PAULDING – Ayersville scored 20 unanswered points over the final 18 minutes of the contest to rally for a 20-17 victory over Paulding at Keysor Field in Green Meadows Conference football action Friday night.
The maroon and white played a solid first half, getting a safety from Jack Woods before the Paulding offense added to the lead.
Kobe Foor scored on a 15-yard touchdown run to widen the Paulding lead to 8-0 before Colten Hunt connected with Blake Rhonehouse on an 11-yard scoring strike that helped extend the margin to 15-0.
After blanking the Pilots in the first half, Paulding added a second safety on the night as Woods tackled Taurean Knueven in the endzone to make it 17-0 Panthers.
Ayersville began its comeback late in the third quarter as Lucas Fishpaw connected with Abe DeLano for a six-yard scoring strike that pulled the Pilots within 17-6.
The Pilots scored again halfway through the final quarter when DeLano broke free for a 15-yard touchdown scamper that, combined with Knueven’s two-point conversion run, trimmed the Ayersville deficit to 17-14.
The Defiance County squad then completed the comeback with 40 seconds left in the contest as DeLano hauled in a seven-yard touchdown toss from Fishpaw for the 20-17 victory.
