Knights ground game too much for Warriors

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GALION — The Northmor Golden Knights played in their home opener on Friday night against the visiting Worthington Christian Warriors.

Northmor would run away with the game, posting 355 rushing yards en route to a 48-26 victory. The win moves the Knights to 2-0 on the season.

It would not take the home team long to get on the scoreboard as Gavin Ramos took the Warriors opening kickoff 78 yards for the touchdown. After the missed extra-point attempt by Nate Ruhl, the Knights had an early, 6-0 lead. Worthington Christian would respond with a touchdown of their own on a Lucas Hartings one-yard run but would fail to convert the two-point conversion to knot the score at six apiece. That would prove to be the closest the game would ever get as Conor Becker ran a touchdown in from 10-yards out and then proceed to add the two-point conversion to put Northmor up 14-6. Later in the opening quarter, Hunter Mariotti scrambled in for a 16-yard touchdown run and Ruhl tacked on the PAT to put the Golden Knights up 21-6 heading into the second frame.

In that second quarter, it would be all Northmor. The home squad struck early on a three-yard TD from Becker to put them up 27-6. Minutes later, Mariotti would connect with Wyatt Reeder on a 22-yard pass and with the Ruhl extra-point the Knights created more distance, going ahead 34-6. Mariotti and Reeder hooked up again before halftime, this time from 33 yards out and with another PAT, the Knights headed into the intermission up big; 41-6.

After a first half of crushing offense, the Golden Knights would be held scoreless in the third but would also return the favor on defense, keeping the Warriors out of the endzone and stuck at six points.

Worthington Christian would finally get back on the board in the third after Jake Thompson recorded an interception and ran it back for the score. The visitors tacked on the two-point conversion to cut the score to 41-14. Worthington Christian would see their defense providing more scoring on another pick-six, this time thanks to Garrett Woodfin. After the failed two-point attempt, the score was 41-26. Northmor would hunker down on both sides of the ball and would tack on their final touchdown of the contest on a 51-yard run from Becker, his third of the game. Ruhl added the extra-point and Northmor went up by the eventual final score of 48-26.

The Golden Knights would post a remarkable 476 yards of total offense (121 passing, 355 rushing) on the night to the Warriors’ 168 (98 passing, 70 rushing). Northmor picked up a total of 26 first downs to the visitors eight while having the ball for a total of 31:47 of the 48-minute game, despite committing three turnovers. In total, there were only five penalties called throughout the game as Northmor committed three fouls for 25 yards and Worthington Christian two for 1o yards.

Offensive statistics for the home team in the victory were: Mariotti- 9/12 passing for 121 yards and 2 TD, 5 rushes for 37 yards, TD; Becker- 21 rushes, 262 yards, 3TD, 1 catch, 3 yards; Tony Martinez- 7 rushes, 20 yards; Austin Hammond- 2 rushes, 16 yards; Reeder- 5 rushes, 9 yards, 2 catches, 55 yards, 2TD; Cole Dille- 1 catch, 27 yards; Ramos- 3 catches, 22 yards; Blake Miller- 2 catches, 14 yards; Ruhl- 4 XP and Brayden Black- 0/2 passing, 2 INT, 5 rushes, 18 yards.

Northmor will wrap the non-conference portion of their 2018 schedule next Friday as they play hosts to the visiting Lucas Cubs. On Friday, September 14, Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference play is set to begin as the Knights travel to Fredericktown to clash with the Freddies.

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By Chad Clinger

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Follow Chad on Twitter @GalionSportsGuy

Reach Chad at 419-468-1117 x2048

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