By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

For the fifth year in a row, the Garfield G-Men have won a playoff game.

And for the sixth time in seven years, the team’s offense has featured at least two players with more than 600 rushing yards.

The G-Men celebrate a second-half touchdown on Friday.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

Riding the wave of the team’s Single Wing offense, with Brandyn Bogucki, Harper Troyer and Devin Bates all flying out of the backfield, the G-Men captured a 35-26 victory over the visiting Trinity Trojans in the first round of the OHSAA’s Division V playoffs  on Friday in JAG Field in Garrettsville.

After back-and-forth action led to a 14-14 tie at halftime, the G-Men took control of the game with two touchdowns in the third quarter to establish a two-score cushion.

As is often the case, it was the team’s stunning running game that fell under the spotlight.

On Friday, the G-Men (10-1) ran 56 offensive plays and 53 of those were runs through the Single Wing, totaling 398 yards on the ground.

Of the team’s 52 designed runs, not a single one of them resulted in negative yards.

Troyer finished with 144 yards rushing and three touchdowns, while Bates added 156 and another score.

The duo benefitted from an offensive line and blocking backs whose performances could be described as nothing short of dominating.

The group of Ivan Trent, Gavin Barnard, Richie Shackelford, Lucas Neihiesel, Mike Huebner, Mason Kurtzman, Colton Miller and Charlie Ursitti, along with blocking backs Tyler Lutz and Jack Neikirk, provided a master class in run-blocking.

Garfield senior Harper Troyer nearly reaches the end zone before being tripped up by Trinity’s Damonte Mckenzie.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

“We told our line all week that our team will go as far as they take us,” Garfield head coach Mike Moser said. “We challenged them to prepare for (Trinity’s) speed and movement and coach (Randy) Ward always does a great job of getting them ready to go. Tonight was no different.”

With Friday’s numbers, Bates now has 856 yards rushing this season, with Troyer at 790 and Bogucki at 751.

A fourth runner, Jack Neikirk, was responsible for opening Friday’s scoring. He took a direct snap, made a shifty cut against the defensive pursuit and crossed the goal line for a 6-0 first-quarter lead. Trinity answered with a touchdown run from quarterback Aiden Duncan and took a 7-6 lead on the extra point.

Troyer scored the first of his three touchdowns with 6:03 left in the second quarter and the 2-point conversion pass from Neikirk successfully found Bogucki to give the G-Men a 14-7 lead.

The Trojans scored just before halftime, with 26 seconds left, on a 4-yard run from Kaden Robinson to knot the score at 14s at the break.

“To be honest, we felt like the only thing that stopped us in the first half was us,” Moser said. “We put the ball on the ground (a lost fumble), and we felt like if we could stay clean in the second half, some big plays would be there for us.”

That idea showed up quickly in the third quarter.

Garfield’s Devin Bates runs into Trinity’s Aiden Duncan during the first half of Friday’s game in Garrettsville.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

Garfield received the second-half kickoff and on the team’s third play from scrimmage, Devin Bates took a handoff around the right edge, danced into space and suddenly found himself in the clear. He sprinted down the right sideline for a 51-yard touchdown to give Garfield a 20-14 lead.

After forcing a Trinity punt, Garfield ran the ball back down the field to set up a 1-yard touchdown from Troyer that gave the team a two-score cushion at 28-14.

The third quarter ended with the Trojans on the verge of scoring, which happened on the first play of the fourth quarter when Robinson leapt over the goal line for the touchdown to make it 28-20.

Garfield orchestrated a nine-play, 69-yard drive to make it 35-20. Troyer scored the touchdown on a 5-yard run and Hannah Timmons kicked the point-after.

“I feel really good for Harper tonight,” Moser said. “To be a senior and to have a game like this in Week 11 at home is something really special, and I am happy for him. He just runs and plays so hard, you never have to question what kind of effort you are going to get from him.”

Trinity’s final score came with 2:51 to play on a 24-yard pass from Duncan to Robinson. The Trojans (6-5) then attempted an onside kick, but it was Neikirk who secured the ball for the G-Men, who then ran out the clock for the win.

“Jack is such a tough ball player. He does whatever we ask him to do,” Moser said. “He is our quarterback, but he is also one of our blocking backs, he runs the ball, he is an aggressive tackler on defense. He is just a great player.”

Garfield will host Garaway next Friday (Nov. 8). The fifth-seeded Pirates defeated Lakeview, 41-21, on Friday.