ROCKY RIVER, Ohio – A lightning-fast start for the visitors, coupled with some untimely penalties and turnovers by the home side, spelled a one-sided loss for the Pirates, as Rocky River closed out its 2019 season on Friday.
The Elyria Catholic Panthers scored on each of their first four offensive possessions, building a commanding 28-0 lead by the midpoint of the second quarter on what was a chilled season finale for the Sons of Blackbeard. The program’s eldest sons were honored pregame as a part of Senior Night festivities. They would register some final key moments on the gridiron in the heart of River – before the night was over and the Rocky River Stadium scoreboard declared the Panthers a victor by a final score of 35-7.
A thrilling start to the game – an apparent Owen Bebie kickoff return for a touchdown on a trick play – fizzled amidst celebration when a holding call near midfield nixed the score. A stout Elyria defense killed the emotion of the moment nearly as quickly by forcing a fumble on River’s third play from scrimmage. The Panthers would then take over on offense, take over the momentum of the game and not look back.
On EC’s first possession, the Panthers ran four rushing plays which ripped through the Pirate defense and netted a score on a 9-yard Nathan Damron run. An outsized offensive line gave River fits, a portent of things to come in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Rocky River’s next three possessions resulted in two punts and an interception. The River punts were excellent and the Panther pick came on the EC 10-yard line, so all three possessions pinned the Panthers deep in their own end of the field. But over those three possessions, Elyria Catholic averaged 88 yards per drive and 15 yards per play as the Panthers worked their lead to 14-, 21-, and then eventually 28-0.
The decisive stretch included big plays by the visitors – pass plays of 33 and 74 yards and an 85-yard TD run – but also solid work in converting on third- and fourth-down situations and muscling through the Pirates in short-yardage situations. The three drives included a key, inopportune personal foul against Rocky River and more than a few missed River tackles. When the Pirates got the ball on the trailing end of the 28-0 score, they committed a third turnover. The Men in Maroon finished the opening half with just 103 total yards on 26 plays.
The Elyria passing game cranked out 186 yards on a 10-of-14 performance in the first half. Panther rushers added another 168 yards. With EC garnering 14 points of River turnovers, the Panthers (7-3, 6-2 Great Lakes Conference) went into halftime leading, 28-0. Senior linebacker Zack Wagner helped the Pirates (5-5, 3-5) stave off a worse deficit; the son of Mark and Kim Wagner logged his first career interception – in the River end zone – in the final minute of the half.
The Pirates failed to score after recovering a nifty onside
kick by Owen Bebie at the opening of half No. 2. Elyria Catholic capitalized
with a 4-minute-and-57-second drive, a nine-play, 77-yard march culminating in
a 22-yard touchdown run by Nick Bender. That score slid the contest into
running-clock territory.
The rest of the game amounted to just three possessions.
That endgame yielded a gritty stop by a Pirate defense led by Wagner and fellow
seniors Ergi Sulce and James Byall. The son of Gazmir and Rudina Sulce was a
stalwart force inside against a powerful Panther offensive line; he made
multiple stops at or near the line of scrimmage. The son of Jim and Lisa Byall
was alert and active in the River defensive backfield.
On offense, the Pirates exhibited a formation some 18 years
in the making, when Owen, Tommy and Johnny Bebie lined up behind quarterback
Braedon Spies. In a sport with formations named the shotgun and pistol and with
respect to the Maryland I, call the all-in-the-family Double-R look the Red
Ryder, a weapon made famous in these parts. The formation was, after all, full
of Bebies.
And the 2020-graduating third of that backfield triumvirate was in on play 27 seconds before the final gun that perhaps best served as emblematic on a night when a program looked ahead with promise – with a slew of young and talented payers up and down the roster but with valuable, experienced seniors showing the way:
A 19-yard touchdown reception – one hauled in by a senior (Owen Bebie) and thrown by a sophomore (Braeden Spies). A play capping off a 99-yard drive. And when the son of Tony and Kerry Bebie crossed the goal line, it was an affirmation that the Pirates have made it all the way down the field before.
And that they’ll do it again.
CANNON FIRE …
NUMBERS GAME: Rocky River’s touchdown marked the 19th
TD pass of the season for Bradeon Spies and the 11th career TD reception for Owen Bebie. … The eight Pirate seniors – Assad Assad, Bebie, James Byall, Cristain Dean, Richie Flores, Jimmy Leamon, Ergi Sulce and Zack Wagner – leave the program with more than 3,000 total yards, over 380 tackles, 12 interceptions and 36 touchdowns in their aggregate career totals.
YOUNG BUCS: Rocky River’s 2019 developmental team has been a freshman/JV hybrid – a “froshmore” squad of sorts. Through Thursday and with one game remaining in their season, the Froshmore Pirates were 5-3 this fall. Standout performers include freshman running back Johnny Bebie (1,075 rushing yards, 14 TD), freshman quarterback Mack Massad (64% -- 58-of-91 – pass completion, 605 passing yards, 311 rushing yards, nine total TD), freshman tight end Stan Heuler (26 receptions, three TD, outstanding blocker), freshman wide receiver/defensive back Parker Hartup (251 combined yards, exceptional tackler), sophomore cornerback Jacob Gura (lock-down corner in pass prevention, registered special teams tackle on Friday), two-way lineman Evan Merk (solid both ways, served as varsity long snapper), freshman guard/linebacker Jack McBride (versatile contributor and impact blocker), and freshman two-way lineman Charlie Fadel (consistent blocker with stamina to play every down). [thumbnail player comments by Head Coach Kris Atwater]
EDITOR’S NOTE: Rocky River does not keep in-game statistics for Football. Nor are they available postgame or the next morning when these game recaps are written. I travel to most road games to keep drive charts, enabling me to provide a fair account of the game action. In serving as public address announcer for home games, I would be without these drive charts for such games without the efforts of Pat O’Toole, who keeps the drive stats while serving as PA spotter. Thank you, Pat. Home recaps would be near-impossible without your good work. … On a related note: if it’s an area with which the Boosters, Marooners, or RRFPA would be willing to become involved, keeping in-game stats is not uncommon among other programs. In an era of social media and with multiple local media platforms sometimes covering games, not keeping in-game team and individual stats amounts to a turnover.
by Skip Snow
# # # pirates # # #