The stadium erupted as the scoreboard displayed the 23-7 win over the Perrysburg Jackets Friday night to successfully complete the revenge tour as the Bears advanced to the third round of the playoffs.
They will take on Dublin Coffman at the neutral site of Westerville Central High School in the regional semi-finals this Friday where they look for another victory.
The game at the Berlin Stadium quickly became one to remember. Fans and players buzzed in anticipation. Last year, the season ended in the second round of the playoffs in a defeat by the Jackets and this year was the chase for redemption. The game was nicknamed the “revenge tour”.
The first quarter started off relatively slow with both teams unable to put a point on the board but shifted when starting quarterback Harrison Brewster ‘24 injured his knee just a few plays in.
“It was like the stadium was a dome and the air was sucked out of it,” said senior Giada DiCapio.
As quickly as the energy dropped, players on both the offensive and defensive side stepped into untraditional positions. Junior Aiden Eviston stepped in as quarterback which left a hole on the defensive end where sophomore Liam Doneyhue filled in.
“When Harrison went down it was a sad moment but we knew it was a playoff game and that we had to rally behind each other and get the job done,” Eviston said.
The players quickly adjusted and just a few short minutes later play had resumed to normal.
“As a player who doesn’t really start you just have to always be ready for when your number is called and our coaches do a great job preparing us for that moment whenever it comes,” Doneyhue said.
The first half ended with just a three point margin as kicker and senior Spencer Conrad kicked a field goal in the second quarter to put the first points on the board for the night.
For three years, the Bears offense was only familiar with Brewster at quarterback, which left the delay of six points to the third quarter to be expected. Although Eviston lacked reps on the offensive side of the ball, he proved to be instrumental in the team’s dominating win over Perrysburg. Eviston threw a screen pass to senior running back Mason Ziegler in the third quarter and passed to junior wide receiver Zach Seigrest in the fourth quarter, both passes completed for a touchdown.
The Bears defense also had a strong performance under the stadium lights, and kept the Jackets to only seven points by the end of the game. Doneyhue, backup linebacker, had an interception in the third quarter to give the offense another chance to score.
“The interception obviously boosts confidence within myself but it also helps shift momentum of the game and for everyone else around me,” said Doneyhue.
As the Bears look ahead to this Friday, they hope for another win and another successful stop on the “revenge tour”.
“At Berlin we play as a team and not individually. We have our eyes on the prize and we all want it bad,” said Doneyhue.
