ROMM PHOTOGRAPHY

Black River's Andrew Vaughn scored a touchdown, but the Pirates couldn't hold pace with the Girard Indians in their 56-14 loss in the region semifinals.

UNIONTOWN, Ohio -- The Black River Pirates ran into a buzz saw in the Division IV regional football semifinal at Lake High School’s Blue Streak Stadium on Saturday night.  The Girard Indians scored six touchdowns in the first half and defeated the Pirates 56-14.

Black River had no answer for Girard’s big-play offense.  The Indians scored on plays of 42, 37, 34, 68, 58 and 70 yards in the first half; the last four scores came in the second quarter.

Girard senior running back Ahmad Eggleston had the “hat trick” in the second quarter, scoring three touchdowns.  In the first half, Eggelston carried the ball nine times for 205 yards.  Through 12 games, Eggleston has 28 rushing touchdowns.

Girard senior quarterback Dan Graziano had his hand in the other three first-half TDs. Graziano scored on a 42-yard run, the first touchdown for the Indians.  He also hooked up with senior wide receiver Brandon Byrd on touchdown throws covering 37 and 68 yards. Graziano has 21 touchdown passes on the season.

Black River kept the game close in the first quarter.  Junior linebacker/running back Austin Phillips recovered a Graziano fumble midway through the period.  The Pirates went on an eight-play, 69-yard drive.  Andrew Vaughn scored from 3 yards out to tie the game at seven.

Then Girard, the number one ranked team in Division IV, Region 13, scored the next five times they had the ball, two of those TDs coming on a pair of one-play drives.

Black River came out of the locker room to start the second half and got into the end zone on a five-play, 82-yard drive, as Phillips scored on a 50-yard run right up the middle.

Girard answered with a touchdown of its own on a 3-yard run by James Cupan.

Both teams emptied their benches for the remainder of the third and all of the fourth quarter.

Black River head coach Alan Young told his team, “you have nothing to be ashamed of.  We’re very proud of our season.  Our group of seniors went 5-5, 6-4, won the league last year and 9-3 and in the playoffs.”

Phillips said “It’s good that we’re getting the Black River football way back.  And I think we’re going to have great success down the road.”

Girard will play Creston Norwayne, which beat Orrville, next Saturday night at a site to be determined.

ON THE SCOREBOARD:

BLACKRIVER (9-3)    7 – 0 – 7 – 0 = 14

GIRARD (11-1)          14 – 28 – 7 – 7 = 56

FIRST QUARTER:

G - Dan Graziano 42 yard run.  (David Meigs kick) 10:01

BR – Andrew Vaughn 3 yard run (Alex Bacisin kick) 3:54

G – Brandon Byrd 37 yard pass from Dan Graziano (Meigs kick) 2:17

SECOND QUARTER:

G – Ahmad Eggleston 34 yard run (Meigs kick) 11:21

G – Byrd 68 yard pass from Dan Graziano (Meigs kick) 8:18

G – Eggleston 58 yard run (Meigs kick) 6:18

G – Eggleston 70 yard run (Meigs kick) 2:54

THIRD QUARTER:

BR – Austin Phillips 50 yard run (Bacisin kick) 10:23

G – James Cupan 3 yard run (Meigs kick) 8:15

FOURTH QUARTER:

G – Cupan 11 yard run (Kaleb Stadelmyer kick) 6:15