Hilliard Darby 16, Groveport 3:
Stout defense helps Panthers make amends in rematch
Jeremy Ebert
By Mark Znidar
The Columbus Dispatch Sunday November 11, 2007 7:27 AM
Kyle Robertson Dispatch
The Hilliard Darby football team cleared up a few things last night in the Division I regional semifinals.
No, the Panthers are not a one-, two- or three-man team. There are crack players up and down the sideline who can make plays.
And, yes, those players are blessed with pretty good short-term memory.
Despite playing most of the game without ace tailback Jordan Richeson because of an ankle injury and an offense that was on its mark only some of the time, Darby used stingy defense and true grit to bull its way past Groveport 16-3 before a crowd of more than 7,500 in Upper Arlington's Moorehead Stadium.
The Panthers (11-1) showed they are not the stumbling, bumbling team that had eight turnovers in a 34-17 loss to the Cruisers (8-4) the final week of the regular season, but the Ohio Capital Conference Ohio Division champion and state power.
Quarterback Jeremy Ebert said it wasn't a matter of payback.
"We just wanted to play," he said. "We wanted to show people we deserved the opportunity to be here and that our season hasn't been a fluke. We came ready to play. I think we came out lightly last time."
Usually, it's Ebert, Richeson and receiver Robbie Anzuini receiving the star billing. This time, it was a hard-hitting, sure-tackling defense that took Groveport out of its game featuring a bevy of ball carriers running behind a large line.
Richeson did score on a 52-yard run on the first play from scrimmage but missed approximately three quarters.
Ebert did flash his big-play ability with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Austin Brown on third-and-10 with 9:31 left in the fourth quarter that provided insurance.
But, oh, that defense. In the second half alone, it held Groveport without a first down three times and held on fourth down twice in the final 5 ½ minutes.
"We've known all along that we've been playing very good defense," coach Paul Jenne said. "Tonight, it was a matter of pride for our defense to prove a point. I would just say it was consistency, making sure you do your job consistently."
The closest Groveport came to a touchdown was on its second possession. It had first-and-goal at the 9, but Darby threw Frankie Johnson for a 1-yard loss and Nick Goodrich for a 4-yard loss before giving up a 27-yard field goal by Jordan Elmore.
The Cruisers entered Darby territory only one other time.
"It was a lot of emotion and enthusiasm," Panthers linebacker B.J. Machen said. "We had to come out and show that two weeks ago was a fluke. We had to make them feel the Hilliard Darby defense. We had to hit hard and make plays every play. The D-line took control."
The Columbus Dispatch Sunday November 11, 2007 7:27 AM
Kyle Robertson Dispatch
The Hilliard Darby football team cleared up a few things last night in the Division I regional semifinals.
No, the Panthers are not a one-, two- or three-man team. There are crack players up and down the sideline who can make plays.
And, yes, those players are blessed with pretty good short-term memory.
Despite playing most of the game without ace tailback Jordan Richeson because of an ankle injury and an offense that was on its mark only some of the time, Darby used stingy defense and true grit to bull its way past Groveport 16-3 before a crowd of more than 7,500 in Upper Arlington's Moorehead Stadium.
The Panthers (11-1) showed they are not the stumbling, bumbling team that had eight turnovers in a 34-17 loss to the Cruisers (8-4) the final week of the regular season, but the Ohio Capital Conference Ohio Division champion and state power.
Quarterback Jeremy Ebert said it wasn't a matter of payback.
"We just wanted to play," he said. "We wanted to show people we deserved the opportunity to be here and that our season hasn't been a fluke. We came ready to play. I think we came out lightly last time."
Usually, it's Ebert, Richeson and receiver Robbie Anzuini receiving the star billing. This time, it was a hard-hitting, sure-tackling defense that took Groveport out of its game featuring a bevy of ball carriers running behind a large line.
Richeson did score on a 52-yard run on the first play from scrimmage but missed approximately three quarters.
Ebert did flash his big-play ability with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Austin Brown on third-and-10 with 9:31 left in the fourth quarter that provided insurance.
But, oh, that defense. In the second half alone, it held Groveport without a first down three times and held on fourth down twice in the final 5 ½ minutes.
"We've known all along that we've been playing very good defense," coach Paul Jenne said. "Tonight, it was a matter of pride for our defense to prove a point. I would just say it was consistency, making sure you do your job consistently."
The closest Groveport came to a touchdown was on its second possession. It had first-and-goal at the 9, but Darby threw Frankie Johnson for a 1-yard loss and Nick Goodrich for a 4-yard loss before giving up a 27-yard field goal by Jordan Elmore.
The Cruisers entered Darby territory only one other time.
"It was a lot of emotion and enthusiasm," Panthers linebacker B.J. Machen said. "We had to come out and show that two weeks ago was a fluke. We had to make them feel the Hilliard Darby defense. We had to hit hard and make plays every play. The D-line took control."