The Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier banner may not be returning to Garrettsville this year but the Garfield G-Men football team achieved something just as important. The G-Men shook off a slow start to conquer MVAC Grey Tier foe Brookfield 49-14 to clinch a first-round bye in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division V Region 17 playoffs last Friday evening at JAG Stadium.
“It was good. The kids played well,” said Coach Mike Moser. “We played well in all three phases, offense, defense and special teams so it was a complete showing for us.”
The victory against the Warriors ensured that Garfield (8-2, 6-1) would earn a top four seeding in the playoffs. In addition to receiving a top four seed, the G-Men also secured a first-round bye.
The G-Men will return to the gridiron on Nov. 7 and host either St. Clairsville or Pymatuning Valley in their postseason opener.
“There is always going to be a ‘What do you do?’ during that week when you have the bye,” noted the 13-year coach. “I think we have a pretty good plan going forward with how we are going to handle the week. We could use a little bit of time to get some bumps and bruises healed up.”
On Friday, it was a quiet start for the G-Men as the Warriors’ defense stifled them at every turn, including forcing a turnover, but Garfield’s defense stood tall, keeping the game scoreless until their special teams’ unit delivered, blocking a Brookfield punt on their side of the field and recovering the ball at the 15.
Junior tailback/linebacker Devin Bates pushed the G-Men ahead 7-0 on a 20-yard touchdown run at the end of the first period but the Warriors countered when sophomore quarterback/cornerback Blake Hammond broke free for an 18-yard touchdown run, trimming the lead to 7-6 at the beginning of the second quarter after the Warriors missed the extra point.
The teams traded scoreless drives until Garfield’s offense finally awakened, as the 6-foot Bates scored again on a 1-yard touchdown scamper, followed by a 4-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back/defensive back Ryder Cain and then senior quarterback/defensive back Jack Neikirk connected with senior wide receiver/tailback/defensive back Brandyn Bogucki for a 17-yard touchdown strike, and Garfield raced out to a 28-6 advantage at the half.
Although the Warriors’ defense had slowed Garfield down momentarily, the G-Men’s offense struck fast and often in the final five minutes of the first half to take total control.
“They made a couple of mistakes and our kids capitalized on them and then we got the ball first to start the second half and we were able to score again and that gave us the room that we needed,” added Moser.
The G-Men carried their strong finish to the first half into the third quarter, outscoring Brookfield 13-0 to increase their lead to 41-7, triggering the running clock.
As far as Moser was concerned, as great as it was to see the G-Men erupt late in the first half, it was a better sight to see them carry that momentum into the third quarter and seize a firm grip on the game.
He credited the defense for keeping the game within reach before the G-Men’s offense took over, forcing three turnovers, two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
“Our defense probably played their best game of the year,” Moser said. “We turned them over a couple of times, we blocked a punt on special teams, we set the offense up in scoring position a few times. That was probably our most complete game against an offense that had some pretty good weapons on it.”
Although Garfield’s two-year reign as MVAC Grey Tier champions came to an end, Moser said that the G-Men still had something to play for in the regular season finale as a top four seed was still in their grasp and the Warriors were battling to capture a postseason bid in the OHSAA Division VI Region 21 bracket.
In addition to earning the fourth seed, the new playoff format provides that the top seeded team in the first three rounds will receive home field advantage, giving Garfield the opportunity to host an extra playoff game if they advance to the regional semifinal as the higher-seeded team.
“It could be a big advantage but ultimately when you get into the playoffs, you are playing good football teams and most of them know how to handle these long trips, so you are going to have to play well regardless,” Moser said.
