FINDLAY — Take a quick, athletic Ottawa-Glandorf offense and put it on the turf.
Friday that was the recipe for total destruction.
Ottawa-Glandorf cruised across the turf for a 72-0 rout of Lorain Clearview in the opening round of the Division IV football playoffs Friday at Donnell Stadium.
It marked a single-game scoring record for the Titans, easing past the mark of 70 they posted against Defiance this year.
“Our kids liked playing here,” O-G coach Ken Schriner said. “We played fast and it was a great night for us. Caleb (Siefker) loves this stuff and credit to our offensive line. We looked good on turf.”
O-G scored on its first nine possessions, eight on TDs, and was never challenged by the Clippers.
“We had fun, played physical, you have to play physical up front and get to the second level, and then we just watched the running backs do the rest,” O-G offensive lineman Matt Samuelson said.
The Titans (11-0) advance to the second round to meet Genoa (11-0) at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at a site to be named. Clearview ends its season 7-4.
O-G quarterback Caleb Siefker led the way behind the sensational offensive line. Siefker ran for 184 yards on 12 carries with four TDs. He had TD runs of 40, 33, 3 and 29 yards. In the air, he completed 7 of 10 for 68 yards and one TD.
“Many of those (runs) were proposed passes, dropping back, and I got a little pressure and tried to get away from them and ran where there were openings,” Siefker said.
Siefker also had plenty of help from tailback Tristan Parker, who ran around and through the Clearview defense. He finished with 138 yards on 12 carries with two TDs (4, 32 yards).
Overall, the O-G offense piled up 519 yards rushing. The Titans fired down the field like a Zamboni machine with a rocket booster on the back.
The credit goes to the offensive line of Derek Rieman, Wyatt Karhoff, Samuelson, Jacob Wells and Tanner Hohenbrink up front.
“On that second drive, I think we had a big run by Tristan Parker and he broke a few tackles and right there I knew our line wasn’t going to have any troubles,” Siefker said.
Siefker also felt the turf helped the Titans, especially compared to rolling through the mud the last few weeks.
“I love the turf,” Siefker said. “You feel faster, you get your footing and you don’t have to worry about ball conditions. We like playing on the field goal.”
O-G scored its first TD just one minute and one second into the game. Parker went 34 yards on the first play, 13 on the second and then ran for a 4-yard TD to make it 7-0.
The next O-G drive covered 75 yards in 10 plays. Siefker hit Josh Buckland for an 8-yard TD to make it 14-0.
O-G fullback Brad Racer got loose on the first play of the Titans’ next drive. The tank-like fullback powered ahead for a 35-yard TD to make it 21-0.
Siefker’s 40-yard TD pushed the O-G lead to 28-0 at the 11:33 mark of the first half.
Siefker then kicked a 38-yard field goal, then ran for a 33-yard TD to make it 38-0.
It was 52-0 at the half and the Titans’ offense was moving down field at will.
“We all like turf. You get a little bit of spring in your step,” O-G’s two-way standout lineman Karhoff said. “It’s fun to play on. I enjoy it.”
Karhoff said his line took control early in the game.
“I’d say in the first quarter when it was 28-0,” he said. “We just had to keep it rolling from there.”
Karhoff also said he felt good coming back from a dislocated shoulder in Week 9.
The O-G defense was led by Wells, who had three of the Titans’ six sacks. O-G held Clearview to negative-1 yard rushing and 29 total yards.
Spread quarterback Roger Engle completed 13 of 29 for just 46 yards and was picked off once.
“We just played football tonight,” Samuelson said. “We had a great time.”
