CONNEAUT – It’s often said that more can be learned from losing than winning. Though that might be true, there are lessons in winning, too.
In defeating Berkshire, 21-12, in the annual whiteout game at Joslin Field in Ricaurte Stadium on Friday, Sept. 11, the Conneaut football team remained unbeaten and learned that a win is a win even on a night not everything goes well.
“It was a huge win,” Conneaut coach Rocco Dobran said. “They want to be great and going 4-0 is a big win, no matter what. I’m like, ‘Hey, don’t act like we just lost,’ even though they thought that they were going to play better. We won the game. We’re happy with the win.”
“(Berkshire) was very well-coached and then the kids hustled,” Dobran continued. “Our guys saw that we’re bigger and faster, but those guys played. To hang on, to make big plays at the end of the game, the defense to keep holding them off over and over and over again when our offense was struggling, it was just a phenomenal effort on our defensive side of the ball. I’ll give to credit to (the offense) at the very end of the game when we needed two first downs, three first downs, they got them. I am proud of these guys and it is a great win.”
The victory over the Badgers was the second victory the Spartans (4-0) pulled out late in the contest.
“It says a lot, and it’s two weeks in a row,” Dobran said. “Last week we were down. This week, it’s a two-point ballgame, but the momentum just seemed to be on (Berkshire’s) side and they just kept playing. They keep playing, the defense keeps coming up. And it goes back to what I said last week, it’s a team. It’s a player-led team and they hype each other up, and then they buckle down when they when they need it.”
Facing a fourth and 25 from the Berkshire 35 with 40 seconds remaining in the game, it appeared the Spartans would punt in an attempt to pin the Badgers deep in their own territory and let the defense work to close out the victory. Instead, quarterback Wyant Dobran lofted a 35-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Thompson to seal the victory with 36 seconds left.
“It was huge that it worked out,” Rocco Dobran said. “I was thinking, ‘Take as much clock as you can and they’re going to get the ball about the 30, 35, maybe.’ You could pin them a little bit, but I think, ‘Hey, how do you take clock?’ Is it to put the ball high in the air and keep it in the air as long as you can and, if it’s an incomplete pass, is it a bad thing?”
“Our receivers did say when (Wyant) was putting the ball in the running back’s belly, some of the DBs eyes were in and not paying attention to the go routes,” Rocco Dobran continued. “I think they weren’t sure what to expect there so we just went for it. Throw it up to one of our better receivers and see what happens.”
Jonah Tenney gave the Spartans a spark to open the game as he returned the opening kick 78 yards for a touchdown. Kaya McBride tacked on the PAT for a 7-0 Conneaut lead just 14 seconds into the contest.
“We felt great about that,” Dobran said. “I think we had a big play the next time we got the ball and then we didn’t score. We moved the ball down and didn’t score and then, next thing you know, they’re in the ball game. They’re right there. I felt like they fought for every bit that they got, but then that quarterback, he did a hell of a job and finds a guy in the end zone twice. They had a ton of third downs, a ton of fourth downs, and they made some plays when they needed to.”
The Badgers made it 7-6 on quarterback Oliver Miller’s 21-yard scoring strike to Bennett Miller. The PAT was blocked and Berkshire trailed, 7-6, with just more than a minute to play in the first quarter.
Conneaut responded with a 31-yard touchdown run from Isaiah Boles. McBride’s PAT was good for a 14-6 Spartan lead less than a minute into the second period.
Oliver Miller connected with Bennett Miller for a 14-yard score with 5.9 seconds remaining in the half. The two-point run failed and the badgers trailed, 14-12.
Boles rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and added three receptions for 19 yards to lead the Conneaut offense. Wyant Dobran passed for 92 yards in a touchdown and added 23 yards on the ground.
Oliver Miller provided the bulk of the Berkshire offense with 31 rushing yards and 128 yards through the air. Bennett Miller caught 4 passes for 62 yards and Dasen Marker added five catches for 60 yards.
