GALION — After an even first half, Galion responded to head coach Matt Dick and that was the turning point for the Tigers.
“I screamed at Holden Hunter to block gap, which is something I yelled at him last week about,” Dick said about their halftime adjustment. “I just really got all over him and we came out in the second half, we drove all the way down behind him blocking gap.”
It was exactly what Galion needed to do to draw away from a tough Carey team that had them deadlocked at 14 at the break.
“Just getting up to the linebacker a little quicker — but man he is a special player — and he makes the offense go running behind him,” Dick said of Hunter.
Galion put together a 65-yard drive coming out of the half that took up a large chunk of the third quarter. It was the type of drive that wears down a defense and the exact response Galion needed.
Carson Frankhouse punched it in from a yard out to give Galion a 21-14 advantage they wouldn’t lose.
“We had a couple chances,” said Carey head coach Jonathon Mershman. “A chance at the second half right before halftime. A chance late there, another chance earlier.”
Carey is now 0-2 to start the season after opening the season with a loss to Hopewell-Loudon, 36-19.
“We got to keep our heads up and we got to dig out of this hole we’re in right now (at) 0-2,” Mershman said. “A lot of things ahead of us and a lot of things we can do.”
Tripp Phoenix intercepted a pass from Braxton Prosser that set up Carey with a chance to tie it or win it late in the fourth quarter. That never happened as Galion’s defense hung tough for a fourth down stop, as they did all second half.
“Defensively, if you can’t stop teams in the fourth quarter, you can’t win big-time games,” spoke Dick.
Carey had no issue scoring in the first half, including the very first drive of the game. To cap off the opening drive it was Blue Devils’ Austin Niederkohr punching it in from five yards out.
It took Galion’s offense a bit to wake up. Their first two drives resulted in punts after not crossing midfield. It was a special teams play that sparked Galion’s offense. After a Landon Campbell punt, Cooper Kent raced down and was able to catch a muffed punt that popped up in the air at the Carey 19-yard line.
After a five-yard penalty, Prosser found Elijah Chafin on a post route from 24 yards out.
Carey had an answer in the form of an Eli Steen 57-yard touchdown. Listed at 6-foot and 240 pounds, Steen outran the Tigers’ defense on the opening play of the second quarter.
Prosser and the Tigers had another quick answer as he connected with Jacob Chambers on a 34-yard touchdown to make it 14-14 and that score held through halftime. The passing attack led by Prosser led the way for Galion in the first half. For the game, Prosser would go 10-of-14 for 107 yards.
“Braxton Prosser, if you saw what he did last week to this week. It’s a credit to his character, it’s a credit to answering the call,” Dick said of his junior quarterback.
With the win, Galion is 2-0 for the first time since 2019 and that’s a start the senior-led team envisioned.
“We’ve had this group of seniors and they’ve been playing a lot of football since they were sophomores, even freshmen,” explained Dick. “This was the ultimate team win. It kind of shows the bond these guys have.”
Another key contribution for Galion was a Gabe Ivy interception. Also, on defense Linkon Tyrrell, Campbell, and Frankhouse anchored a nice game for the front seven. On the offensive side of the ball, Frankhouse pitched in with three catches totaling 26 yards.
Overall, Carey was able to outgain Galion in yardage by a 279-206 margin. But three Carey turnovers to Galion’s one, as well as three turnovers on downs was their fate.
“We moved the ball pretty successfully,” said Mershman. “We just had some bad judgment calls and had negative plays,” explained Mershman.
The road doesn’t get easier for Carey. Next week the Blue Devils will host Lima Central Catholic, a team that is expected to be very good this year, after winning 10 games last season and reaching the state semifinal in Division VII. The Thunderbirds are 1-0 and play their Week 2 game today against Delphos St. John’s.
Next for the Tigers is Upper Sandusky, which is 1-1 on the season with a loss to Northmor, then a win over Mt. Gilead in Week 2, 26-12. The Rams have a senior quarterback in Kaden Holman who leads their offense and he’s a veteran in their system. Last season, the Tigers downed the Rams, 28-7.
“It’s fun to go from this smash-mouth Carey team, and Wynford, to a little bit more of a spread team,” Dick said of the upcoming matchup. “On offense, maybe we’ll have a different advantage and that’s exciting.”
Box score
Score by quarters
Carey 7 7 0 0 — 14
Galion 7 7 7 0 — 21
Scoring summary
First quarter
C — Austin Niederkohr 5 run (Bryce Puckett kick), 8:49.
G — Elijah Chafin 24 pass from Braxton Prosser (Allen Carver kick).
Second quarter
C — Eli Steen 43 run (Puckett kick), 11:48.
G — Jacob Chambers 34 pass from Prosser (Carver kick), 9:07.
Third quarter
G — Carson Frankhouse 1 run (Carver kick), 5:50.
Individual statistics
Passing
Carey Alex Putnam 9-17-1 90; Galion: Braxton Prosser 10-14 -1 107.
Rushing
Carey: Alex Putnam 8-32, Conner Norden 4-9; Galion: Gabe Ivy 17-53, Braxton Prosser 4-25, Carson Frankhouse 1-1.
Receiving
Carey: Sam Cole 1-7; Galion: Elijah Chafin 5-44, Jacob Chambers 1-34, Carson Frankhouse 3-26, Linkon Tyrrell 1-3.
Team statistics
C G
First downs 14 10
Rushing 182 86
Passes 9-17-1 10-14-1
Yards passing 98 120
Total yards 279 206
Fumbles-lost 2-2 1-1
Penalties 3-15 4-25