Sports
Belpre Eliminated in Round One of Playoffs for Second Straight Year
By: Megan Vanselow
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Despite a late comeback, Belpre’s season ended after one playoff game for a second consecutive year when they fell to Canal Winchester Harvest Prep 21-19 Friday night.
While the Belpre defense looked strong at the start of the game, Harvest Prep upped its tempo enough to eventually stall out the Golden Eagles. Offensively, Belpre struggled past the Warrior defense, and shot themselves in the foot on too many big opportunities.
Belpre (8-3, 7-1) started the game by stopping Harvest Prep (9-2, 6-0) in the red-zone followed by an Ethan Williams interception off a Rodney Myers Jr. pass on the five-yard line. The Belpre offense took the field and sent the pigskin flying on the first play of the drive. Tavian Miller connected with Deijon Bedgood for 40 yards to hype up the sidelines. Unfortunately the play was called back for illegal participation on Bedgood after he went out of bounds and was first to touch the ball when he returned in bounds.
The negative mojo killed the Belpre offense as they went three and out from there and struggled on the next several drives.
Harvest Prep scored late in the first quarter on a 49-yard touchdown run by Curtis Jones. After Harvest Prep broke through the Belpre defense, it never looked back.
While the Warriors offense was booming, Belpre made costly errors that hurt them in the long run. At the end of the first quarter Belpre got down to the Harvest Prep five yard line but were unable to convert. During it’s next drive Bedgood charged into the endzone to put them on the board, however, the PAT was missed keeping them down 7-6.
Meyers Jr. ran in Harvest Prep’s next score to hold the lead. He went on to finish with 10-of-12 passing for 130 yards and 17 rushes for 65 yards respectively for the Warriors.
Despite the solid night, Meyers Jr. fumbled on the next drive, where Tik Wong recovered for Belpre. Luckily for him, Belpre was unable to capitalize on a turnover once again.
Coming out of the locker room down 14-6, Belpre got momentum going right out the gates. They stopped Harvest Prep after three plays and drove deep into enemy territory. However, as quickly as it got there, Belpre was faced with fourth and 10, went for it, but did not convert.
The next drive sent Harvest Prep into the end zone after two plays all courtesy of Curtis Jones who took a pass for 45 yards and then made a 30-yard run.
Belpre snapped back into focus the rest of the second half and tried to make up ground. After its first score since early in the game, coaches called for a two-point conversion, but when it was unable to convert, it remained a two-possession game as Belpre trailed, 21-12.
With just under three minutes in the game Belpre struck again, making the PAT but it was too little too late.
With the win, Harvest Prep will go on to play Danville who defeated South Gallia Friday.