2009 & Division I here we come!

Anderson- 21--- Elder 28

         My least favorite part of geometry was proofs and theorems, and this year they failed me once again. In the 2009 high school football season and post-season, Anderson trounced Middletown, Middletown trounced Moeller, Moeller beat Elder. As we re-discovered during the Division 1 Region 4 Championship at the University of Cincinnati Nippert Stadium on November 21, 2009 in front of 12, 360 fans, unfortunately the Transitive Property of Inequalities doesn’t apply to football. Football is about match-ups, strategies, execution, and mistakes. Take away the first quarter plus 3:36 of the 2nd, and Anderson won in all those aspects, beating Elder 21-7, even with their star running back injured most of that time. Don’t get me wrong; Elder is a talented, well-oiled, now healthy squad, but basically in the Redskin’s first four offensive sets, they gave the Panthers the game on a silver platter. But in football and in life, you can’t select the parts you like and discard those you don’t. When down and out, you must still give it your best, keep your head held high, maintain your honor, sportsmanship, and respect. We are all proud of the Anderson Redskins who did all those things right. 

          Like they did all night long, even when pushed back 5 yards for being off-sides, Elder’s opening kick-off sailed into the endzone for a touchback. On the Redskin’s first offensive series, with a now familiar strategy, Kyle Slater (#3) and Brandon Bornhauser (#4) worked the ball on the ground from their own 20, earning 2 first-downs and advancing to the Elder 49. While the Redskins nearly always have converted on 4^th downs this year, what happened next was less familiar as the Panthers stopped the Redskins on 4^th and 4, leaving them with only half a field to score. With their opening play being a long quarterback sweep to the right bringing it from their own 47 to the Anderson 25, it only took the Panthers 5 plays to score on a 13 yd pass to an uncovered receiver, making it 0-7 halfway through the 1^st quarter at 6:38.  

         On the Redskin’s second offensive series on 2^nd and 8 from the 22, Bornhauser’s long pass was intercepted on the Anderson 43. Fortunately, the Panther’s long pass on 2^nd and 7 was intercepted by Jake Lackner (#30) back on the 22, allowing the Redskins to start over, but technically we need to call this their 3^rd offensive series. Slater, Justin Racer (#29) and Bornhauser then earned a first down and advanced the ball to the 41, but 2 penalty flags (false start and block in the back) set the Redskins back to 2^nd and 28 on their own 26. The punt on 4^th and 16 from the 35 was returned to the Anderson 22 (the Redskin’s thought they had knocked him out of bounds back in Elder territory and backed off, but the Jumbotron showed he was still in bounds). Elder made quick work of their excellent field position, finishing with a 5 yd TD pass to the back left corner and the Redskins found themselves down 0-14 with 2 seconds left in the 1^st quarter.

           On their 4^th offensive series, the Redskins earned a 1^st down on Slater runs but then on a QB keeper fumbled the ball on 2^nd and 6 from their own 39. Elder’s deep pass from their own 36 set them up on the Anderson 20, so again only a few plays were needed for them to connect for another 7, this time with a 6 yd pass to the back right corner, putting them up 0-21 with 8:24 left in the half. 

          For most of the rest of the half, the Redskins put the mistakes behind them despite an unfortunate injury. Bolstered by an 47 yd scamper down the right side by Bornhauser, Slater and Bornhauser worked a 9-play, 80 yd drive that ended with Slater scoring on 4^th and 1 from the 3, and Tommy Chapman’s PAT made it 7-21 with 5:01 remaining. After the kick-off return, the Panthers moved the ball from their own 32 to the Anderson 33, but the defense then stepped it up with 3 consecutive PBU’s (passes broken up) by Kevin Cripe (#17), Matt Pucillo (#18), and Chris Shingleton (#1), the last on 4^th and 7. Taking over on downs, the Redskins connected to Jordan Shelton (#7) in the air, but on 3^rd and 6 when Slater took it up the middle, he suffered a shoulder injury and went out for the duration. The Redskins punted, kept the Panthers in check around midfield, and as time expired in the half their “Hail Mary” was intercepted on the 2 yd line by Pucillo. Halftime stats showed total yards nearly even with Elder at 198 (100 rushing, 98 passing) and Anderson at 196 (192 rushing, 4 passing).  Because the Redskins gave them excellent field position to start two of their scoring drives (53 and 22 yds), the Panthers’ yards were worth more points, making it 21-7 at the half.

           At the start of the 2^nd half, Elder ran the kick-off to their own 22 but were stopped by Pucillo. Finally starting a drive with long yardage, they earned a first down then completed a long pass down the right side from their own 38 that was knocked out by Cripe and recovered by Pucillo. The Redskins moved the ball on the strength of carries by Bornhauser, Racer and Jake Nelson (#26) from their own 30 to Elder’s 38, but on 4^th and 4 Bornhauser’s pass was again intercepted. Fortunately, the Redskins’ defense held strong, and Elder was then forced to punt on 4^th and 5. The Redskins started from their own 24 and the trio of Bornhauser, Racer, and Nelson earned 5 first downs and Bornhauser scored on a 7 yd run with 1:31 left in the 3^rd quarter, and Chapman’s PAT closed the gap to 1 score at 14-21. 

          The Redskin defense was unable to stop Elder on the next series as they engineered an 11 play, 72 yd scoring drive ending with a 13 yd pass to the back left corner with 9:13 left in the game, making it 14-28. There was still plenty of time, but on the next series Anderson never advanced the ball from their own 20 with 2 incomplete passes and were forced to punt on 4^th and 10. This time Paden Ramey (#94) made the stop on the punt return. Elder started at midfield on their own 49, but pressure on the quarterback on 3^rd and 8 caused intentional grounding, and they punted on 4^th and 25. Cripe returned the punt from the Anderson 30 to the 48, finally giving the Redskins decent field position to start a drive. This time the Redskins found their groove on the strength of 7 runs by Nelson, a 16 yd pass to Racer, and 3 QB keepers, the last being a 5 yd TD run. With Chapman’s PAT, the Redskins were again within 1 score at 21-28 with 2:55 remaining. 

           After the onside kick failed and Elder started at the 50, the Redskin defense held strong and forced the punt on 4^th and 2 from the 42. Bornhauser made a great 18 yd run to kindle the Redskins’ hope, but on 1^st and 15 after an illegal procedure penalty on the 23, he was picked off by Elder with 1:25 remaining and they closed out the game on their knees. The final stats showed Anderson ahead in yards, 378 (358 rushing, 20 passing) to 340 (137 rushing, 203 passing), but behind in scoring, 21-28. 

           The Anderson fans thank the players, coaches, training staff, cheerleaders, and marching band for a terrific season. Ohio football is among the best in the country. Making the State’s Elite Eight and being Division 1 Region 4 runners-up is the best Anderson High School has ever achieved. What a great job! The Anderson community is proud of the Redskins!

 

Anderson 41- Middletown 20  Regional semifinal 

 The 2009 Division 1 regional semi-finals pitted the Anderson Redskins against the Middletown Middies at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium at 2:30 pm on Saturday, November 14, the first game of a double header followed by Elder vs. St. X. The Middies were riding high, fresh off their dramatic 45-10 win over  Moeller, who had been ranked #1 in the city for most of the season. Word on the street and the blogs was that the Middies were a threat at every position, with a multi-talented quarterback and 4-5 guys faster than our fastest. No blog I read picked Anderson to win. 

                   Although the lead changed hands several times and the Redskins found themselves down by 1 in the 3^rd quarter, in the end they more than doubled the Middies total yards (434-211) and points (41-20). The difference was the Anderson defense, who stepped up big-time in the 2^nd half and stopped the potent Middie running and passing game.           On their first possession, Anderson moved the ball well, earning 5 first-downs on 7 runs by Kyle Slater (#3), 3 quarterback-keepers by Brandon Bornhauser (#4), and 1 pass completion, ending the 74 yd drive with a 10 yd TD run by Slater. The 2-pt attempt failed due to a penalty, and the score was 6-0 at 7:46. 

          The Middies also started strong. Tommy Chapman (#16) kicked a pop-up, and Justin Racer (#26) stopped the return on the Middletown 30. They primarily used screen passes and pitch-backs to move the ball (with the help of an Anderson 15 yd face-mask penalty), and took the lead 6-7 at 3:46.  

         The Redskins were next held to 3 and out. The Middies started their next drive on their own 37 and advanced to the Anderson 15, but couldn’t get in on 4 tries due to a solid D, including a pass broken up on the endzone line on 4^th and 10. Taking over on downs, the Redskins again used runs by Slater and Bornhauser and a screen pass to Racer to earn 3 first downs and reach paydirt on a 2 yd Slater run with 7:10 left in the half. Slater tripped in the backfield on the 2 pt conversion attempt, but Anderson had the lead back at 12-7. 

          The Anderson lead would not last long, as the Middies again advanced the ball using a mixture of QB keepers, pitches, and a few passes to reach the endzone with 2:44 remaining, making it 12-14. That proved to be plenty of time for the Redskins to get it back, though, as again they earned 5 first-downs on 6 Slater runs, 5 QB keepers, and a pass on a scramble to Racer, with Bornhauser taking it in from the 1 with 8 seconds to spare. Chapman’s PAT was good, and they had the lead going into the half 19-14. Despite the close score, Anderson had outrushed them 214-90 yds, though Middletown had the edge in the air, 56-26 yds. Total yards in the first half were 240 for Anderson, 146 for Middletown. 

          The 2^nd half started out like ping-pong: the Middles went 3 and out, then the Redskins also failed to get a 1^st down and punted, then the Middies repeated 3 and out, and then again so did the Redskins. This last one wasn’t so pleasant, as the punt was returned for a touchdown, putting the Middies up again 19-20 with 6:10 remaining in the 3^rd quarter after their 2 pt attempt failed.

           From then on, the Redskins owned the game. They engineered a 79 yd drive on Slater runs and Bornhauser quarterback keepers, though it took 4 plays to get in from the 1 yd line. They advanced enough inches on a QB keeper on 3^rd and 1 at the 1 to get 1^st and goal on the 1, then after a failed keeper and being dropped for a loss, Slater made a dramatic, gutsy dive over the crowd on 3^rd and 2 from the 2, outstretching the ball with one hand and breaking the plane of the endzone. Bornhauser ran in the 2 pt conversion, and the Redskins were up 27-20 with 1:05 in the 3^rd quarter. 

          The Redskins’ defense forced another 3 and out, and the Redskins started their next drive on their own 48. The drive into the 4^th quarter featured a pass completion to Jordan Shelton (#7) on 4^th and 8 on the Middie’s 38 followed by a 29 yd TD run by Slater. After Chapman’s PAT, the Redskins were up 34-20 with 10:00 remaining. 

          After Chapman’s kick-off landed in the endzone, the Middies earned 2 first-downs but then turned it over on downs with an incomplete pass on 4^th and 15 on their own 43. Slater and Bornhauser worked the ball to the endzone in 7 plays with a 16 yd TD run by Bornhauser, and Chapman’s PAT made it 41-20 with 4:44 left in the game. The Middies then earned 2 first-downs, but their last attempt to score failed when they threw a bomb on 1^st and 10 from the Anderson 38 that was picked off by Kevin Cripe (#17) on the 2 yd line. Anderson ticked off the remaining 2:38 by earning 1 first-down then taking a knee.

           For the first time in a long, long while, if ever, the Anderson Redskins will be playing in the Division 1 regional finals next week as they face a now healthy Elder squad who defeated St. X, 17-14. The game will again be at UC’s Nippert stadium at 7pm. Elder fans filled 3/4ths the stadium at the St. X game – lets show them we can do the same!!

 

Lakota West review...Anderson 24-Lakota 21     (11-7-09)

Lakota West has the numbers. 1038, the number of boys enrolled in grades 9-11 as of October 2008 at Lakota West High School, is only 6 short of being double the number of boys (522) at Anderson High School at that time. Lakota West lists 112 boys on their football roster. Lakota West has the 2^nd highest rated NCAA D1 recruit linebacker in the country, Jordan Hicks. Lakota West has a powerful running back, Jordan Thompson, with 1453 rushing yards on the season. Lakota West players are big: their quarterback is 6’6 and one player weighs 370 lbs. On November 7, 2009 at the end of 4 quarters of play with the Anderson Redskins hosting a rare Division 1 playoff game (the first time in memory of any of the fans I could find), the only number that mattered was 3, the value of a 43 yd field goal by Tommy Chapman (#16) to break the tie with 2:39 left in the game. 

          Watching the pre-game warm-ups was unnerving for Anderson fans due to the shear size and number of the Firebirds. To great relief, their imposing figures melted away quickly in our minds when the opening kick-off to Kyle Slater (#3) was returned 98 yds for a touchdown! Chapman’s PAT made it 7-0 13 seconds into the game. 

          Lakota West’s play matched their size as they moved the ball effectively during their opening drive, earning 6 first downs in 14 plays (11 handled by Thompson) on the ground and in the air, despite strong efforts from the defense including multiple tackles by (in order of appearance) Jake Lackner (#30), Thomas Krutka (#2), Kevin Cripe (#17), Mitch Porta (#10), Kyle Payne (#41), Matt Gingras (#92), Matt Pucillo (#18), and Sean Molloy (#). The drive ended in a 2-yd TD run with 6:58 left in the quarter, making it 7-7 with the PAT.

           Lakota West never kicked to Slater again. Their pop-up was returned by Justin Racer (#29) to the 26. The Redskins earned 2 first-downs on a 4^th and 1 by Slater and a pass down the middle to Mark Vorderbrueggen (#6), but then Slater coughed up the ball to the Firebirds at midfield. Helped by a holding penalty, the Redskin defense kept them to 3 and out, and the punt rolled to the Anderson 27. The Redskin’s offense was also held to 3 and out, and Brian Veil (#50) stopped the punt return at the Firebird 25. This time the defense held them to one first down, with Tony Martini (#47) and Tyler Knabb (#49) getting in on the action. Two plays into the second quarter, their punt rolled deep to the Anderson 5, and again the Redskin offense couldn’t move the ball, in part due to a sack by Hicks. This time Martini stopped the punt return, but the Firebird drive started on the Anderson 42. 

          Despite the excellent field position, the Redskin’s defense remained tough with stops by Pucillo, Cripe, Krutka, Martini, and Chris Shingleton (#1), who made his first appearance since breaking his collar bone in week 4 against Columbus DeSales. The Redskin D had them at 4^th and 4, but the Firebirds made an outlet pass to get the first down. Then Martini got a great sack on 1^st and 10 on the 9 to put the ‘birds back to the 18. But a screen pass to Thompson allowed him to slip 18 yds into the endzone. Payne then blocked the PAT, making the score 7-13 with 5:32 remaining in the half. 

          The Redskins committed their second turnover 8 plays into the next drive when quarterback Brandon Bornhauser (#4) was picked off by Hicks, and Bornhauser had to make the tackle to prevent it from becoming a pick-6. Again, the Redskin defense stood strong to hold the Firebirds to 3 and out, and the Redskin offense went to work after the punt was fielded by Cripe on the Anderson 22. This time they were able to move the ball much better than on previous drives with runs by Slater, Racer, and Bornhauser, though mostly by Slater, and a pass to Jordan Shelton (#7) for a 1^st down on 3^rd and 4. Slater’s TD run from the 14 and Chapman’s PAT put the Redskins up 14-13 with 28 seconds in the half. 

          The second half was even more exciting than the first. The Firebirds failed to catch the Chapman pop-up, and as soon as their player picked up the ball he was promptly dropped by Caleb Correll (#8) at the Firebird 15. They were held to one first down on stops by Lackner, Martini, Pucillo, Cripe, Gingras, and their punt on 4^th and 2 from their own 36 rolled to the Anderson 17. In a roller-coaster set of plays, Bornhauser fumbled on first down but Slater recovered for a 4 yd loss, then a false start put them back to 2^nd and 19 on their own 8. As if to “say bring it on!,” Slater then broke free for a 82 yd run down the left side to reach the Firebird 10. Bornhauser took it to the 1 on the next play, and Slater capped it off to make it 21-13 after Chapman’s PAT with 6:51 left in the 3^rd quarter. 

          It would be another 32 plays with 7:12 left in the game before another score. The Firebirds were held to 2 first downs and forced to punt, which lofted into the endzone. From their own 20, the Redskins marched up the field and into the 4^th quarter on runs by Slater and Bornhauser and 2 right-sided passes to Kevin Becker (#35). They advanced all the way to 1^st and goal on the Firebird 7, but were set back to the 20 on a holding penalty. On 4^th and 15 on the 15, the refs iced the kicker by throwing flags on 3 consecutive kick attempts (2 against Anderson), and the 37 yd attempt sailed wide right. Taking over at their own 20, the Firebirds moved the ball to their 36, then lofted a pass deep over the defense for a 64-yd TD. Thompson ran the ball to the right side for the 2 pt conversion, tying the score at 21.

           Okay, I lied. The next kick-off went to Slater who brought it back to the 22. The Redskins again moved the ball down field to the Firebird 26, this time on runs by Jake Nelson (#26), Slater, Bornhauser, and a pass to Shelton. With 2:39 remaining in the game, the Redskins were 4^th and 9 on the 26 when Chapman kicked the ball 43 yds through the uprights for the 3 point go-ahead score that ultimately proved to be the game winner. The defense held the Firebirds to 3 and out, were forced to use up their timeouts, and the Redskins were able to genuflect as the clock ticked to 00:00. This was Division 1 high school football at its finest!

           The Redskins next face the Middletown Middies at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium at 2:30 pm on Saturday, November 14. The Middies crushed the Moeller Crusaders, ranked #1 in the city for most of the season. Don’t miss the excitement!   

 

Anderson 53 Harrison 37                      October 30, 2009

   With their away win over Harrison on October 30, 2009, the Anderson Redskins finished with a perfect season, going 10-0 for the first time in 7 years (2002) and reaching an impressive scoring milestone of exactly 500 points! Over the span of 10 games, they outscored their opponents nearly 3-1, 500-172. The senior class is the same group that went undefeated as freshmen, but they couldn’t have done it this year without outstanding efforts from a terrific junior class and even some key sophomores. Congratulations to a fabulous group of players, coaches, cheerleaders, marching band and supporting staff! 

     The final match of the regular season was another wet one on a grass field, with a gusty wind to boot. Anderson received the opening kick-off in the endzone, and on 2^nd and 10 after an incomplete pass, Kyle Slater (#3) broke loose on the left side for an 80 yd touchdown run 14 seconds into the game. Tommy Chapman’s kick into the wind was good, and the redskins were up 7-0 just like that. 

     Not to go down without a fight, the Harrison Wildcats returned the kickoff to the 38, where they were stopped by Justin Racer (#29) and Tony Martini (#47). The Wildcats then engineered an 11 play scoring drive lasting 5:46 with 4 first-downs despite tackles by Caleb Correll (#8), Martini, Sean Molloy (#59), Kevin Cripe (#17), Tyler Knabb (#49), Kyle Payne (#41), and Mitch Porta (#10). Anderson answered with their own methodical 14 play 4:44 drive featuring runs by quarterback Brandon Bornhauser (#4) and running backs Slater and Jake Nelson (#26), capped by a 6 yd Slater touchdown and a 2 pt conversion by Bornhauser, making it 15-7 with 1:22 left in the first quarter. 

     Next the Redskin defense held the Wildcats to 3 and out, and the punt from their own 35 was fielded by Cripe and returned a few yds to the Anderson 26. Nelson and Bornhauser advanced the ball to the 41 for a first-down early in the 2^nd quarter, and on 2^nd and 10 Bornhauser broke free for a 59 yd touchdown run. Tommy Chapman (#16) made the PAT to put the Redskins up 22-7. 

     Again the Redskin’s forced a 3 and out on the strength of tackles by Cripe and Matt Pucillo (#18) and a sack by Jake Lackner (#30). From their own 37, the Redskins earned 2 first-downs with runs by Bornhauser and Racer and a 17 yd pass to Jordan Shelton (#7). Nelson took it in from the 31 to complete the 9-play 4:36 drive, and a pass to Shelton for the 2 pt conversion made it 30-7. 

     Harrison was persistent, though, returning the kickoff to the 39 where they were thankfully stopped on a strong hit by Jon Ahrens (#15). During their drive, the Wildcat’s quarterback broke free on a 29 yd run then threw a TD pass from the 25, and the PAT made it 30-14 with 3:22 left in the half. The Redskins then managed a 12 play drive featuring runs by Nelson and a 34 yd screen pass to Racer. They earned 4 first-downs and 2 flags, one of which brought back a Nelson touchdown run on 4^th and 1, forcing a field goal by Chapman from the 6 that put the score at 33-14 with 25 seconds left. After the kickoff, the Wildcats only had time for a genuflect offense (took a knee) before halftime. 

      The Wildcats remained determined, and in the second half actually outscored the Redskins, 23-20. After holding the Wildcats to one first-down on their opening drive with stops by Krutka, Pucillo, Payne, Porta, and Lackner and getting the ball back on downs at their own 36, the Redskins struck first with a 6 play, 64 yd drive on a 5 yd TD pass to Kevin Becker (#35). Chapman’s PAT stretched the lead to 40-14. The Wildcats then utilized numerous pitch-backs and several complete passes to work their way into the endzone with 1:18 left in the 3^rd quarter to close the gap to 40-21. The kickoff went out of bounds, and Anderson started with excellent field position on Harrison’s 47. Despite an illegal procedure that set them back to their own 48, it only took 5 plays for Bornhauser to run it into the endzone after runs by Nelson and a pass to Becker. Chapman’s kick was blocked, making the score 46-21.

       Harrison returned the kick-off to the 30 before being stopped by Brian Veil (#50), then responded with their own 4 play 2:12 scoring drive, despite stops by Cripe and Jesse Correll (#95), that ended with a 29 yd TD pass to an unguarded receiver on the left side, narrowing the gap to 46-28. Nelson, Racer, and Bornhauser then traded runs to work their way into the endzone on a 12-play drive, with the 500 point milestone achieved fittingly on a 28 yd Bornhauser run and Chapman’s PAT with 4:52 remaining in the contest, now at 53-28. 

       The Wildcats again moved the ball effectively from their own 35 to 1^st and goal on the 9, but Jesse Correll saved them from scoring by recovering a fumble in the backfield. Then in a scene replayed too many times this year as the reserves took over, a botched hike put the ball in the endzone and the Wildcats were awarded a safety, making it 53-30. The Wildcats then scored after the kickoff from their own 33 on a 1-play, 67 yd TD pass, resulting in the final score of 53-37.   

        Fortunately, this remarkable season is not yet over. Anderson hosts the 9-1 Lakota West Fire Birds in the first round of the Region 4 Division 1 playoffs next Saturday night. The place will be rockin’…don’t miss it!

 

Anderson 63-Milford 21  (October 23rd, 2009)

        The Anderson Redskins squared off against the Milford Eagles on Senior Night, October 23, 2009. The seniors for all fall sports were honored by a tasty pre-game dinner catered and donated by City Barbeque (thank you!). The football and cheerleader seniors were escorted onto the field before the game by their parent(s), then seniors from other sports made the same trek at halftime. Anderson was almost called for delay of game, given the large number of seniors in the lineup including Jon Ahrens (#15), Evan Arnold (#85), Kevin Becker (#35), Brandon Bornhauser (#4), Keith Chabot (#51), Caleb Correll (#8), Kevin Cripe (#17), Dustin Didier (#69), Matt Gingras (#92), Kevin Hetrick (#79), Darren Huelsman (#38), Michael Janes (#88), Tyler Knabb (#49), Jake Lackner (#30), Greg Mancz (#72), James Morgan (#5), Sean Molloy (#59), Ken Nakakura (#82), Andrew Norwell (#78), Mitch Porta (#10), Matt Pucillo (#18), Will Puthoff (#54), Justin Racer (#29), Paden Ramey (#94), Payne Rankin (#53), Trent Sheppard (#9), Kyle Slater (#3), and Mark Vorderbrueggen (#6). The senior football dads were then privileged to join their sons in the locker room for coach Giesting’s pre-game speech. 

        The next big story of the night was penalty flags, both those thrown and those “unthrown.” The refs seemed flag-happy, pulling out the yellow game-stoppers a total of 27 times. I’m not saying they were biased, but from my notes I counted 19 against Anderson and 8 against Milford. In one series, Anderson was called 3 plays in a row for holding, then illegal shift, then illegal procedure. With so many experienced seniors on the field and it being this late in the season, I find it really hard to believe our players made that many mistakes. Rather, I suspect that many of these were subjective or questionable, and if one looks hard enough one can find something to flag on both sides of the field every play. In fact, it seem the Redskin’s quarterback was hit and often thrown to the ground on many occasions long after handing off or passing the ball, with nary a flag in sight. With so many clock stoppages, this game seemed to take forever. 

        Speaking of the Redskin’s quarterback, the third story of the night was the stellar play of senior Brandon Bornhauser. Despite the vast excess of penalties, the Redskins dominated the game, racking up 63 points in large part to the rushing agility of Bornhauser, who carried the ball into the endzone for 6 touchdowns. His 6^th touchdown came in the 3^rd quarter on a thrilling 96 yd break-away run on 2^nd and 21, one play after the 3 consecutive flags. He was helped by junior Jake Nelson (#26), who advanced the ball most of the rest of the time. Other offensive notables included receptions by Vorderbrueggen and junior Jordan Shelton (#7), runs by Becker and back-up quarterback Ryan Ossenbeck (#13), and touchdown runs by Racer (37 yd) and sophomore Tanner Brondhaver (#22, 27 yd).  

        The fourth story was the special teams who were also outstanding. Junior Tommy Chapman (#16) made numerous well-placed kickoffs, either pop-flys or endzone touchbacks, and one of the pop-ups was recovered by Pucillo for what essentially amounted to an unintended on-side kick. He was also perfect on PATs. Cripe fielded the punts admirably. 

        The fifth story was the solid, well-balanced Redskin defense, with multiple tackles by (in order of first tackle) sophomore Kyle Payne (#41), junior Tony Martini (#47), junior Thomas Krutka (#2), Cripe, Lackner, Pucillo, Correll, Gringas, Porta, junior Taylor Ray (#28), Molloy, Janes, Ahrens, and sophomores Ronzell Foster (#25), Michael Helton (#12), Brian Veil (#50), Jesse Correll (#95), and Jared Herm (#27). Pucillo and Janes had at least one combined sack. The Eagles did move the ball both in the air and on the ground without committing any turnovers, but they were forced punt on most of their possessions, scoring a touchdown in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters against the starters and in the 4^th quarter against the reserves. Nevertheless, the game was never close, and the Redskins’ final score was triple that of the Eagles, 63-21. 

         The Redskins cap off their regular season next Friday at Harrison. Don’t miss witnessing history as they seek to give coach Giesting his first perfect 10-0 season.

 

Anderson 44-  Glen Este 11  (October 16 2009)

Week 8 gridiron action on October 16, 2009 pitted the Anderson Redskins against the Glen Este Trojans at Glen Este for the WLWT Channel 5 High School Playbook Pick Game of the Week. It was a drizzly, cold mudfest, and a bittersweet victory for the Redskins as they mourned the loss this week of family member and local firefighter, Dean Martini. The players’ helmets were adorned with a golden sticker in memoriam, emblazoned with Mr. Martini’s number (#64), and his son, Tony (#47), was an honorary captain. Our hearts go out to Tony and his family. 

        Anderson fans also wish to salute Glen Este as they used the game to raise awareness and money for Duchenne muscular dystrophy through the “Coach to Cure MD” program, a partnership between Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy and the American Football Coaches Association. One of their freshman with Duchenne’s, Logan Shannon, who’s cardiologist happens to be an Anderson football mom, was made an honorary Trojan team member. From both sides of the field we are reminded of the sanctity of life, the frailty of health and to be thankful we and our sons are fortunate and privileged to be able enjoy a good-natured rivalry under Friday night lights. 

         Once again this year the scoreboard at Glen Este lit up, but unlike 2 years ago there were no actual flames and it was all one-sided. The Trojans started with an illegal block on their kick-off return, putting them back on their own 24, and on 3^rd and 7 Mitch Porta (#10) picked off the Trojan’s and set up the Redskins on the Glen Este 31. A thrilling pass completion up the middle from quarterback Brandon Bornhauser (#4) to Justin Racer (#29) on 4^th and 7 from the 17 gave the Redskins the first score of the night, and Tommy Chapman’s kick made it 7-0 with 3:08 off the clock. We were all relieved with Racer’s first TD this year, as he would finally get a haircut! 

      This time the Trojan’s returned Chapman’s kick-off from the 1 to their own 40, where they were stopped by Jon Ahrens (#15) and Matt Pucillo (#18). They then proceeded to move the ball over 16 plays with an effective use of double hand-offs and a short screen pass to earn 4 first downs despite tackles by Caleb Correll (#8), Kevin Cripe (#17), Thomas Krutka (#2), Jake Lackner (#30), Pucillo, Mitch Porta (#10), Matt Gingras (#92), and Michael Janes (#88). They opened the 2^nd quarter with a 34 yd field goal, making it 7-3. 

       The Trojan’s kick-off was a grounder, fielded by Martini who returned it to the Anderson 33. On 2^nd and 5 from their own 38, Bornhauser rolled right and hit Kyle Becker (#35) in the open field who took it to the house, 1:01 into the quarter. The 62 yd play was highlighted by WLWT’s High School Playbook as the Big Play of the Game. Bornhauser scampered in for the 2 point conversion, making it 15-3. 

        The ball then changed hands 3 times before another score. Glen Este earned 2 first downs but was forced to punt on 4^th and 23 after Becker sacked the QB. Slater then coughed it up on 3^rd and 2, but the Trojans were forced to punt again on 4^th and 14 on their own 28, and the ball rolled to the Anderson 28. Bornhauser’s screen pass to Jordan Shelton (#7) set up 3^rd and 2 on their own 47, and Slater broke away up the middle for a thrilling 53 yd touch down run.  Chapman’s kick made it 22-3 with 1:49 remaining in the half. Not wanting to give the Trojans any room to maneuver before the half, Anderson recovered their onside kick on the Trojan’s 33. Although they advanced to the 16, on 2^nd and 4 Bornhauser’s pass was intercepted on the 4 yd line with 35 seconds left. Being pinned deep in their own territory and satisfied with having successfully thwarted the Redskins from pouring it on even more, the Trojans took a knee into halftime. 

        The second half opened with a short ground kick to Correll on the 35 who returned it across midfield to the Glen Este 40. Fueled by first downs from Jake Nelson (#26) on the ground and Becker in the air, Bornhauser forced it into the endzone on 3^rd and 4 from the 4. The Chapman PAT was money, and the Redskins were up 29-3 with 9:00 remaining in the quarter. Again the Trojans earned 2 first downs and advanced it into Redskin territory, but they turned it over on downs after a dramatic stop by Pucillo on 4^th and 5. The Redskins took over on their own 35, but they were unable to capitalize on 1^st and 10 after a 35 yd pass to Shelton. They also turned it over on downs with an incomplete pass on 4^th and 3 on the Glen Este 25. The Anderson defense again held strong and forced 3 and out, with the Trojan punt sailing out of bounds with 53 seconds left in the quarter. 

          Anderson’s next 10-play drive started on their own 42 and lasted well into the 4^th quarter as they advanced the ball with runs by Slater, Nelson and Bornhauser and a pass to Becker. Nelson took it in from the 2 on a direct snap, and again Bornhauser was able to slip in for the 2 pt conversion, raising their lead to 37-3 with 8:52 remaining in the game.  

       The Anderson defense remained stingy, holding the Trojans to 3 and out and causing a turnover on downs with 4^th and 8 on the Glen Este 22. Racer and Nelson traded runs, and Racer got his 2^nd TD of the game on 2^nd and 1 from the 1. Will he now get a buzz cut??? Chapman’s PAT made it 44-3 with 4:24 left in the game.

       The final minutes featured the reserves, who gave up a safety after a high snap and a touchdown, making the final score 44-11 (we’ll chalk it up to being muddy and slippery). Anderson has a big senior class of 2010, and they’ll be playing their last regular-season home game next week against Milford on Senior night. Come out and support the seniors and the entire team as they seek a record 9-0 under Coach Giesting! 

Anderson 55 - Loveland 14  (October 9,  2009)

On a chilly, wet night that failed to deter the Anderson fan faithful from matching the home crowd at 1 Tiger Trail, the Loveland Tigers begrudgingly became the 7^th victims in a row to fall to the 2009 Anderson Redskins. In the first half, the Tigers were tough to tame, taking the  lead twice.  But the Redskins readily recovered, timely tackling then trampling the Tigers with 42 unanswered points, making the final a terrifically tantalizing trouncing.

       On their opening drive from their own 23, the Tigers clawed their way down the field with quarterback keepers and fullback runs up the middle, earning 4 first downs despite multiple hard-hitting tackles by the well-balanced defense of Tony Martini (#47), Brian Veil (#50), Caleb Correll (#8), Matt Pucillo (#18), Kyle Payne (#41), Kevin Cripe (#17), Thomas Krutka (#2) and a QB sack by Jake Lackner (#30).  They finished their 12-play, 5:28 drive with a wide QB sweep just inside the left pylon, taking the lead 0-7 after the PAT.   

                 Cripe returned the Tiger’s kickoff from the 1 to the 31. The Redskins’ offense then answered the Tigers opening growl with their own 10-play, 3:16 scoring drive, featuring multiple carries by Jake Nelson (#26) and a 19-yard first-down pass from Brandon Bornhauser (#4) to Jordan Shelton (#7), capped off by a 4^th down, 5-yard Nelson touch down run up the middle. Tommy Chapman (#16) hit the PAT to tie the score at 7 apiece.   

        On the kick-off, Jon Arhens (#15) jacked up the Loveland returner on the 15. The Tigers QB then managed to earn 3 first-downs using multiple options running QB keepers, completing 2/2 passes, and pitching to the full-back. The drive went well into Anderson territory on the 38 and well into the 2^nd quarter, but the Anderson defense held strong with plays from Correll, Krutka, Cripe, Michael Janes (#88), Payne, Matt Gingras (#92) and Martini, and the punt sailed in the endzone.  

          Kyle Slater (#3) then went to work for the Redskins from their own 20, running the ball 10 times, aided by two Bornhauser keepers and a 5 yd run by Justin Racer (#29), finishing the drive with a 31-yd scamper on 4^th and 3 for the score. From our vantage point, it looked like Bornhauser made it across the line for the 2-point conversion, but the referee’s view is what counts, and the Redskins were up 13-7.

         On the next drive, the Tigers moved the ball more effectively in the air against the Redskins’ defense than any other team so far this year, completing 5/6 passes. Ultimately, the defense gave up the score on a 19-yd quarterback keeper, and the Tigers took the lead at 14-13 with 1:30 left in the half. 

         The Loveland excitement melted away quickly, though, as the Redskins then launched a 4-play, 76-yd scoring drive featuring a 24-yd pass to Racer and a 33-yd Bornhauser TD run. This time the 2-point conversion pass to Slater was good, and the Redskins took the lead for good into halftime, up 21-14.  Like the clouds overhead, the Redskins poured it on in the 2^nd half. Their first drive took 7 plays and 2:07 to score on a Slater run, and included a completed pass to Kevin Becker (#35). Chapman’s PAT made it 28-14. The Redskins’ defensive swarm then held the Tigers to 3 and out. After Cripe made a 12-yd punt return, the Redskins earned 3 first-downs and Bornhauser capped off a 9-play drive scoring drive with an 11-yd TD run to the right, making it 34-14 when the 2-pt attempt failed. On their 5^th play of the drive near midfield, Loveland fumbled a pitch that was recovered by the Redskins. Slater made quick work of the good fortune with a 37 yd TD run, and Chapman’s PAT made it 48-14 with 2:28 left in the 3^rd quarter.

          The Tigers started the next series on their own 30 and managed one first down, but stops by Cripe, Michael Helton (#12), Paden Ramey (#94), Lackner, and Ahrens forced them to punt from their own 41. On the first play from the Anderson 25, Racer had a breakaway run and would’ve made the endzone if not for an inadvertent whistle, reducing his potential 75 yd gain to 12 yds. No matter. At the beginning of the 4^th quarter the Redskins engineered another 15 plays, earning 5 first-downs on runs by Bornhauser, Nelson, Racer, and a pitch to Mark Vorderbrueggen (#6), and scored on a 12-yd run by Nelson and a PAT by Chapman, extending the lead to 48-14 with 5:37 left in the game.

        Once again the Redskins’ defense stayed strong, holding the Tigers to 3 and out deep in their own territory. On 4^th and 3 from their own 27, the Tiger’s hike sailed over their punter’s head into the endzone, and his scrambled punt was blocked. The ball was recovered by Jared Herm (#27), giving Anderson another score with 3:19 left. The PAT by Chapman brought it to 55-14, which was the final.

        The Tigers continued to self-destruct, fumbling the ball on the kickoff return. Mason Hoctor (#32) recovered for the Redskins, though the reserve offense was unable to get a first down and turned the ball over with a minute left in the game, giving the Tigers time for only two unproductive plays. By that time the fans, like the Tigers, were eager to call it a night and escape the downpour. 

        Next week the Redskins face Glen Este at the Trojans’ stadium, just inside Clermont County.  Two years ago the game there was a veritable shoot-out, with both teams on fire, as well as the scoreboard (literally it caught fire! You can see it on YouTube), but Anderson finally pulled away, 57-36. Last year, the teams were well matched, and Anderson squeezed by only 1 score, 28-21. Can the Trojan’s pull out a home upset? Come out and support the Redskins as they go for another Giesting record!

 

 

A Homecoming win  10-2-09   

Week 5 Redskins action on October 2, 2009 was high school football at its finest. The clash of two well-matched, high-octane teams made for an exhilarating, if not nail-biting, contest. All week long the Redskins and Warriors sharpened their spears, and on Friday night both sides were able to pierce their opponents. When two strong defensive football teams meet, the low scoring game can be frustrating for players and fans alike. But when two offensive firepower’s face-off, BOOM! Add to that the excitement of homecoming with the parade and court, the Fox19 pre-game tailgate show, the WLWT Channel 5 High School Playbook Pick Game of the Week (though Ken Broo “ate free” at St. X not Anderson, contrary to what he promised last week), the halftime band show, and the pre-game “When Rubber Meets the Road” fundraiser, and you have the makings of a magical Anderson night.

      Before the game, one of the Anderson coaches was heard to mutter, “Tonight we find out if we have a football team.” The answer in the end: We have a football team! At the beginning, we weren’t so sure. The action began with a Winton Woods kick-off to Kyle Slater (#3) near the endzone, a short return to the 18, a 3 and out drive ending in a sack, and a punt on 4^th and 16 from the 5. The punt was returned by the Warriors to the endzone, and the Anderson fans were in early shock, down by 7 at 9:55.

      Okay, let’s start over. On the second Warriors’ kick-off, Slater busted out to the 37. Ten plays later, riding on the strength of runs by Slater, quarterback Brandon Bornhauser (#4), and a pass to Justin Racer (#29), Slater’s 3 yd scamper into the endzone and Tommy Chapman’s (#16) PAT tied the score at 5:48. It looks like we have an offense, even in the post-Norwell era, led by the explosive power of Kevin Hetrick (#71), Keith Chabot (#51), Dustin Didier (#69), Greg Mancz (#72), and sophomore Ronnie Giwer (#77) on the line, and blocks by Racer and Mark Vordebrueggan (#6). Next question: Do we have a defense?

      The Reskins’ kickoff was returned to the 25 after then being stopped by Tony Martini (#47). Despite more stops by the balanced defense of Martini, Sean Molloy (#59), Kevin Cripe (#17), Jake Lackner (#30), Caleb Correll (#8), Paden Ramey (#94), Matt Pucillo (#18), Thomas Krutka (#2) and two sacks by Martini and Tyler Knabb (#49), the Warriors managed to earn 5 first-downs and eat up the clock (almost 9 minutes) and stretch well into the 2^nd quarter on a 19-play scoring drive. Aided by two penalties after the Warriors reached all the way to 2^nd and goal on the 6, the Redskins held them to a 42-yard field goal. The Redskins were down 7-10, but it had almost been 7-14; maybe we have a defense?  

        The Redskins’ triple-headed spears of Bornhauser, Slater and Racer next gutted the Warriors with runs mostly up the middle, covering 74 yds in about 4 minutes, with Slater’s 34-yd break-away touchdown run and Chapman’s PAT regaining the lead 14-10 with 4:44 left in the half, bringing a small measure of comfort to the fans that our first scoring drive wasn’t a fluke. Whew!  

         The kickoff was returned to the Warriors’ 32, stopped by Pucillo. At that point we figured the Warriors would hang onto the ball the rest of the half. Boy were we wrong! There was another 24 combined points yet to be scored! The Warriors’ full-back, Jeremiah Goins, who has tree trunks for legs, flaunted his talent as he found a hole and barreled his stout, 5’10” 227 lb freight train-like frame on a 68 yd touchdown run. The 1-play, 10-second scoring drive and PAT put the Warriors up 14-17.   

       I literally then uttered, “Let’s return the favor.” Kyle Slater obliged, returning the kickoff on a thrilling 96 yd dash, leaving previously excited, now stunned Warriors in his wake.  Make that 21-17, after Chapman’s PAT.