Garfield quarterback Jack Neikirk prepares to snap the ball.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Moments after the pep band finished playing its customary postgame performance of the Garfield G-Men alma mater, with the football team standing at attention, football head coach Mike Moser turned around and let out a bit of a sigh.

“Phew, that was a lot of fun,” he said.

Yes, it was.

It was thrilling, too.

Garfield lineman Jared Cardinal reacts to a second-half touchdown.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

In a back-and-forth Division V Regional Quarterfinal playoff game, which featured a list of exciting moments and gamebreaking plays by both teams, the fourth-seeded G-Men eventually captured full control of the game and earned a 48-31 victory over the fifth-seeded St. Clairsville Red Devils at JAG Field in Garrettsville.

With the win, the G-Men advance to face No. 1 Cardinal Mooney next Friday (Nov. 14). The OHSAA will not officially announce the site of the game until Sunday afternoon, but early indications point to the game being hosted at Youngstown State University.

As for Friday’s showdown, there was a little bit of everything.

Long drives, gamebreaking touchdowns, turnovers, loud hits and more.

Inside all of that action, it was the fact that his team had all of the answers that made the biggest impact on Moser, considering that the G-Men have not played in a significant amount of closely contested games over the last five seasons (outscoring their Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference league opponents by a combined 1,508 points to 491 during that timespan).

“Tonight, we had a lot of answers, and we responded really well. That is probably what I am most proud of from tonight’s game,” Moser said. “There were a number of times tonight when we had lost the momentum, but our guys stepped up and answered. And we had a lot of different guys in different moments do that. Every time, someone was ready to step up and give us an answer.”

Garfield’s Devin Bates runs around the edge for a first-half gain.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

Many of those responses came in a frenetic third quarter that featured 35 combined points and a 1-minute run that alone produced three touchdowns.

It started when the Devils’ Ollie Muhly, an electric, extremely quick and elusive runner, raced in from 49 yards out to give his team a 17-13 lead at the 11:05 mark of the third quarter. It capped 17 unanswered points by St. Clairsville (8-4) after falling behind 13-0 in the second quarter to the G-Men.

The Red Devils’ Ollie Muhly follows a lead block for a first-half run. Muhly ran for 242 yards in the game.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

Garfield’s ensuing possession stalled quickly, forcing them into a punt situation after a three-and-out series.

With the wind to his back, G-Men punter Ryder Cain drilled a high kick that forced the Devils’ returner to backpedal. Just as he did, however, the ball hit the ground, glanced off his leg around the 10-yard line and continued to bounce toward the end zone.

Brandyn Bogucki, who had been sprinting down the field for punt coverage, continued his dash toward the ball and landed on it at the 1 for the turnover just before it could cross the goal line.

Seconds later, quarterback Jack Neikirk ran in the touchdown to regain the lead, 20-17, for the G-Men (9-2) at 9:46.

Garfield’s defense stymied the Devils on their next possession and the G-Men offense went to work again to set up a 12-yard run by Devin Bates. Hannah Timmons’ extra point made it 27-17 Garfield at 5:48.

The score set up football in fast forward, starting with a 74-yard bursting run down the right sideline by the Devils’ Kale Fisher. The only reason Fisher’s sweep didn’t go for a score was the hustle of Garfield’s Nate Baczkowski, who did not give up on the play and was able to get him down on the 3, but the long run did set up a 1-yard plunge by Muhly just 1 minute and 1 second after Bates’ score. Muhly, who finished with 242 yards rushing on 27 carries and scored four touchdowns, made the score 27-24 G-Men at 4:57.

St. Clairsville’s resulting kickoff landed in the hands of Bogucki, who exploded through a seam on the right hashmark, then bubbled out toward the right sideline. Bogucki jumped over the diving tackle attempt by the Devils’ kicker, then tip-toed the right sideline for a few steps before gaining his balance and sprinting into the end zone. The score, with 4:45 on the clock, ballooned the G-Men lead back to 34-24.

Two fourth-quarter touchdown runs — a 68-yard score by Bates and a 10-yard run by Cain — along with an interception by Bogucki (his second of the game) with 3:53 remaining in the game, on the Devils’ 21-yard line that set up Cain’s fourth-quarter TD, closed the game out for the G-Men.

“Tonight was one of those nights where you just enjoy it all,” Moser said. “It was a great game and it was great to see both teams play as well as they did.”

Garfield’s rushing attack produced 308 yard on 44 carries. Cain finished with 123 yards and Bates had 117.

Neikirk was efficient through the air, connecting on 4-of-6 passes, including a 21-yard pass to Will Simon in the second quarter on a beautifully placed ball that floated over two defenders and Simon did his part by securing the ball along the back of the end zone.

Garfield’s Brandyn Bogucki eludes the St. Clairsville kicker on his way to the end zone on an 89-yard kick-return score.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

Overall, I thought we played a great game,” Moser said. “Our backs ran well and they also blocked well. And our guys up front, they really blocked well. It was a total team effort for us tonight.”

Defensively, Cain had a pair of sacks, as did Henry Veccia, along with Logan Sell flying all over the field to make plays.

“Logan is a hard worker, and he puts in a lot of work to always be prepared,” Moser said. “I am glad that good things are happening for him on the field, because he really puts in the work.”

For the Devils, Muhly was the workhorse and was dangerous every time the ball touched his hands.

BOX SCORE

DIVISION V REGIONAL QUARTERFINAL

GARFIELD 48, ST. CLAIRSVILLE 31

(At JAG Field, Garrettsville)

ST. CLAIRSVILLE 0-10-14-7—31

GARFIELD 7-6-21-14—48

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST QUARTER

GAR — Cain 3 run (Timmons kick), 6:11

SECOND QUARTER

GAR — Simon 21 pass from Neikirk (kick blocked), 9:43

STC — Muhly 24 run (Galloway kick), 6:51

STC — Galloway 37 field goal, 0:00

THIRD QUARTER

STC — Muhly 49 run (Galloway kick), 11:05

GAR — Neikirk 1 run (Timmons kick), 9:46

GAR — Bates 12 run (Timmons kick), 5:48

STC — Muhly 1 run (Galloway kick), 4:57

GAR — Bogucki 89 kick return (Timmons kick), 4:45

FOURTH QUARTER

GAR — Bates 68 run (Timmons kick), 11:48

STC — Muhly 57 run (Galloway kick), 10:24

GAR — Cain 10 run (Timmons kick), 3:44

TEAM STATISTICS

First Downs — St. Clairsville 14 (10 rushing, 3 passing, 1 penalty), Garfield 16 (13 rushing, 3 passing).

Rushing: Att.-Yards — St. Clairsville 41-318; Garfield 44-308.

Passing: Comp.-Att. — St. Clairsville 8-18; Garfield 4-7.

Passing Yards — St. Clairsville 46; Garfield 73.

Interceptions Thrown — St. Clairsville 2; Garfield 0.

Fumbles-Lost — St. Clairsville 3-1; Garfield 2-0.

Penalties-Yards — St. Clairsville 7-75; Garfield 6-55.

Turnover on Downs — St. Clairsville 2; Garfield 0.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING

St. Clairsville: Ollie Muhly 27-242; Kale Fisher 7-87; Sam McLean 7- -11.

Garfield: Ryder Cain 17-123; Devin Bates 13-117; Brandyn Bogucki 5-28; Jack Neikirk 5-32; Colin McGranahan 4-8.

PASSING

St. Clairsville: Sam McLean 8-18-2-46.

Garfield: Jack Neikirk 4-6-0-73; Colin McGranahan 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING

St. Clairsville: Ollie Muhly 2-1; Eligha Hill 2-18; Kale Fisher 1-11; Jeremy Tharp 1- -1; Tyler Harris 1-6; Jaxon Starks 1-21.

Garfield: Will Simon 2-48; Brandyn Bogucki 1-11; Colton Miller 1-14.