FORT RECOVERY — Perhaps one has to break from conventional wisdom to snap a 12-game losing streak.
That is what Fort Recovery coach Brent Niekamp did Friday night versus St. John’s.
In overtime, he went for the win instead of the tie and came up aces as the Indians beat the Jays for the first time ever in varsity football — the teams have played since 1995 — with a 29-28 overtime Midwest Athletic Conference thriller.
The Jays (2-4, 2-3 MAC) had the first possession of overtime. Starting at the Indians’ 20, they needed four plays, as well as a pass interference on the hosts, to score. At the 4, senior Tony Reindel (18 totes, 101 yards) bulled up the gut to the end zone. Jordan Rode’s conversion put the lead at 28-21.
The Indians (4-2, 3-2 MAC) then had their turn. Five plays later at the 4, including a crucial 13-yard pass from Greg Kahlig (30-of-52 passing, 374 yards) to Wes Kahlig on 4th-and-11 from the 21, G. Kahlig rolled left and found Toby Metzger (13 grabs, 158 yards) at the goal line.
With Mark Mattraw lined up for the extra point, St. John’s coach Todd Schulte called time to ice the sophomore. The Indians then lined up to go for 2, prodding Schulte to call a second stoppage. There was no changing Niekamp’s mind. Kahlig rolled left and took off for the goal line, barely going over for the winning points.
“Football is a game of inches. That’s about how close it was for them to win,” Schulte noted.
An incomplete pass on the second possession of the contest — off a dropped punt snap by the Indians — gave the Jays the ball at the Recovery 46. However, a fumble ruined that chance.
The Jays took over on the 30 on their next drive. Sophomore quarterback Wes Ulm (4-of-8 passing, 25 yards; 10 rushes, 92 yards in a half of work) handed the ball up the gut to Reindel and he was barely touched through the line. The 225-pounder then put on a burst of speed and outran the secondary down the right side. Rode’s kick made it 7-0 with 5:04 showing.
The Jays got the ball back at the 31. Five plays later — all on the ground — from the Indians’ 22, Ulm faked both Reindel and Matt Brinkman to the right side and followed them. He broke several tackles near the line, emerged down the middle and veered left to paydirt. Rode’s kick was wide right, leaving the margin at 13-0 with 23 ticks left in the stanza.
An end zone interception by senior cornerback Trent Kroeger ended Recovery’s answer.
They would not be denied on the next series: a 9-play, 66-yard effort. At the St. John’s 14, Kahlig rolled left and threw for Michael Trobridge (6 catches, 101 yards), who made a leaping grab in the end zone with 2:37 showing, Mattraw made the kick for a 13-7 halftime deficit.
The Indians came out of the locker room and embarked on a 12-play, 76-yard sojourn. Kahlig finished it off from the 6. He rolled right and found Frank Thien (7 catches, 62 yards) in the end zone. Mattraw made it a 14-13 edge with 7:44 showing in the third.
Thanks to a roughing the passer call on the TD, Recovery pinned the guests deep. The Jays were also without Ulm (knee injury), bringing in sophomore Jay Clark (7-of-9 passing, 108 yards).
“That was a tough position to put another sophomore in. Wes took a shot on his knee and couldn’t go,” Schulte said. “In fact, it was Jay who came to the sideline and told us the trap was there on our overtime score. We let him call it.”
The Jays steadily won the battle of field position and got a big turnover when freshman Tyler Bergfeld recovered a Thien fumble at midfield with 9:36 left in regulation.
Reindel lost two yards. Then Clark found junior Jay Leininger on a quick-hitter at the 45 on the right side. He spun outside, broke a tackle and turned on the jets. Sophomore Blake Williams ran over right tackle for the 2-pointer and a 21-14 edge with 8:46 showing.
On the next drive, Fort Recovery was twice denied touchdowns due to offensive pass interference penalties before turning the ball over on downs at the Jays’ 28.
A shanked punt gave the hosts the ball at the Jays’ 49. The hosts made them pay on a 6-play sequence. From the 15, Kahlig hit Metzger on the right-side numbers for the tally and Mattraw tied it at 21 with 2:31 left in regulation.
Recovery got the ball again with 45 ticks left at its 24. They drove to the Jays’ 42 but Kroeger picked off Kahlig and put the Jays at the 36. A 37-yard connection from Clark to junior Brad Hoffman put the pigskin at the Recovery 27, from where Rode’s 44-yard field goal was wide right and short to end regulation.
“It was an up and down game. We had a tired defense out there,” Schulte added. “I’m proud of the effort the kids gave. We’re disappointed in the loss but it was a hard effort.”
St. John’s hosts Anna Friday; Fort Recovery visits Marion Local.