Elmwood holds on for close win at home over Liberty-Benton
Drew Terhall
Nov 6, 2021
BLOOMDALE — In a thriller at Elmwood High School, the third-seeded Royals beat sixth-seeded Liberty-Benton 41-40 after a failed two-point conversion by the Eagles.
Head coach Greg Bishop is proud of his team for clawing out a victory.
“They battled. We had some adversity, but we kept fighting and that’s all that matters. Hats off to Liberty-Benton,” Bishop said.
It was a close game at the half. The Royals were up 26-13. Liberty-Benton got the ball to start the second half. Quarterback Kameron Garlock hit receiver Malik Eckford for a 39-yard touchdown.
Once it was 26-20, the Royals scored 15 straight to lead 41-20. Both scores came from running back Mason Oliver. During the game, injuries hit the secondary and the special teams hard.
The missed PATs left important points on the board.
“Our holder went out with an injury. We had to go for two and figure things out. We got it figured out,” Bishop said.
The Garlock-Eckford combo kept the Eagles in the game. A 42-yard and a 35-yard touchdowns made it a 41-34 game.
For the game, Eckford had 169 yards and three touchdowns.
The Eagles kept getting stops and eventually had the ball with the fourth quarter ending in a hurry.
With about two minutes left, Garlock ran for a 14-yard touchdown. Down 40-41, Liberty-Benton elected to go for it.
Bishop had a simple message for his team before the two-point attempt.
“Play the way we’ve always played. Let’s get after them and just go. That’s all we can do,” Bishop said.
Rolling out to his left, Garlock was sacked by Casey Frank.
On the previous kickoff, the Eagles recovered an onside kick. But this time, Elmwood recovered and ran out the clock.
Elmwood did not blink as the Eagles started to mount a comeback.
“We knew we had to stay focused and keep it going. We couldn’t let up and let their momentum destroy ours,” quarterback Hayden Wickard said.
Garlock finished the game 23 for 51 with 509 yards and five touchdowns. He did have one interception late in the second quarter on a hail Mary attempt.
He also led his team in rushing with 19 yards and a rushing touchdown.
His leading receiver was Lincoln Garlock. He had 246 yards on eight catches. Garlock also scored a 63-yard touchdown.
For Elmwood, running back Mason Oliver continued his dominant season. He rushed for 310 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns.
Wickard finished the game with 144 yards on 8 for 11 passing. He had two touchdowns. Wickard also had 70 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown.
The Royals will play Elyria Catholic Saturday on a neutral site in a regional semifinal game.
Drew Terhall
Nov 6, 2021
BLOOMDALE — In a thriller at Elmwood High School, the third-seeded Royals beat sixth-seeded Liberty-Benton 41-40 after a failed two-point conversion by the Eagles.
Head coach Greg Bishop is proud of his team for clawing out a victory.
“They battled. We had some adversity, but we kept fighting and that’s all that matters. Hats off to Liberty-Benton,” Bishop said.
It was a close game at the half. The Royals were up 26-13. Liberty-Benton got the ball to start the second half. Quarterback Kameron Garlock hit receiver Malik Eckford for a 39-yard touchdown.
Once it was 26-20, the Royals scored 15 straight to lead 41-20. Both scores came from running back Mason Oliver. During the game, injuries hit the secondary and the special teams hard.
The missed PATs left important points on the board.
“Our holder went out with an injury. We had to go for two and figure things out. We got it figured out,” Bishop said.
The Garlock-Eckford combo kept the Eagles in the game. A 42-yard and a 35-yard touchdowns made it a 41-34 game.
For the game, Eckford had 169 yards and three touchdowns.
The Eagles kept getting stops and eventually had the ball with the fourth quarter ending in a hurry.
With about two minutes left, Garlock ran for a 14-yard touchdown. Down 40-41, Liberty-Benton elected to go for it.
Bishop had a simple message for his team before the two-point attempt.
“Play the way we’ve always played. Let’s get after them and just go. That’s all we can do,” Bishop said.
Rolling out to his left, Garlock was sacked by Casey Frank.
On the previous kickoff, the Eagles recovered an onside kick. But this time, Elmwood recovered and ran out the clock.
Elmwood did not blink as the Eagles started to mount a comeback.
“We knew we had to stay focused and keep it going. We couldn’t let up and let their momentum destroy ours,” quarterback Hayden Wickard said.
Garlock finished the game 23 for 51 with 509 yards and five touchdowns. He did have one interception late in the second quarter on a hail Mary attempt.
He also led his team in rushing with 19 yards and a rushing touchdown.
His leading receiver was Lincoln Garlock. He had 246 yards on eight catches. Garlock also scored a 63-yard touchdown.
For Elmwood, running back Mason Oliver continued his dominant season. He rushed for 310 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns.
Wickard finished the game with 144 yards on 8 for 11 passing. He had two touchdowns. Wickard also had 70 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown.
The Royals will play Elyria Catholic Saturday on a neutral site in a regional semifinal game.