoreboard was shut off, Roughrider fans were treated to a football game. The Riders and the Bulldogs from Elida gave each other their best punches for four rounds - I mean, quarters, and both stood proud like men at the end.
Elida did not play like a team that couldn't win, and, in the first quarter at least, St. Marys did not play like a team that couldn't lose. After last weeks' game against Kenton in which the Riders threw exactly one pass, the Bulldogs came out to defend the run, with the result that we couldn't move the ball. Case in point: John Thistlethwaite came into the week averaging 8.5 yards a carry, and left as the game's leading ground-gainer with 75 yards on 19 bruising rushes - a 3.9 yard average. Two apparent first-half pass play calls by the O were fumbled (and recovered) by QB Rick Haines, and with Elida stunting the linebackers almost every play nothing was open up the middle.
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Meanwhile, Elida's diminutive but shifty QB John Zerbe was keeping the D guessing with his roll-out passing game, which would be effective for a first down or two each possession. There was no guessing involved in defending the Bulldogs' running game - the Rider D obliterated it for negative 22 yards on the game. All said, both teams gained more first-half field position by punting than by their offensive production.
The first quarter ended knotted at naught, and the second showed every sign of expiring similarly, until Haines finally rolled left and connected with Bobby Huttis streaking down the sideline for a sixty-seven yard bomb with less than two minutes left before the break. Kurt Kill bounced the good PAT kick off the auditorium wall, and the Riders led seven-zed.
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The Elida band is always a workmanlike enough group, and they gave the SMABB a run for it tonight with a good selection (to a baby-boomer comme moi) of classic pop-rock tunes. But I'm sorry, woodwinds (except maybe saxes) just don't have the cojones for rock and roll, and "Gimme Some Lovin'" at half-tempo is a tooth-grinder, not a toe-tapper. So when the St. Marys All Brass Band blasted out their "Movie Themes" show it came as a most welcome relief. There was almost too much to see, as when the majorettes were twirling fire on one side of the field while "Ape" from "George of the Jungle" pounded on the tympani on the other. Just a great Homecoming show.
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The season-ticket holders finally got a chance to relax in the third quarter. Elida kicked off, and our heroes finally mounted a drive, moving the ball 70 yards (aided by two Elida personal fouls) into the end zone on a Jason Clark run. Kill's extra point kick had plenty of distance but not much line, sailing wide left, but the good guys had a 13-point advantage. After the D held yet again, Andy Slone had the only long Rider run of the game on a 55-yard scamper. We ultimately scored on that drive, too: Haines sneak, Slone 2-point conversion. The third stanza ran out of time reading 21-nada on the board.
Both teams reverted back to first-quarter form in the fourth, the Riders partly through getting some sub experience, the Bulldogs partly through desperation. But Zerbe wasn't quite through yet, despite being repeatedly sacked by Mark Scott. With time running out in the game (01:27 left) he connected on a long pass that DB Kevin Doenges narrowly missed deflecting away, for a TD. Elida kicked the first PAT scored against the Riders this year to flush out the final score at 21-7.
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The Riders will host the Bath Wildcats next Friday. Bath notched their first WBL win of the season tonight, scoring in every quarter against the Wapak Redskins.
| GAME STATS (Stolen from The Evening Leader - Thanks, Angie Dieringer) | ||||
| St. Marys | Elida | St. Marys Season | Opponents Season | |
| Points Scored | 21 | 7 | 153 | 31 |
| First Downs | 12 | 9 | 76 | 49 |
| Rushes-Yards | 49-226 | 32-(-)22 | 272-1582 | 171-319 |
| Completions / Attempts - Yards | 1/4-67 | 10/26-194 | 12/26-183 | 36/91-559 |
| Had Intercepted | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Offensive Plays | 53 | 58 | 298 | 156 |
| Total Offense | 293 | 172 | 1765 | 878 |
| Punts-Yards | 6-227 | 8-289 | 14-528 | 24-836 |
| Blocked | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 2-0 | 2-0 | 8-4 | 8-6 |
| Penalties - Yards | 4-35 | 8-63 | 17-156 | 16-123 |
| RIDER STATS | ||||
| Rushes | Yards | Season Rushes | Season Yards | |
| 7 Rick Haines | 8 | 14 | 32 | 116 |
| 11 Aaron Seewer | 2 | 15 | ||
| 13 John Meinerding | 2 | 8 | ||
| 21 Bobby Huttis | 1 | 0 | 16 | 86 |
| 23 Andy Slone | 4 | 69 | 40 | 248 |
| 27 Brandon Meyer | 2 | 35 | ||
| 28 John Thistlethwaite | 19 | 75 | 83 | 621 |
| 30 Ken Williams | 2 | 7 | 7 | 39 |
| 32 Jason Clark | 15 | 59 | 72 | 338 |
| 34 Josh Lamb | 2 | 9 | 14 | 77 |
| Completions / Passes - Interceptions | Yards | Season Completions / Passes - Interceptions | Season Yards | |
| 7 Rick Haines | 1/4-0 | 67 | 12/26-1 | 133 |
| Receptions | Yards | Season Receptions | Season Yards | |
| 21 Bobby Huttis | 1 | 67 | 1 | 67 |
| 23 Andy Slone | 1 | 21 | ||
| 28 John Thistlethwaite | 5 | 47 | ||
| 32 Jason Clark | 4 | 45 | ||
| 86 Spencer Williams | 1 | 3 | ||
| Viewing Tip: If stats table is off-center, Increase Font (under "View" in Netscape). | ||||
AROUND the WESTERN BUCKEYE LEAGUE September 26...
Team ~ Game ~ Record ~ WBL ~ Yet to Play (no order)
Defiance ~ Beat Celina 37-13 ~ 5-0 ~ 4-0 ~ O-G SM S VW W
Celina ~ Lost to Defiance 13-37 ~ 4-1 ~ 3-1 ~ K SM S VW W
Ottawa-Glandorf ~ Beat Shawnee 19-0 ~ 4-1 ~ 3-1 ~ D E K SM W
St. Marys ~ Beat Elida 21-7 ~ 4-1 ~ 3-1 ~ B C D O-G W
Kenton ~ Beat Van Wert 22-6 ~ 3-2 ~ 2-2 ~ B C E O-G S
Van Wert ~ Lost to Kenton 6-22 ~ 3-2 ~ 2-2 ~ B C D E W
Wapakoneta ~ Lost to Bath 15-37 ~ 2-3 ~ 2-2 ~ C D O-G SM VW
Bath ~ Beat Wapak 37-15 ~ 2-3 ~ 1-3 ~ E K SM S VW
Shawnee ~ Lost to O-G 0-19 ~ 1-4 ~ 0-4 ~ B C D E K
Elida ~ Lost to St. Marys 7-21 ~ 0-5 ~ 0-4 ~ B K O-G S VW
Other Scores
Trotwood-Madison 34 - Sidney 28
Kenton Ridge 36 - Urbana 0
For more area scores see WKKI's website: K94 Sports
Last Week's Games <= | => Next Week's Games
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