MARION — On Friday night, the Galion Tigers headed to Marion to face-off against the Harding Presidents in Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference gridiron action.
When the clock read all zeroes, it was the home team coming away with victory as Harding upended Galion by a final score of 44-21. With the loss, the Tigers drop to 4-2 on the season and sit at 1-2 in conference play. The Presidents improve to 4-2 overall and are now 2-1 in the MOAC.
Statistically, Harding would outpass and outrush the visiting Tigers en route to the win.
On the ground, the Presidents ran the ball for 226 yards to the Tigers 117. Through the air, Harding posted 147 yards to Galion’s 87. In total, the home team ran 51 plays for 373 yards and Galion got off 46 plays for just 204 total yards.
After the first, the score was close at 7-0 in favor of the Presidents after a quarterback keeper from 13-yards away and an extra-point.
Galion would get on the board in the second on a 56-yard touchdown strike from Harrison Ivy to receiver Takoda Crisman. Dominic Pittman tacked on the PAT to tie the contest at seven points apiece. However, Harding would strike for 28 unanswered points to take a 35-7 lead into the half.
In the third, the Presidents would pad their lead via a field goal and another touchdown to put the score seemingly out of reach headed into the fourth; 44-7.
The Tigers would not give up though and would score their first touchdown of the final frame on a six-yard scurry into the endzone by Ivy. With the Pittman extra-point, Galion found themselves trailing 44-14. Reserve quarterback Elias Middleton would add the final touchdown of the contest for the visiting Tigers, a five-yard run with Pittman adding his final PAT to make the score, and eventually the final; 44-21.
Offensive stats for Galion: Ivy- 4/16 passing, 87 yards, TD, 11 rushes, 54 yards, TD; Tanner Crisman- 10 rushes, 38 yards; Nakoma Breedlove- 4 rushes, 17 yards; Middleton- 2 rushes, 10 yards, TD; Takoda Crisman- 1 rush, 3 yards, 4 catches, 87 yards, TD; Trevor O’Brien- 1 rush, 2 yards and Pittman- 3/3 PAT.
Galion will host the Clear Fork Colts at Unckrich Stadium on Friday, October 6 for the annual homecoming game. Clear Fork beat River Valley (52-8) to remain undefeated at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the MOAC on September 29.
