BUCYRUS — Per the norm, the Galion Tigers and the Bucyrus Redmen met up in week one high school football action with Bucyrus serving as the host for their 121st all-time meeting.
Galion entered the contest having claimed the previous 10 contests, keeping a firm grasp on the Seccaium Park Trophy that the two squads battle for.
When all was said and done on Friday, the Tigers would make it 11 consecutive, including all four meetings under head coach Matt Dick, defeating the hosting Redmen by a final of 42-7.
Bucyrus won the toss and chose to defer to the second half, giving Galion the ball to begin the season. The Tigers would take full advantage of the opportunity, scoring in just 3:01 as their drive was punctuated by a 35-yard, catch and run touchdown from quarterback Wilson Frankhouse to Isaiah Alsip. Dominic Pittman split the uprights on the extra-point attempt and the white, orange and blue took the early, 7-0 advantage.
Following the Redmen’s first drive, the Tigers would get the ball back, after a punt, on their own 29-yard line with 6:02 remaining in the opening quarter. Later in the drive, Frankhouse would connect with wideout Kalib Griffin for a dazzling circus catch for a touchdown in the back of the endzone, only to have the play erase on an offensive penalty. After eating up most of the remaining clock in the first quarter, Hanif Donaldson would take a hand-off from Frankhouse and run it in for a three-yard score and, with the Pittman PAT, Galion appeared to be in control with 57.6 seconds left; 14-0.
The visitors would prove that they were far from finished in the opening half as, on their third drive of the game, Brayden Eckels rambled a touchdown in from 12 yards out and Pittman made it 21-0 with 2:41 left in the second quarter. Earlier in that same drive, Galion would see another Frankhouse touchdown pass be waved off due to an offensive penalty. On their fourth drive, the Tigers would get their fourth touchdown as Frankhouse scampered in on a keeper from six-yards out. Pittman converted his fourth extra-point of the contest and the visitors moved ahead; 28-0.
With 47.4 seconds left, Bucyrus was driving the football deep into Galion territory but their momentum would be halted as Jackson Staton intercepted a Ben Seibert pass to give possession back to the Tigers to send the game into halftime.
Upon receiving the ball to begin the second half, the Redmen would march 71 yards on their first drive to put the ball into the endzone for the first time this season as Seibert connected with Keaton Naufzinger from 18-yards out and with the following PAT, Bucyrus cut into Galion’s lead; 28-7.
On Galion’s first play from scrimmage in the second half, Frankhouse threw an interception into the hands of Naufzinger, giving Bucyrus the ball back with some momentum behind them. However, the very next play would see the Redmen fumble with the Tigers’ Roshod Phelps jumping on the loose ball to regain possession for the visitors. The second drive for Galion would prove more fruitful as Frankhouse and Alsip teamed up again, this time for a 48-yard touchdown while Pittman added his fifth PAT to make it 35-7, Galion.
To finish up the third quarter scoring, Frankhouse found Staton for a touchdown and Pittman booted another extra-point to make it 42-7 Tigers and activate the “running clock rule”. Throughout the fourth quarter, both teams would try players at different positions and many starters got breaks as the clock reached zeroes with the visitors claiming the 35-point victory.
Galion will host Carey in week two action at Unckrich Stadium in Heise Park while Bucyrus hits the road to Cardington.
