Buckeyes top Tomcats in 17th annual Battle Over the Hill
By: Lucy Schaefer
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NELSONVILLE, Ohio (WOUB) – The stage was set at Boston Field for a high-stakes season opener: the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes vs. the Trimble Tomcats.
This is the 17th meeting between the two teams, both with eight wins each. Tonight would give one a leg up on the rivalry. It’s a tradition they start their seasons against each other.
The game began as a defensive battle. Both offenses kept play on the ground as they got comfortable, and the end of the first quarter brought zeroes on both sides.
Trimble took advantage of an offensive mistake by NY to start the second quarter. A high snap put the Tomcats deep in Buckeye territory, which paved the way for Trimble’s first score. One play later, Nelsonville-York responded with a 67-yard touchdown connection from Quarterback Cam Sullivan to Alec Thompson. That made the score 7-6 Buckeyes.
Nelsonville-York didn’t slow down; they held Trimble to no score and drove down the field fast. Sullivan once again found Thompson for a late-half score, which sent the Buckeyes into the half with the lead 14-6.
Trimble came into the third quarter with their foot on the gas. They got all the way down the field before a costly fumble would turn the tables in Nelsonville-York’s direction. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Sullivan rushed for a 1-yard score, then Trimble responded with a 29-yard touchdown reception by Luke Osborn. But that wouldn’t be enough to top the Buckeyes, who won 21-14.