Aces’ Parker Thiel scores a touchdown, with the crowd behind cheering!
Host Hicksville blanked visiting Leipsic in the second half as the Aces rallied for a 33-16 win over the Vikings in the opening round of the OHSAA Division VII Playoffs on Saturday, November 5.
After trailing 16-7 with 2:38 remaining in the first half, the Aces scored late in the second quarter and took that momentum into the second half where Hicksville outscored Leipsic 20-0.
The victor propels the Aces (8-3) into a second round matchup against top-seeded McComb (10-1) at Defiance High School on Saturday. McComb whipped Danbury 56-8 in its opener this past Saturday.
Hicksville won despite only totaling three yards of offense in the opening quarter but also got a solid effort by the defense to stay in the game.
Payton Tunis picks up the kick off return and runs more than half the distance toward the endzone, through the Leipsic defense before being stopped within 25 yards of the goal.
On each of its first two possessions, Leipsic drove inside the Hicksville 25 yard line but the Aces got a key fourth down stop on the opening drive before creating a turnover on the second possession.
Leipsic did strike first, though, when junior Victor Sanchez broke free on a seven-yard run to get the Vikings on the scoreboard. Quarterback Dylan Schroeder found Cole Rieman on the two-point conversion try to put Leipsic on top 8-0.
Hicksville finally broke through offensively at the 7:06 mark when Jake Greer connected with Hunter Evans on a 45-yard scoring strike to cut the deficit to 8-7.
Schroeder answered for Leipsic on the Vikings’ ensuing possession, hooking up with Rieman in the right corner of the end zone for a ten-yard touchdown toss. Schroeder added a two-point conversion toss to Hunter Morman to make it 16-7 Vikings at the 2:38 mark of the second quarter.
It was all Hicksville from that point on.
Peyton Tunis set up a late Aces’ score on a 59-yard kickoff return to the Viking 21.
Following a holding penalty that pushed the Aces back to the Leipsic 31, Greer and Parker Thiel teamed up on a 31-yard touchdown pass to get Hicksville within 16-13 at the intermission.
The late score before half propelled Hicksville in the second half as well.
Mason Commisso rumbled a dozen yards on the opening possession of the second half to give the Aces the lead for good at 20-16.
Hicksville extended the lead to 26-16 early in the final quarter on a seven-yard scamper by Commisso before Tunis added a three-yard plunge from Tunis.
The two teams combined for 733 yards of total offense, with Hicksville garnering 382 compared to Leipsic’s 351.
Greer completed 6 of 13 passes for 163 yards for Hicksville while also running for 139 yards on 18 carries. Commisso added 52 rushing yards for the Aces and Tunis chipped in 28.
Thiel added three receptions for 100 yards to top Hicksville.
Gavin Lomeli ran for 118 yards on 26 carries to lead Leipsic and Sanchez added 51 rushing yards for the Vikings, who finished with 206 as a team.
Schroeder was 11 of 20 passing for 145 yards passing for the Vikings, who close the year at 7-4. Rieman totaled seven catches for 89 yards.
The Aces will travel to Defiance HS on Saturday, November 12 to take on McComb at 7:00 pm.
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