Bellefontaine beats Wapakoneta for 1st time since 2009
WAPAKONETA — Bellefontaine got physical to end Wapakoneta’s seven-year stranglehold here Friday night.
Bellefontaine quarterback Dezmin Lyburtus throws a touchdown pass on the last play of the first half Friday against Wapakoneta at Harmon Field. (EXAMINER PHOTO | TONY BARRETT)
The visiting Chiefs bulldozed their way to 216 rushing yards and limited the Redskins to 215 total yards in an impressive 19-7 season-opening victory.
It was the first win for Bellefontaine over Wapak since the 2009 season.
“This is a testament to all the hard work these kids put in,” said Bellefontaine head coach Toby Smith. “Things don’t happen by accident. Their dedication to getting better is what accomplished this.”
Wapakoneta opened the scoring with a touchdown in the second quarter, but Bellefontaine rattled off 19 unanswered points to take control.
“Give Bellefontaine credit,” said Wapakoneta head coach Travis Moyer. “They played really well defensively. They controlled the line of scrimmage at times and we also hurt ourselves. They made more big plays and we were inconsistent with our execution.”
The Chieftain defense was especially strong in the second half, allowing just 102 yards over the final two quarters.
“Our defense was fantastic,” said Smith.
Offensively, Bellefontaine amassed 329 yards. The Chiefs averaged five yards per carry on the ground, while senior quarterback Dezmin Lyburtus completed 8-of-12 passes for 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
“We are going to be very hard to defend if we can continue to execute our offense the way it is intended,” said Smith.
The two offenses were held out of the end zone until the 4:12 mark of the second quarter when the Redskins capped a 56-yard, six-play drive with a 3-yard TD run by Rob Gerstner. The extra-point kick gave the hosts a 7-0 cushion.
Bellefontaine answered with a huge scoring drive before halftime.
The Chiefs marched 79 yards in 13 plays. On the last offensive play of the half, Lyburtus scrambled around until Johnny Ganson got loose in the right corner of the end zone. Lyburtus tossed the ball to Ganson for a 13-yard TD strike to put the Chiefs on the board 7-6 with no time remaining.
The ensuing extra-point attempt was botched, leaving the Redskins up by a point at the break.
Bellefontaine jumped in front in the third quarter when Lyburtus again used his legs to keep a play alive while his receivers worked open. He found Trey Stahler open in the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown that put the Chiefs up 12-7 with 4:26 left in the period.
“Give the offensive line credit for giving him time and then Dez used his God-given ability to make some big plays,” said Smith.
Bellefontaine added to its lead on the first play of the fourth quarter. Stahler finished off an 87-yard, eight-play drive with an 8-yard TD burst. Derek Robb’s extra-point kick gave the Chiefs a 12-point cushion with 11:50 remaining.
The Chiefs’ defense then took over, refusing to allow the Redskins to mount a comeback.
“Our kids came in expecting to win,” said Smith. “Now that we did that, we will enjoy it tonight and then get back to work (today).”
Lyburtus rushed for 108 yards on 19 carries to go along with the damage he did to the Redskins through the air. He also picked off a pass on defense.
Stahler had a stellar showing as he took over the role of the Chiefs’ go-to running back. He tallied 99 rushing yards on 22 carries and added his 32-yard receiving score.
Ganson contributed 61 receiving yards on four catches and Jacob Boy had one catch for 14 yards.
Anthony Snapp had a sack to help spark the Chieftain defense.
Bellefontaine returns to action Friday at home against Sidney, which outlasted St. Marys 39-32 in its season-opener.
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