WHITEHOUSE – After four years of frustration, Perrysburg gutted out a 27-24 victory over Anthony Wayne
Friday night.
The Generals had won the last four meetings outscoring the Yellow Jackets, 130-14, including 75-0 in the
last two seasons.
“To come into their home stadium with our guys and take a win, it just feels awesome right now,”
Perrysburg head coach Matt Kregel said. “This was the one we kind of had circled knowing that we were
going to get this two games into our league season and all of a sudden bang here it is.
“One thing about this team as they came in attack mode and you can’t teach that,” Kregel continued. “If
we continue to do that, we have a really good shot of having a great season.”
This time, Perrysburg put together a 27-3 lead before AW rallied with three touchdowns.
The Generals made one final effort with 1:11 remaining to play, but due to an AW penalty and four
incomplete passes, the Yellow Jackets secured the victory.
“It felt amazing. I cannot describe in words right now,” said Perrysburg running back Connor Walendzak, a
sophomore who scored two touchdowns. “We are all excited. We played a great game. We fought to the end
and so did they. It was a great football game, you can’t be disappointed with that.
“This was the game for sure we were looking on the calendar for.”
A major key to Perrysburg’s success was the play of the offensive and defensive lines.
“That’s where they have kicked our butts the last four years,” Kregel said about AW’s success.
“Our offensive and defensive line just took over the game for us,” he continued. “That’s what we
practiced for and that was the plan going in. That’s what we wanted to do.”
Perrysburg started quickly, but AW’s Jeffrey Mold intercepted a pass on a fourth-and-one from the
one-yard line. Mold returned the ball to the 50-yard line.
After 15 plays by the Generals, Zain Hamid kicked a 21-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets countered with 13 points in the second quarter to take a 13-3 lead into halftime.
Walendzak capped a 67-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, but the PAT was blocked. A 29-yard pass
from Christian Gulgin to Aidan Pratt was the big play on the drive.
Perrysburg’s defense then forced a three-and-out.
Helped with a 15-yard penalty on AW, Perrysburg made it 13-3 on an 11-yard pass from Gulgin to Pratt.
Jaxon Hudson converted the PAT with 6:28 remaining in the first half.
The Generals got the ball to start the second half, but a fumble was recovered by Perrysburg’s Luke Jaco.
AW held, but then lost the ball on a fumble on Perrysburg’s punt.
Two plays later, Walendzak scored on a 5-yard run and Hudson’s PAT gave the Yellow Jackets a 20-3 lead
with 7:02 left in the third quarter.
In just one minute and 13 seconds later, AW lost another fumble with Perrysburg getting the ball 24-yards
from the end zone.
Three plays later Gulgin hit Isaac Whitten with a 2-yard pass for a touchdown. Hudson converted the PAT
to make it 27-7 with 4:50 remaining in the third quarter.
The Generals quickly responded going 65 yards in 2:28 with Charles Reninger scoring on a 2-yard run with
Hamid kicking the PAT. The quick score cut Perrysburg’s lead to 27-10 with 2:00 remaining in th third
quarter.
After holding Perrysburg inside the 10-yard line, AW needed 10 plays to go 92 yards using 3:08 to score.
The score came on a 18-yard pass from Garrett Pike to Evan Ryan. With Hamid’s PAT the Generals were
within 27-17 with 7:07 remaining in the game.
Perrysburg was forced to punt with 4:49 remaining and the Generals drove 52 yards in 2:02 using six plays
for a touchdown. Reninger scored on a 1-yard run and Hamid kicked the PAT to make it a three-point game,
27-24.
The Yellow Jackets Chris Mason then caught the onside kick attempt, but Perrysburg had another
three-and-out.
Perrysburg’s punt went to the 10-yard line and the defense then shut down the Generals to secure the win.
“We needed to tackle. If we tackle none of that happens,” Kregel said about AW’s three unanswered
touchdowns. And we needed to finish two drives. If we finish those two drives none of that happens.
“It’s still week two,” he continued. “You forget that it’s week two and those are things that with some
more practice and some more reps under our belt hopefully we finish a game a better than we did there.”
Perrysburg had 311 yards in total offense and 18 first downs.
Walendzak rushed 27 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
“He’s a once-in-a-generation talent and he’s still a sophomore. He’s going to be something and he is
something,” Kregel said about Walendzak. “He’s only going to get bigger, stronger and better.”
Gulgin was 7-of-16 passing for 121 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Cam Darrington had
three receptions for 73 yards.
AW had a total of 379 yards.
Pike was 18-of-31 passing for 211 yards and rushed 10 times for 95 yards.
Reninger carried the ball 18 times for 58 yards and had had five receptions for 70 yards.
Perrysburg 27, Anthony Wayne 24
Perrysburg 0 13 14 0 – 27
Anthony Wayne 3 0 7 14 – 24
AW – Hamid, 21 field goal
P – Walendzak, 2 run (kick failed)
P – Pratt, 11 pass from Gulgin (Hudson kick)
P – Walendzak, 10 run (Hudson kick)
P – Whitten, 2 pass from Gulgin (Hudson kick)
AW – Reninger, 2 run (Hamid kick)
AW – Ray, 18 pass from Pike (Hamid kick)
AW – Reninger, 3 run (Hamid kick)
