Weather cools, as T-bolts stay hot, ground Aviators, 41-7.
By Aaron Roach, Thunderbolt Insider
Boltsfootball.com
VANDALIA- If you were like me on Friday, you realized you had to take a detour to get to the game because your line of travel was shut down. Well, Butler running back Logan Zechar realized his path was also shut down, this time by the famed “Gang Green” defense of Northmont. By the time Zechar and the Aviators thought about any detours of their own, it was too late, as the Thunderbolts ran themselves to an impressive 41-7 victory over rival Vandalia-Butler.
Zechar came into Friday’s game with over 1,100 yards for the season, but managed only 24 yards on 19 carries. It was no secret that stopping Zechar would be key if the ‘Bolts would be successful. Northmont head coach Lance Schneider recognized the importance of it and praised his defense on their effort by saying, “The premise to stopping Butler's offense is to keep the defensive line on the line of scrimmage, to not open vertical seams and and give them holes to run. They were not strong enough to move us off the line of scrimmage, so the discipline was to stay on (the line), then run to the ball.” While holding Zechar in check, the T-bolts defense recorded eight tackles-for-loss, led by senior linebacker Kevin Moore’s 2.5. Moore also forced a fumble and defended two passes. Schneider praised Moore’s recent performance by adding, “Kevin Moore has turned into the player I knew he could be. Kevin is very strong and athletic, and has become a very good player for this team.”
Northmont got on the board first, with 7:46 left in the opening quarter, when sophomore safety Xavior Johnson intercepted Butler’s Jason Albertini, returning it 26 yards for a touchdown. Jordan Rose’s extra point was low and wide left keeping the T-bolt edge at 6-0. However the Aviators wasted little time catching up, scoring on just their fourth play of the next possession. Albertini found his favorite target, Nik Gillum open down the right sideline for a 56-yard score with 6:07 remaining in the first quarter. Casey Ferralli booted the point after and Butler led 7-6. Gillum had a solid game, catching four passes for 104 yards, while Albertini was 12 of 22 passing for 184 yards.
Mark Mays turned in an encore performance from last week with another exciting run of 41 yards with 11:48 remaining until the half. Rose made the kick this time around and Northmont had the lead back for good at 13-7. Mays continues to see the field well, finding the holes and using his blinding speed to run away for defenders. He topped the 100 yard mark again, gaining 113 on 11 carries. Mays was one of 10 Thunderbolts to carry the ball Friday, as they amassed 327 yards of rushing to Butler’s 44.
The game’s most electric play came after Northmont’s senior safety Daren Youngberg knocked the ball loose from Butler’s Collin Koogler after a reception and run. T-bolt junior linebacker Chango Noaks recovered on the Aviator 10 to set the stage. On Northmont’s first play of the series, junior quarterback Chase Belton hit senior receiver Nate Wilburn-Ogletree at midfield. Nate “The Skate” then outran his defender for a 90-yard touchdown, with 8:06 left in the second quarter. Rose kicked it through the uprights and the T-bolts lead swelled to 20-7.
Belton added a touchdown of his own on the next Thunderbolt possession, running in a score from 19 yards out with 4:45 remaining until intermission. Junior running back Kevin Ringer scored on the two-point conversion building the lead to 28-7. Ringer scored on an 11-yard rush with 1:19 on the clock in the second, to add to the lead. Rose missed his second point after of the night, as Northmont took a 34-7 lead with them to the half.
As the night grew chillier, the scoring cooled off as well. The second half’s only score came when Ringer scored on a 1-yard plunge with 8:33 left in the third quarter. Ringer and Mays continue to complement each other, as Ringer put up 81 rushing yards of his own, including two touchdowns and a 2-point conversion. Friday Northmont (5-3, 3-0 GWOC) hosts the very talented Trotwood Madison Rams (6-2, 2-1 GWOC).
BOLTS BLITZ… Belton put up 132 yards on 5 of 6 passing… Linebacker Danny Gress continues to put up the defense numbers. Gress was in on nine tackles Friday, building his team-high total to 77 for the season… Junior cornerback C.J.Barnett keeps making plays, breaking up two passes, recovering two fumbles and making three solo tackles… Youngberg puts the T-bolts in good field positon on his great work as a return man. To go with a forced fumble and interception, he returned 2 punts for 71 yards and a kickoff 43 yards. Schneider’s take on Youngberg? “(He) is a special talent. His returns have set up key scores for us all season. Daren has a knack for getting to the football on defense, and usually that means good things for us.”
*********************************************
Bolts battle heat, but feel the rush in 38-14 win over Troy.
by Aaron Roach, Thunderbolt Insider
Boltsfootball.com
TROY- To say that Northmont and Troy used run-heavy offenses would be an understatement to say the least. For fans of old-school grid-it-out football, Troy Memorial Stadium was the place to be Friday night as Northmont ran past Troy, 38-14. Both teams combined for 620 yards rushing, burning up the ground in an unseasonably hot and muggy night.
Troy wasted no time getting the scoring underway when Trojan running back Corey Brown took the ball on the game’s first play from scrimmage and raced untouched for an 82-yard touchdown run. After a T-bolt penalty on the PAT attempt, Troy opted to go for two. Trojan quarterback Patrick Holland found Matt Allen open in the end zone as Troy took the early 8-0 lead while many fans were still carrying popcorn and sodas to their seats, still 11:41 remaining in the first quarter. Brown had a monster night, finishing with 268 yards on 24 carries, including two for touchdowns. Northmont head coach Lance Schneider was impressed with Brown’s performance, adding “Corey Brown did a nice job running the football. He has a combination of strength and power rarely seen in a high school running back. He definitely has improved since last season.”
The opening Thunderbolt possession stalled out at the Troy 28 yard line, turning the ball over on downs. However, the T-bolts quickly regained the ball when sophomore defensive back Xavior Johnson intercepted Holland on just Troy’s third play of the drive. The ‘Bolts turned their good fortune into an 8-play, 32-yard scoring drive finishing off with a 21-yard field goal by Jordan Rose, tightening Troy’s lead to 8-3 with 2:48 remaining in the opening period.
Troy came right back in the second quarter, increasing their lead, when Brown trotted in from 9 yards out for another touchdown. Devvin Dunaway’s extra point attempt was blocked by Northmont’s Daren Youngberg keeping the Trojan lead at 14-3.
Still in the second quarter, Northmont charged ahead with two scoring runs of 7 and 11 yards by junior running backs Kevin Ringer and Mark Mays respectively. Not to be completely outdone by Brown, the talented duo had great nights of their own, Mays carried 13 times for 142 yards and Ringer added 71 yards on 12 touches of his own. Rose added the PAT after each score for the 17-14 Thunderbolt lead. Any hopes for Troy to regain the lead before the half ended when Holland’s pass to Nick Howard fell incomplete on a Troy 4th and 1.
Northmont came out firing to open the second half when Youngberg returned the kickoff 58 yards to the troy 24. After a T-bolt penalty, Kevin Moore took his season’s first carry 33 yards down the left sideline for the score. Rose kicked the point after to build the lead to 24-14, still with 11:37 left in the third quarter.
The Thunderbolts totally controlled the third period, with a 14-play 66-yard scoring drive that chewed 7:25 off the clock. Quarterback John Nussman found Mays open in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown pass, with :33 remaining in the third. Rose booted the extra point and Northmont was up 31-14.
The final score of the game was Northmont’s most electrifying, as Mays took Nussman’s handoff and was off to the races. The track star went untouched blazing 69 yards for his third touchdown of the game. The busy night continued for Rose, tacking on his fifth extra point, ending the scoring at 38-14. Schneider summed up Mays and his knack for finding the big play, “Coming into the year, we knew Mark had great speed, and is capable of breaking long runs. He seems to be seeing the holes better at this point in the season, and we will need him to make big plays over the upcoming weeks if we are to win our last three games.”
Friday, the T-bolts travel to Vandalia to take on their archrival, the Butler Aviators (4-3 Overall, 1-1 GWOC).
BOLTS BLITZ: In addition to his field goal and extra points, Rose continued to be successful on his kickoffs, booming six inside the Troy 10, including two touchbacks… The T-bolt defense added three sacks, led by 1 ½ by Ben Myers… Nussman continued to play consistently when the passing game was called upon, completing 7 of 9 passes to five different receivers… Teams continue to stay away from C.J. Barnett’s side of the field , but sophomore Quintin Cooper stepped up with 2 passes defended, 2 tackles (including one for loss), and a fumble recovery. Schneider recognized this by saying, “C.J. being such a talent forces teams to throw at Quintin. Q has done a nice job holding his own on the opposite side. I am sure teams will continue to test him, and he will need to make the big plays to help our defense shutdown some upcoming talented offensive opponents.”
*********************************************
2006
Tough ground game, special teams drive Trojans past T-bolts
By Aaron Roach, Thunderbolt Insider
BoltsFootball.com
CLAYTON- A heavily emphasized running attack led by Donnie Talbott’s 139 rushing yards and two crucial blocked punts by Matt Winegardner led the Glen Este Trojans to an opening round victory over the Northmont Thunderbolts 28-14 Saturday night at Northmont Stadium.
The roller coaster season that was 2006 ended with little fanfare as the Thunderbolts gave up the ball deep in their own territory, couldn’t capitalize on big stops, and played from behind the entire game. Given the numerous stumbling blocks thrown at them this year, the Thunderbolts held their own against a dreadfully strong schedule and came through down the stretch in what seemed like every week as a “must win” game.
Northmont threatened to get on the board first in the closing minute of the first quarter when Kenton Froebe’s 36-yard field goal attempt was just short. The T-bolts were thrust into scoring position on a thundering 48-yard run by senior running back A.J. Combest from his own 32 to the Trojan 20. Glen Este was able to get their gears moving after that and drove down to put the first points on the board when Talbott scored on a 2-yard touchdown run. Patrick Hardy added the point after to give Glen Este the lead at 7-0 with 8:52 remaining until the half.
The wind was taken immediately out of Northmont’s sails when Winegardner blocked Froebe’s punt with 6:10 left in the second quarter after a stalled Thunderbolt drive. Talbott added another touchdown, this time from 1 yard out to put the Trojans up 14-0. That score stood at halftime.
The Thunderbolts closed the gap when Combest trotted in the end zone from 3 yards out with 6:54 showing on the clock in the third quarter. Froebe added the extra point to close the Glen Este lead to 14-7. The drive was keyed by a 35-yard reception by Combest on a swing pass from Clay Belton followed later by a big pass interference call. Glen Este drove down the field, chewing up the clock, and appeared headed for another score when Daren Youngberg intercepted Trojan quarterback Andrew Keller on the T-bolt 15, and returned it 15 yards. But just as quickly as the tide had turned, it shifted once again when Winegardner blocked another Froebe punt. Glen Este wasted no time capitalizing on the big play when freshman running back Kyle Slater scored on a 5-yard run in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. Slater complemented Talbott by adding 72 rushing yards of his own on the night.
Talbott scored his third touchdown of the night to widen the Trojan lead to 28-7 midway through the final quarter. Northmont scored in the final minute on a 4-yard touchdown catch by Robbie Hathcock from junior quarterback John Nussman, who was in for an injured Belton. By winning, Glen Este gets the honors to play #8 nationally ranked, and #1 region seed St.Xavier Saturday at Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium.
******************************************************************************
T-bolts hold off another comeback, beat Piqua to earn long-awaited home-field playoff game
By Aaron Roach, Thunderbolt Insider
BoltsFootball.com
CLAYTON- To say the least, the Northmont Thunderbolts made it interesting once again Friday night. Trailing 14-7 in the fourth quarter, the explosive Thunderbolt offense rallied for two scores to knock off division rival Piqua 21-14 on a rainy, cold Senior Night. Northmont’s often overlooked “Gang Green” defense made it all possible with numerous turnovers and countless big plays, highlighted by Daren Youngberg’s big interception in the end zone with 5 seconds left in the game to end any hopes of a Piqua comeback.
The win was big in many ways for the Thunderbolts (8-2) as it locked up the team’s first ever home playoff game and gave Northmont its fifth straight GWOC division title. Northmont will host Cincinnati Glen Este (8-2) Saturday night at Northmont Stadium.
The first big play of the game came on a 4th and 2 for Piqua (8-2) on their first possession. Quarterback Justin Hemm handed off to Brandon Saine, who was immediately stuffed for no gain. Northmont, however, failed to capitalize after the turnover on downs. The Thunderbolt drive stalled out and Kenton Froebe’s punt was blocked by Piqua’s Dustin Snyder, who came through untouched. But in true as-of-late fashion, the T-bolt defense stood tough and got the ball back on a C.J. Barnett interception in the last minute of the first quarter.
Northmont got on the board first when linebacker Josh Newman stuck Hemm causing him to fumble. Tyler Welborn scooped up the loose ball and raced 55 yards for the touchdown. Kenton Froebe added the extra point and the Bolts were up 7-0. Piqua wasted no time coming back when Hemm found Phil Collier open for a 42-yard touchdown catch. Piqua’s Brad Burkhardt tied the score 7-7 with the point after. The score and the weather stayed constant and the teams went into halftime tied at 7.
Perhaps the most unusual play occurred with 4:32 left in the 3rd quarter. Piqua’s Saine fumbled while being brought to the ground and the ball was picked up by an alert Hemm who took the ball 40 yards for a Piqua score. Questions on whether Saine was down before the fumble were moot as the Indians lined up for the extra point try with no stoppage from the officials. Burkhardt then added the kick to give Piqua its first advantage, 14-7.
Piqua squandered its chance to take a commanding fourth quarter, two touchdown lead when Saine fumbled again with 11:18 left in the game. Northmont recovered at its own 15 yard line. With 6:26 remaining, sophomore Kevin Ringer scored a touchdown on a 14-yard carry, but Froebe’s kick was wide right and the Indians held the lead 14-13.
Northmont shut down Piqua’s next series, highlighted by linebacker Chris Rutledge forcing Hemm into an intentional grounding situation on 3rd and 6. The Thunderbolts did not let the opportunity slip away and Clay Belton found Nate Wilburn-Ogletree down the sideline for a 41-yard touchdown with 3:52 remaining. Belton ran off left tackle for the 2-point conversion to give Northmont the 21-14 lead, then the defense held off the Indians rally with Youngberg’s end-zone heroics.
Thunderbolt head coach Lance Schneider summed up the Belton to Ogletree connection, “They did a great job trying to take Nate away from us, but Clay saw something on that last touchdown pass. He did a nice little pump fake and looked the safety off, tried to get a one-on-one up the sideline. Nate did a great job and made a nice play.”
*************************************************
Early turnovers turn into early points as Thunderbolts batter Rams
By Aaron Roach, Thunderbolt Insider
BoltsFootball.com
TROTWOOD- The Northmont defense knew they would have their hands full Friday night against the explosive Trotwood-Madison Rams. The T-bolt secondary, however, took the “hands full” approach literally, getting their hands on Ram quarterback Domonick Britt’s passes all night, including three interceptions in the first quarter. Junior Daren Youngberg and seniors Josh Jackson and Luke Hurst each had an interception in the opening period, helping Northmont open up an early 28-7 lead. The lead turned out to be too much to overcome, and despite a wild and furious comeback attempt by Trotwood-Madison, the Thunderbolts (7-2) held on for a 39-33 victory on the road.
This game had all the makings for excitement, as Trotwood-Madison (6-3) wasted no time getting on the board with 11:33 remaining in the first quarter on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Britt to Corey Dickens. A successful extra point made it 7-0 Rams. Following Youngberg’s interception, Northmont evened up the game on a 49-yard touchdown pass from Clay Belton to Nate Wilburn-Ogletree with 8:08 left to play in the first. Kenton Froebe added the extra point. The next Thunderbolt scoring drive came after Jackson picked off Britt with 3:33 still remaining in the opening period and was complete with a 16-yard Belton pass to Robbie Hathcock for a touchdown. A key play in the drive was a nice 24-yard pass to Wilburn-Ogletree from Belton on a 3rd and 6 situation. Froebe added his boot to give the T-bolts a 14-7 lead with 1:32 left in the first. Not to be outdone by his secondary siblings, Hurst picked off Britt with 1:10 showing in, still, the first quarter.
Sophomore Kevin Ringer added to the lead when he hauled in an 11-yard touchdown toss from Belton. Froebe added the PAT and the Bolts were up 21-7. Trotwood turned the ball over on downs with 6:01 left in the first half when Britt’s pass to highly-touted senior C.J. Peake was incomplete on a 4th and 7. Earlier in the series, Northmont’s Chris Crawford came up with a big sack for a 10-yard loss. Northmont increased the lead to 28-7 when Ronnie Hill rushed for a 2-yard score followed by the Froebe extra point. It looked as if Northmont would go comfortably into the half up by 21, but the Rams put together a hurry-up series and scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Mike Sawyer with :05 remaining. A bad snap and subsequent missed kick left the score at 28-13 at halftime.
Trotwood struck first in the third quarter when Peake scored a touchdown with 7:27 on the clock on a 39-yard run. The Rams did not convert a two-point conversion and the Northmont lead was cut to 28-19. Froebe added a 30-yard field goal with 5:20 left in the third to stretch the T-bolt lead back out to 31-19. This score stood through the third quarter.
Trotwood tightened the lead to 31-25 on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Britt to Sawyer. The kick was no good. The Thunderbolts had what all teams want, the lead and the ball, but Northmont’s Hill had the ball stripped by Marcus English to give the Rams the hope they needed. Trotwood drove down and took their first lead since the first quarter when Britt found Sawyer again for a 16-yard touchdown and again on the 2-point conversion to give the Rams the 32-31 lead. Not to be outdone, Belton drove the Bolts down the field and found wide-open senior Brad Herr on a 20-yard strike with only :31 left in the contest. Wilburn-Ogletree snatched the 2-point conversion pass from Belton to give the Thunderbolts the lead back at 39-33. After the kickoff, Trotwood took over on their own 40 and after two quick pass plays, including a 27-yarder to Roy Roundtree, found themselves on the Northmont 19. A pass interference call brought the Rams to the Thunderbolt 8 yard line, where the earlier opportunistic defense held tough on four straight pass plays. It may have started with Northmont’s secondary making all of the exciting flashy plays, but they were there when it counted and played solid blue-collar defense allowing the Thunderbolt nation to exhale. Northmont closes out the regular season Friday, hosting Piqua (8-1), led by Ohio State-bound Brandon Saine.
*************************************************************************************
Belton, Bolts crown Butler
by Aaron Roach, Thunderbolt Insider
CLAYTON- Just prior to Friday’s game with Vandalia-Butler, senior quarterback Clay Belton was crowned homecoming king, but before the night was over he had proven king of the end zone as well. Before the lights were shut off at Northmont Stadium, Belton had scored on three touchdown runs and passed for a fourth, leading the Thunderbolts (6-2) to an exciting 31-24, double-overtime victory over the visiting upset-minded Aviators.
Most of the first half consisted of kicking and defense. Butler’s Aaron Ritter and Northmont’s Kenton Froebe traded field goals early, tying the game 3-3, then both took turns missing; Ritter on a 40-yard attempt and Froebe a 39-yard try. It looked as if the teams would go into the break tied, but Evan Pillsbury stepped in front of a Belton pass deep in Northmont territory for the interception. Butler’s Jason Albertini ran in a quarterback keeper, followed by Ritter’s point after, to give the Aviators a 10-3 halftime advantage.
The third quarter proved to be rather uneventful compared to the yet-to-come fourth quarter fireworks. Vandalia-Butler (3-5) increased their lead to 17-3 on a rushing touchdown by running back Andy Baughman. Ritter tacked on the kick and the Aviators seemed to be in business heading to the final quarter. The early doings of the fourth quarter saw Belton, who had missed nearly three games due to injury, on a mission. Any rustiness from his lay off was shaken quickly with a 2-play 77 yard drive, capped by a 17 yard touchdown reception by senior Brad Herr from Belton. Froebe added the kick, closing the gap to 17-10. After a stalled Aviator drive, Belton began another march downfield, but the drive ended with an interception by Butler’s Terrance Conley. On the next Northmont possession, Belton sustained the drive long enough to finish it off himself with a 4 yard run tying the game at 17 after Froebe split the uprights once again on the PAT. Then the fun began.
Northmont, poised to take control of the game, suffered another turnover on the following possession. Belton was once again intercepted by Pillsbury, this time with 7:23 left in regulation. Butler almost immediately turned the ball back over the the Bolts when junior Daren Youngberg intercepted Albertini with 5:52 remaining. Setting up the turnover was Butler was forced into an obvious passing down thanks to a big sack by Northmont’s Dan Harper. The teams traded possessions and the Aviators looked to have the last drive in their control until it stalled with 1:54. Baughman was stuffed for a 6 yard loss on 4th-and-inches by senior linebacker Chris Rutledge. The T-bolts moved the ball to the Butler 18, setting up Froebe for a game winning 35 yard attempt, but the game moved to overtime, tied 17-17, as the senior’s kick was unsuccessful.
Both teams scored touchdowns in their opening overtime possessions. Baughman scored on an 8 yard carry, followed by Belton on a 4 yard keeper. Ritter and Froebe continued their busy night by kicking the respective extra points. In the second overtime, Belton scored on a plunge from a yard out for the first Thunberbolt lead of the night. Now it was up to the Gang Green defense. To keep alive any hope, the Aviators were forced into a fourth and three, but Albertini’s pass was picked off by sophomore sensation C.J. Barnett sealing the deal. Northmont travels to Trotwood (6-2) next to take on the playoff-minded Rams, while Butler travels to Sidney (1-7).
