The Olentangy Liberty football team wasn’t happy with its performance in the season finale against Olentangy Orange.
Friday’s Division I, Region 2 postseason opener against visiting and ninth-seeded Toledo Whitmer, though, was a different story as the Patriots scored off a turnover and allowed just one touchdown all night en route to a 20-7 win.
Eighth-seeded Liberty (6-5) played from in front most of the night, taking a 7-0 lead when Ryan Schapker scored from two yards out with 8:20 left in the first quarter.
The Patriots bumped their lead to 13-0 in the fourth, getting field goals of 29 and 20 yards from Bliss Archibald in the second and third quarters, respectively, before all but sealing the deal with the defensive play of the night as Nathan Maag stepped in front of a Brady Ford pass and returned it to the house for a touchdown to make it 20-0 with 8:10 to play.
Ford hit Devin Morgan for an eight-yard touchdown later in the quarter to account for the final margin.
Andrew Leonard led the Liberty offense, completing 13 of his 22 passes for 154 yards. Schapker had 23 carries for 61 yards and his score while Evan Nelson was Leonard’s top target with five receptions for 81 yards.
Big Walnut 35, Green 22
It took the fifth-seeded Golden Eagles a half to find their form, but a 35-point second half more than made up for it on the way to a Division II, Region 7 playoff win over the visiting and 12th-seeded Bulldogs Friday night in Sunbury.
Nate Severs, who was kept in check as Green (4-7) built a 9-0 halftime lead, went wild in the second half to turn the tables.
His first of three third-quarter touchdowns — a three-yard run — made it 9-7 with 9:28 left in the third. His second gave Big Walnut (9-2) a lead it never relinquished and his third help his team pull away.
Severs ran for 275 yards when all was said and done. Jake Nier was also steady, completing eight of his 12 passes for 137 yards and a score while Nicky Pentello had four receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown in the win.
Springfield 35, Olentangy Orange 7
Bryce Schondelmeyer threw for 406 yards and four touchdowns to lead the second-seeded Wildcats (9-1) to a lopsided Division I, Region 2 playoff win over the visiting and 15th-seeded Pioneers (4-7) Friday night in Springfield.
Anthony Brown was Schondelmeyer’s top target, finishing with eight grabs for 181 yards and three scores.
Bobby Ogles accounted for Orange’s lone touchdown, scoring from 40 yards out with 11:47 left in the fourth quarter.
St. Marys Memorial 42, Buckeye Valley 18
Levi Richards scored on the ground to pull the 10th-seeded Barons (6-5) within a point early in the second quarter, and they trailed by just three midway through the third, but the host and seventh-seeded Roughriders (9-2) scored 21 unanswered points on the way to a win in the first round of the Division IV, Region 14 playoffs Friday night.
Also: Dublin Jerome 24, Olentangy 14.
