By Bill Bray
OREGON – A win with over 60 points rarely happens in the history of Fremont Ross Football until now. The Little Giants used 64 points for the second time this season to gain a win. This time over Oregon Clay in the Three Rivers Athletic Conference showdown. Fremont Ross 64, Oregon Clay 31.
It was 1949 the last time the Little Giants scored more than 60 points on two different occasions. The Little Giants of coach Lester Binkley won 65-0 over Cleveland Brush and later that season had a 78-0 victory over Tiffin.
Fast forward to 2022. The Little Giants of coach Chad Long have scored 64 points for the second time in four games.
Kelandre Jones (24) scores his third touchdown of the game.
Elijah Simms (10) put the hit on the Clay receiver as Brayden Guhn (33) is ready to assist.
The defensive presence of Mason Villarreal (26) and Brayden Guhn (33) have offenses scrambling.
Bryson Hammer (9) is a threat every time he touches the ball.
Kaden Holmes ends his 17 yard run in the end zone as Clay defenders were a little late to stop the All-Ohioan.
The high-powered offense dressed in Gray and White used 64 points to gain their fourth straight win against no losses so far this season.
Kaden Holmes added to his All-Ohio numbers as he put the ball in the air for 325 yards on 22 of 26 passes. He added to this, three more touchdown passes. Then added two more touchdowns on the ground.
Senior Adam Hrynciw is one of five receivers Holmes used during the night. Hrynciw hauled in five receptions for 134 yards and one touchdown. Bryson Hammer, another senior receiver for Holmes caught nine passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. The third receiver Holmes looked to during the contest was junior Elijah Simms. Simms caught five passes for 56 yards and a score.
Fremont Ross went up 14-0 scoring on their first two possessions of the game. The first score came with 8:56 remaining in the opening quarter when Holmes ran in from three yards out. Rodriguez added the point for a 7-0 lead.
Holmes ran 17 yards for his second touchdown with 4:00 remaining in the first quarter. Rodriguez was good again on the PAT and Ross had a 14-0 advantage.
The Fremont Ross defense indeed had their hands full with Oregon Clay’s Mason Heintschel. The Eagles’ signal caller, who threw for 355 yards on 28 of 38 and four touchdowns put his team on the board as the first quarter ended with a 26-yard strike to Troy Hazuda. The Eagles added a pair of extra points on a two-point run by Kale Wilkins.
The second quarter saw each team put a pair of touchdowns on the board. Ross started the scoring with 10:06 remaining as Holmes found Hrynciw with a 47-yard pass. Rodriguez added the PAT and Ross was up 21-8.
On the following Clay drive, it was Heintschel again guiding his team down the field resulting in another Eagles score. This time with a seven yard scoring strike to Christian Mays. Wilkins added the kick and Ross’ lead shrunk to 21-15.
The game was more reminiscent of a ping pong match as Ross answered back. Showing their offensive power, the Giants scored with :33 left in the half as Kelandre Jones ran for seven yards. Rodriguez again added the extra point and Ross was enjoying a 28-15 lead.
Just when it looked like Ross would carry that 13-point advantage into the locker room, the Eagles and Heintschel said, ‘not so fast’. As the clock hit triple zeroes to end the half, Heitschel found Evin Baker for an 11-yard scoring strike. Clay again added a two-point conversion and Clay was back to within five points as the half ended.
“Clay had a really good combination of things they were doing offensively,” coach Chad Long explained. “We did some extra things on the defensive line to get some extra pressure to hopefully slow their quarterback down.”
All the adjustments that took place in the Ross locker-room at the half, paid off as the Eagles, were held to one second half score.
Meanwhile, the Ross offense who is arguably one of the best offenses in all Northwest Ohio, added five scores in the second half to put the game away.
First it was Jones with his second score of the game on a two-yard plunge at the 9:29 mark. The 225 lbs. senior running back got his third score of the contest with 1:04 remaining in the third quarter to end the Little Giants next possession. Ross scored their two-point conversion with a toss from Holmes to Hammer.
With a 20-point advantage at 43-23. Holmes found Simms for a 25-yard score as the junior was by himself in the middle of the field and went into the end zone untouched as Ross built their lead to 50-23.
Clay was able to answer one of Fremont’s five second half scores as Heintschel found Baker for a 48-yard strike with 8:09 remaining in the game.
Ross put any hopes Clay had of making another run as Holmes hit Hammer with a 21-yard scoring pass with 3:25 remaining to build the Ross lead to 57-31 with the Rodriguez kick.
The scoring parade came to an end with :04 left in the contest after Brasen Sims picked off a Heintschel pass and fought his way into the open returning the theft all the way for the final Ross touchdown. Brasen Sims picked off the pass and sprinted 90 yards to paydirt. The distance ties Brasen with John Lazano (1984) and Tyler Grine (2014) for fifth on the all-time “interception return for a touchdown” list. Congratulations to Brasen.
Fremont had total offense of 502 yards to Oregon Clay’s 400. The game’s rushers were led by Jones who had his second 100+ game with 107 yards on 16 carries. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry and scored three times. Wilkins led Clay with 58 yards on 10 carries.
Defensively Mason Villarreal led the charge with eight tackles, one solo and 14 assists. He was in on 1,5 sacks and had two tackles for losses.
Toledo Central Catholic 50, Findlay 17
Whitmer 41, St Francis 7
St. John’s 48, Lima Sr. 13
Fremont Ross 64, Oregon Clay 31