And just like that, Olentangy’s drought against Berlin continues as Cooper Ailes picks off a Luke Chilicki pass intended for Kaden Gebhardt to preserve the win. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Brian Bayless)
After an 0-5 start, the Bears grinded out a 14-10 victory to complete a perfect run to their fourth consecutive OCC Cardinal championship.
Lewis Center, OH – Its confidence may have been shaken during an 0-5 start that included three losses by a combined 10 points, but Olentangy Berlin was determined to stick together.
Heading into the final week of the regular season, the Braves found themselves back in what has become the familiar position of league championship contender and they knew exactly how to react.
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With an eye on a fourth consecutive Ohio Capital Conference Cardinal Division title on the line Friday at Olentangy — which also entered perfect in league play — Berlin produced two big plays early on and grinded out a 14-10 victory to complete the championship run.
“I think we might have been the only team to start off 0-5 and still have the belief that we could win our conference,” senior defensive lineman Hudson Aultman said. “Five weeks ago, there was still belief, but it was definitely diminished after a start like that. I think we were the most tight as a team after those five losses, and winning these five straight shows the kind of team we are.”
Veteran central Ohio columnist Jarrod Ulrey writes the OCC and sports at large for Press Pros
Perhaps the biggest thing the Bears proved as they improved to 5-5 overall and finished 5-0 in the league for the third consecutive year is that their defense will give just about any opponent fits during the coming Division I, Region 3 playoffs.
Throughout their rough start, one of the biggest bright points offensively for the Bears was the play of senior Colton Less at wide receiver.
Less was moved to quarterback at the beginning of conference play, and the results have spoken for themselves.
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Despite excellent defensive coverage by Braylon Lopez, the first Luke Chilicki pass found its way into the hands of Ryan Weisner for a 44-yard gain.
Against the Braves, who dropped to 8-2 overall and finished 4-1 in the league with their only other loss coming to undefeated Olentangy Orange, Less’ athleticism provided a big benefit early on.
Olentangy marched 82 yards for a touchdown on the game’s opening possession, with senior Kaden Gebhardt running in from 4 yards with 7 minutes, 55 seconds left in the opening quarter. On the opening play from scrimmage, senior quarterback Luke Chilicki hooked up with senior wide receiver Ryan Wiesner for a 44-yard reception.
Berlin, however, flipped the script after Gebhardt’s touchdown.
On the Bears’ second play from scrimmage, Less sprinted for a 68-yard touchdown to tie it at 7.
“I hit a hole, the offensive line blocked great, the wide receivers blocked great, and it was just me one-on-one with another kid,” Less said. “I had a spin move and went up the sideline.
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“It was my fifth game (as the starting quarterback). We knew after that week five that we were the most talented 0-5 team in the state and probably even the country, and knew that if we stuck together as a family that we’d get through our OCC by playing physical and showing love for one another. … This is the best feeling I think I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
Colton Less finds a weak spot in the Braves’ defense, rambling 68 yards for a touchdown to tie the game early in the first quarter.
On the first play of Olentangy’s ensuing drive, Chilicki hooked up with senior tight end Jackson Mangham for what would have been a short gain, but Berlin senior defensive back Grant Gibson popped the ball loose and senior cornerback Braylon Lopez picked up the fumble and rumbled in for a 15-yard touchdown.
“I line up wide on the wing, and I knew it was going to be a fly off to the tight end,” Lopez said. “My boy Grant got off the block and punched it out. I scooped it up and there was no one there so I ran into the end zone. I’ve had one other touchdown but not one in a game like this.
“I still believed (after our 0-5 start) because all of our games were close, but something had to click, and it clicked.”
The Braves had their next drive end with a turnover on downs at the Berlin 37 and had another possession end on an 8-yard sack by freshman Cooper Ailes on a safety blitz late in the second period.
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Olentangy junior kicker Carter Birch made a 22-yard field goal with 2:12 to go in the third period, and the Braves would have three more offensive possessions but failed to score again.
Braylon Lopez celebrates his scoop and score in the first quarter to put the Bears ahead by 7.
“There’s no question about it, we have a brilliant defensive coordinator (Jeremy Arend),” Bears coach Mark Nori said. “We give a lot of looks defensively, and for people to game plan against us is difficult. It could be our coverage, it could be our play up front, but our defense does a great job mixing it up.
“I really think when you look at the season and the broad perspective, we have shown a lot of resolve and a lot of resiliency. We showed that tonight. Sometimes teams just find out who they are, and sometimes it takes longer than in other years. It wasn’t pleasant the first five weeks, I can tell you that, but our kids never quit. I’ve got to hand it to them because some other teams might have pulled apart, but these guys got closer.”
Olentangy moved to the Berlin 39 midway through the final period but had that possession end with back-to-back 7-yard sacks.
Then on the Braves’ final drive, Chilicki connected with Gebhardt for a 35-yard reception on fourth-and-25 to move to the Berlin 29. Two plays later, Ailes intercepted a pass from Chilicki to seal the win.
This was an all-too-familiar sight as Dylan Amos and the Bears defense pressured Olentangy’s Luke Chilicki all night long with seven sacks.
Berlin sacked Chilicki seven times.
“For the most part, it was coverage sacks,” Braves coach Wade Bartholomew said. “When they drop eight guys and we can’t find any windows … our offensive line held up as well as they could, but when the quarterback’s got to hold the ball for five or six seconds because they can’t find anybody open, schematically I’ve got to do a better job of finding routes that get kids open faster.
“Obviously this sucks. With any kind of inter-district rivalry game it hurts, and with the fact that Berlin is right down the road and we can’t find a way to beat the, but ultimately when the season started out, we wanted to win a state title and we still have that opportunity. This is where everything restarts.”
While Olentangy is expected to receive a first-round bye for the Region 3 playoffs, Berlin is in the postseason for the seventh consecutive season after not qualifying during its inaugural 2018 season and is preparing to play next Friday.
“I’m proud of our kids, and our community gives us a ton of support,” Nori said. “As coaches, we just guide the path for these guys and they have to do it.”
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