North Union Wildcats drop game to Graham

Triad’s Wyatt Smth (1) is brought down by a Northeastern defender. The Cardinals lost, 23-16. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)

Jonathan Alder overcame a seven-point halftime deficit and several injuries Friday night to defeat Bellefontaine, 41-28, securing a 7-3 regular-season record and a playoff game. The Pioneers trailed 21-14 at halftime before taking control of the contest with a strong second-half performance. Alder head coach Brett Glass credited his team’s ability to overcome adversity throughout the night. “We handled some adversity,” Glass said. “We had a couple of starters go down during the game and had some other kids step up. A lot of things didn’t go our way early and we handled it. We were able to come back in the second half and finish.” Bellefontaine struck first with a quarterback touchdown run at the 9:34 mark of the opening quarter, taking an early advantage. Alder responded less than three minutes later when sophomore quarterback Drew Hughes found the end zone with 6:50 remaining in the first quarter, evening the score. Hughes added his second rushing touchdown of the night on a one-yard run with 10:18 remaining in the second quarter, giving the Pioneers their first lead. Bellefontaine answered with a passing touchdown at the 5:04 mark before its quarterback scored on a rushing touchdown with just 17 seconds remaining in the half. The late score sent the Chieftains into halftime with a 21-14 advantage. Alder came out of the break with renewed energy, quickly turning the game in its favor. Junior running back Christian Amann scored a rushing touchdown with 9:32 remaining in the third quarter, bringing the Pioneers even at 21. Less than a minute later, Alder’s defense delivered one of the biggest plays of the night. Junior Ben Petzinger intercepted a Bellefontaine pass and returned it for a touchdown with 8:34 remaining in the third quarter. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, but the defensive score gave Alder a 27-21 lead. The Pioneers continued to build their advantage when junior Trey Bentley scored on a jet sweep with 4:03 remaining in the quarter. Bentley made another important play defensively shortly afterward, intercepting a Bellefontaine pass in the end zone with 2:38 remaining to prevent the Chieftains from answering. Alder’s defense continued to create opportunities in the fourth quarter. Freshman Alex Boyd intercepted another Bellefontaine pass with 7:03 remaining, giving the Pioneers possession as they looked to protect their lead. Amann added his second rushing touchdown of the night on a one-yard run with 3:24 remaining, extending Alder’s advantage. Bellefontaine scored once more on a passing touchdown with 54 seconds remaining, but the Pioneers held on for the 41-28 victory. Despite the turnaround after halftime, Glass said the coaching staff made few adjustments during the break. “Not much,” Glass said when asked about halftime changes. “It was more about us just executing and doing things right.” Glass also credited Bentley’s return for helping the Pioneers overcome their early struggles. “Having No. 3 back out there helps out a little bit,” Glass said. “He really proved how tough he is.” The victory capped Alder’s regular season at 7-3 and secured the Pioneers a home playoff game. Glass praised the team’s seven seniors for their leadership, particularly as the Pioneers navigated injuries and a challenging stretch of games. “So proud of our senior leadership,” Glass said. “There’s only seven of them, and one’s out injured right now. The way they’ve helped us stick together and fight through the last month and get a big one tonight.” With postseason play approaching, Glass said the team’s immediate focus would be on celebrating the victory before turning its attention to the next opponent. “Enjoy tonight first,” Glass said. “See who’s healthy and figure out who we play.” Jonathan Alder will play its opening playoff game Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m., with its opponent yet to be determined.