Big Walnut rode the shoulders and legs of Nolan Buirley in 35-20 win over Worthington Kilbourne in an OCC Capital showdown. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Logan Gapen)
The Golden Eagles took a big step toward the OCC Capital title and showed why they again have realistic state-title aspirations during a 35-20 win over the Wolves.
Worthington, OH – Jolted by the emerging abilities of running back Nolan Buirley, Big Walnut last season survived an always-tough Division II, Region 7 playoff slate and reached a state semifinal for the first time in 16 years.
Buirley, still only a junior, is carving up defenses again this fall for a Golden Eagles team which heads into the final stretch of the regular season with the highest of expectations and riding a wave of confidence.
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During Big Walnut’s 35-20 victory Friday at Worthington Kilbourne in a matchup of teams that entered with one loss, Buirley finished with 20 rushes for 197 yards and four touchdowns – including one he broke for an 80-yard score.
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“Last year he just got better every game, and we think he’s still getting better,” coach Curtis Crager said. “I don’t think he’s reached his potential by any means. More than just being a great football player, he’s a phenomenal kid. (His long touchdown) might have taken a little air out of their sails.”
Buirley’s father, Matt, was a first-team All-Ohio running back at Mount Vernon and wound up playing catcher at Ohio State before a short stint in the minor leagues. Like his father, Nolan also is a baseball standout.
Big Walnut, which improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the Ohio Capital Conference Capital Division, watched the much-improved Wolves turn a 10-point deficit into a 20-all tie with 20 seconds to go in the third quarter.
Landon Doan wrestles Kilbourne quarterback Jackson Szabo to the turf.
On the first play after Kilbourne quarterback Jackson Szabo’s 53-yard touchdown to Grayson Benjamin tied it, however, Buirley burst through a hole and sprinted 80 yards to give Big Walnut a 27-20 lead with 5 seconds left in the third.
This game marked the first tight game for the Golden Eagles since they lost their opener 37-15 to defending Division III state champion Watterson on Aug. 22. Big Walnut led that game 15-0.
“I’ve still got to give it all to the (offensive) line,” Buirley said. “We’ve been working hard since last season, and the little things are working for them. We love them. They’re a huge part of our offense.
“We used (the Watterson loss) as a fire. We didn’t hang our heads about it but used it as motivation.”
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Big Walnut iced the game when junior quarterback Eli Stumpf connected with senior tight end Owen Pollock – a Florida Atlantic commit – for a 75-yard touchdown with 7:28 remaining.
Just when the Wolves were thinking comeback, Eli Stumpf connected on a bomb to Owen Pollock to help cement the win.
The Wolves drove to the Big Walnut 10 with 6:09 left, but on third-and-goal from the 10, Szabo was sacked for a 10-yard loss and Kilbourne was whistled for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Szabo’s helmet was knocked off on the play as well. Faced with fourth-and-goal from the 35, his replacement, Austin Marsh, was intercepted by Dallas Biehl to end the threat.
Kilbourne dropped to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the league but is having its best season since 2020 when it went 6-4. The Wolves were winless in 2023 before improving to 5-7 last season and would seem to be in position to earn a first-round bye in Region 7 if they finish the regular season strong.
“We’re upset we lost with it being 20-20 and us having a chance to win a big game, but some things didn’t go our way down the stretch,” Wolves coach Michael Edwards said. “I’m proud of the kids for how they fought. All the kids that contributed last year when we had a bounce-back year, a lot of them are back, so this success isn’t an accident. They’ve believed in themselves. They’ve worked hard. We just had too many penalties on offense. We’ve got a confident group of kids. Big Walnut is big, fast and physical, but our kids can play with that because they’re relentless.”
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Buirley, who has 1,065 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on the season, gave Big Walnut a 7-0 lead when he ran for a 26-yard touchdown with 7:43 to go in the opening period.
Kilbourne answered on the ensuing drive when Szabo connected with senior running back Luke Page for an 18-yard touchdown.
Edwards is excited about what his offense brings to the table with Szabo, who finished 19-for-27 passing for 217 yards and rushed 16 times for 113 yards, and Page, who had 27 carries for 116 yards and eight receptions for 91 yards.
Page also has rushed for more than 1,000 yards on the season.
“It’s a great combo,” Edwards said.
Luke Page stiff-arms a Big Walnut defender for extra yards.
Big Walnut made it 14-7 with 1:03 left in the opening quarter when Buirley ran for a 4-yard touchdown one play after Stumpf hooked up with Brody Hatfield for a 38-yard reception.
After an interception by Big Walnut’s Brady Taylor in the end zone with 7:18 remaining in the first half, Big Walnut took a 20-7 lead on another 4-yard touchdown run by Buirley with 5:04 to go before halftime. Stumpf sprinted for 57 yards on the second play of the possession to set up the score.
Stumpf totaled 95 yards on five carries and finished 6-for-9 passing for 169 yards.
“First of all, we have a lot of different weapons we can go to, so we’re hard to game-plan for,” Stumpf said. “It’s definitely special. I know the coaches have a lot of trust in us. We took a tough loss in Week 1, but we’ve been trying to keep stacking wins. You can’t ask for much more.”
Big Walnut lost its opener a year ago to Watterson as well but won its next 13 games before falling to Cincinnati Anderson 28-24 in a state semifinal.
“This is just another win in the book, another step to the OCC, and another step to the state championship, which is our goal,” Taylor said. “We’re getting better. We’ll celebrate tonight and lock in for (Westerville) North next week.”
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