Harlan Green Dragons come back to beat East Ridge Warriors 22-16

Tagged under: Beyond The Keystone, Gameday Hub, News

contributor | August 28, 2022

On Friday night at Belfry High School, the 2022 Pike County Bowl kicked off with Harlan Green Dragons facing the Warriors from East Ridge. Entering this contest the Green Dragons entered a (1-0) record with the win coming over Berea (28-22) while the Warriors entered (1-0) with their win coming over Waggner (40-34).

The Green Dragons got the show started with a nice thirty-yard run from Jayden Ward with a key block coming from quarterback Donovan Montanaro. The Warriors defense recovered nicely by getting to Montanaro for a five-yard loss when Steve Laybe and Landon Robinson combine for the stop. The tough play from the Warriors defense continued with Zack Mason picking off a pass to keep the game scoreless, with 2:34 showing on the clock. The Warriors offense started to show signs of life when Dylan Burdine hooked up with Brad Howell for fourteen yards. The same combo came together again for a thirty-three-yard catch down to the Green Dragons six-yard line, with 1:09 left in the quarter.

The second quarter had 9:32 remaining when Burdine found Mason for fourteen yards setting up a twenty-one-yard Mason touchdown to make this a 6-0 game. Burdine found Isaiah Adkins to convert the two-point conversion to give East Ridge the 8-0 lead, with 9:11 left in the half. East Ridge was back at it at the 2:11 mark of the quarter when Braxton Kendrick picked up eight yards when the offense was facing third and seven. The drive came to an end a short time later as the Green Dragons defense was able to tighten things up. On a fifty-six-yard run from Darius Akal and a two-point conversion run from Ward, we were locked up at eight, with 1.9 seconds left in the half.

Harlan would get a forty-seven-yard from Ward down to the East Ridge two-yard line to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Dylan Middleton. Warn ran in the two-point conversion making this a 16-8 game, with 7:31 left in the quarter. The drive totaled fifty-five yards and lasted for seven plays.

Both teams would have two nice defensive plays to end the quarter. For Harlan, Will Austin got a sack and Montanaro recovered an East Ridge fumble. For the Warriors, Adkins recorded a tackle for loss after a bad snap by the Dragons, then Layne recorded a tackle for loss. As the teams entered the final frame the large crowd knew they were in for 12:00 more minutes of competitive football.

Facing a fourth and one the Green Dragons converted when Middleton blasted off for twenty yards. The eleven-play, sixty-yard drive ended with Montanaro easing in from three yards out. A bad snap aided in Montanaro being stopped short on the two-point conversion try leaving this a 22-8 game.

Burdine would be forced to scramble with 7:38 left in the game he somehow was able to stop scrambling and find Robinson for a fifteen-yard gain to keep the offense on the field. With 5;33 left in the game Burdine ran into the endzone from nine yards out after the run he also converted a two-point conversion with another run to give us our final score of 22-16.

East Ridge would get an eighteen-a-yard completion to Mason to keep the Warriors hopes alive. The Green Dragons looked to have an interception from Montanaro but a roughing the passer call was made to keep the Warriors drive alive. Will Austin would get a pick with 13.6 seconds left to secure the victory.

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