Badin sophomore quarterback Alex Ritzie hadn't attempted a pass all season entering Friday's Region 12 final against Bellbrook.
With quarterback Landyn Vidourek, the GCL Coed's third-leading passer, shaken up and having trouble throwing the football, Ritzie had to step in at quarterback in the fourth quarter, and he responded, leading the Rams to a 21-9 victory over Bellbrook Friday night..
With unbeaten Badin trailing 9-0 with just over 10 minutes left in the game, Ritzie stepped in and went 5-of-5 passing on his first drive, capping it with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Braedyn Moore after having to roll out and take a hit as he threw. Moore hauled in all three of his catches on that drive, tallying 58 yards.
Ritzie was running the offense like he'd been ready for that moment the entire year, making sure the team was on the same page throughout the drive.
"For being a sophomore, coming in there, in that moment in a big game like that, his composure, getting guys — there were times when we weren't lined up correctly and the kid made plays," Badin coach Nick Yordy said. "I'm happy for him, really. Just a hell of a job, man."
With that one drive, Badin was back in the game. The defense, as it did all night with the offense struggling through three quarters, stepped up big and forced a punt with four minutes to go.
"That's something special to be able to rely on," Walsh said. "We've got 11 bad dudes on that side, so there's nothing more I could ask for."
The Rams offense took over and marched back down the field with runs of 33 and 19 yards by senior running back Jack Walsh. After a hold and a fumbled high snap deep in Golden Eagles territory, it looked like the Rams' drive had stalled and they'd settle for trying a field goal.
They did, and the kick went wide, but a running into the kicker penalty gave the Rams a free five yards and kept the drive alive. Two plays later, Walsh found space on the right side, got the edge and sprinted 13 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 40 seconds left.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, Walsh and Ritzie had led a previously struggling Badin offense on two scoring drives to take the lead late in the regional final.
"That was surreal," Ritzie said. "You never really expect to do that as a backup quarterback. It's like, just, 'Wow, I'm doing this.'
Badin added more insurance on the next drive thanks to a pick-six from Carson Cheek with 13 seconds left that made it 21 straight points for the top-seeded Rams, as they earned the win to stay unbeaten.
In a game where the defense allowed Badin (13-0) to hang around, it seemed fitting that the defense came up with the final scoring play of the night.
"Our offense, we struggled to start this game and throughout the game," Ritzie said. "Our defense really stepped up. They had our backs, and they're really what won us the game."
This is the first time Badin has reached a state semifinal since 1998.
Vidourek's absence down the stretch served as motivation for the Rams, who said they played the rest of the game for their senior quarterback. Walsh was impressed by Ritzie's ability to step in, in that moment and lead the team to a much-needed score.
"He sure as hell did step up when we needed him," Walsh said. "I mean, sophomore, coming into the game cold, not much more you can ask for. But we did that for Landyn. He went down, we had his back. He's the best athlete on our team; the biggest leader on our team. We had to pick him back up and do it for him."
Walsh ran the ball 23 times for 151 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. It's the second week in a row that Walsh has eclipsed 150 rushing yards. Despite Bellbrook (11-3) holding the ball for 29 minutes, Badin was still able to gain 307 total yards on just 46 plays.
The Golden Eagles ran 60 plays, and 49 of them were runs, as Seth Borondy carried the ball a game-high 36 times for 163 yards and a touchdown out of Bellbrook's power running formations.
The first three quarters were anything but ideal for the Rams, who had to stay the course and trust their defense to even get a chance to make a comeback.
"That's something we always talk about, stay the course, stick to the plan,"coach Yordy said. "That was a terrible way to start a football game, you know. ... We were lucky to be 3-0 at halftime. We were in the ballgame, and I think that obviously helped, and they came out and battled, man. Credit to these kids. They played hard."
After Badin picked up a quick first down on its opening drive, Bellbrook's defense stepped. Cameron Strong jumped a route near the sideline and intercepted a pass from Videourek.
Borondy ran the ball five straight times on the ensuing drive before a fumbled snap stalled the Golden Eagles' momentum. They settled for a 42-yard field goal from Connor Peh, which split the upright to give the Golden Eagles an early edge.
Badin moved the ball down into the red zone on its second drive. Bellbrook's defense, though, came away with another big play. After Videourek threw a strike to Cooper Fiehrer, a Bellbrook defender ripped the ball out at the 11-yard line, where the defense recovered the ball for a huge stop to hold its lead.
Near the end of the half, it looked like Badin was about to catch its first break. A roughing the passer penalty set the Rams up in Golden Eagle territory, where a deep pass from Videourek was batted around by at least three players before falling to Fiehrer. As he was corralling the ball and getting ready to cross the goal line, the ball was knocked out of his hands for an incompletion, forcing the Rams to punt to end the half.
Bellbrook's second drive of the second half went 92 yards in 16 plays, taking around nine minutes off the clock as Borondy capped it with a 20-yard touchdown run. That set up Ritzie and Badin's late-game heroics to reach the state semifinal.
Badin will face Granville in the Division III semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday. The location has not yet been announced.
Bellbrook 3 0 0 6 - 9
Badin 0 0 0 21 - 21
Be- Peh 42 field goal
Be- Borondy 20 run (Peh kick)
Ba- Moore 9 pass from Ritzie (Niesen kick)
Ba- Walsh 13 run (Niesen kick)
Ba- Cheek 30 interception return (Niesen kick)
Source link
