Bearcat errors spur on Thunderbirds

By Jim Metcalfe, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Tuesday, October 2, 2007 (7 months, 2 weeks ago)
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LIMA — Spencerville’s football team did a lot to help unbeaten Lima Central Catholic Saturday night under the lights of Lima Stadium.
Four turnovers and 10 penalties (93 yards), to be exact.
With halfback Todd Ruggley running for 163 yards on 15 totes, the Thunderbirds gladly walked through the open door for a 21-0 Northwest Conference shutout of the Bearcats.
“That was the story of the game: turnovers and penalties. We’ve been blocking the same way all year and never got called for some of those penalties like tonight,” Spencerville coach Bruce McConnell lamented.  “Every time we’d get something going, we’d shoot ourselves in the foot.”
Both teams struggled with flags as the Thunderbirds (6-0, 5-0 NWC) committed eight for 81 yards, adding two turnovers.
LCC took advantage of the first miscue when Mike Daley picked off a harassed Adam Wolfe (6-of-12 passing, 34 yards) near midfield and ran it back 51 yards to the Spencerville 1. From there, Chris O’Brien (17 totes, 49 yards) bulled up the gut. Joel Stolly added the kick for a 7-0 spread with 4:58 showing in the period.
Michael Lombardo recovered a Spencerville (2-4, 2-3 NWC) bobble when Ruggley sacked Wolfe at the visitor 46. However, the Bearcat ‘D’ stiffened.
Fumblitis again struck the Black Attack at the 36 when Ruggley again hit Wolfe back to pass and O’Brien recovered. Once more, the defense held when Ben Hatfield and Gideon Stocklin combined to stop Ruggley for a loss of 2 yards on 4th-and-3 at the 29.
On LCC’s next drive, a 52-yard TD run by Ruggley was wiped out due to a penalty and Brandon Suever picked off a Lance Helmig (3-of-9 passing, 15 yards) at the guests’ 20.
Spencerville tried to get onto the scoreboard late in the half when LCC committed two 15-yard penalties back-to-back, helping the Black Attack get to the T-Bird 29. However, a 4th-and-9 pass from Wolfe to Tyler Keysor (3 grabs, 16 yards) came up a yard short.
“Spencerville played great defense the first half,” LCC coach Jerry Cooper acknowledged. The LCC head coach challenged his offensive line at the half. “We were going to run the football and they did the job up front.”
LCC started out with an 8-play drive that started at the 23 and ended up on downs at the Bearcat 19 when Jake Nye stopped Helmig a yard short of the first down.
Spencerville showed life on the ensuing drive, reaching its own 41, but a life-sapping offensive pass interference call (15 yards and loss of down) destroyed the momentum and forced a punt. LCC embarked on a 5-play, 55-yard scoring sojourn. At the visitor 41, Matt Huffman (7 carries, 56 yards) took a handoff off right guard, got through the hole and turned on the jets to the end zone. Stolly’s point-after made it 14-0 as time expired on the third period.
The Thunderbirds put the game away on their next drive: an 8-play, 80-yarder. Helped by a personal foul on the Bearcats and a 37-yard run by Ruggley, he finished it off at the 6 when Ruggley swept left end and powered to the end zone with 5:43 to go. Stolly added the final marker.
Desmond Kirkman ended Spencerville’s last hope with an interception at his 16.
“The kids played hard. We just have to come back and be ready to go (Monday),” McConnel added.
Spencerville entertains Bluffton Friday; LCC hosts Columbus Bishop Ready.

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