Lima Senior’s Sumarion Doughty looks to get around Findlay’s Nathan Riegle during Friday night’s game at Spartan Stadium.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
LIMA — Both Lima Senior and Findlay were without their starting quarterbacks.
So, the game had a weird tilt to it.
And advantage to Findlay, which used a running back as a Wildcat-formation quarterback.
Findlay posted a 32-0 victory Friday night against Lima Senior at Spartan Stadium.
Lima Senior is 3-7, 0-7 in the Three Rivers Athletic Conference. Findlay is 5-5, 4-3 in the TRAC.
Findlay came into Friday ranked 14th in Division I, Region 2.
Lima Senior was 15th in Division II, Region 8.
The top 16 in each division qualify for the postseason.
Townsend liked his team’s chances of reaching the playoffs.
“I think we’ll be in the 15th or 14th spot,” Lima Senior coach Alphanso Townsend said. “We got a chance to still play. … Aiden Howard will be back next week.’’
Lima Senior starting quarterback Aiden Howard (right shoulder) was out with an injury, as was backup Jykel Cotton.
That gave freshman Ja’Niaus Hall the job as the Spartans’ starter.
For Findlay, it elected to rest starting quarterback Ryan Montgomery for the playoffs.
Findlay went more with a Wildcat look on offense, as running back Dallas De La Cruz took the majority of snaps at quarterback.
Findlay led 12-0 after the first quarter and 18-0 at the half.
The Trojans’ defense was smothering, as the Spartans had -22 yards rushing on the night.
Lima Senior had nine fumbles and lost one, with the majority of those coming on snaps from center out of the shotgun.
De La Cruz led Findlay on the ground with 123 yards on 22 carries. Jackson Ware added 47 yards on 15 carries.
De La Cruz completed 6 of 7 passes for 24 yards.
Lima Senior’s Hall, who had been the JV quarterback, completed 10 of 23 for 118 yards. He had three intercepted.
Hall’s main difficulty was handling the snaps from center in the shotgun.
“I think it was a different type of center and wasn’t used to that fastball coming back to him,” Townsend said. “He’s got a big upside on him. He’s an athlete and has a great future here at Lima Senior.’’
Zavion Gardner had four catches for 46 yards.
On Findlay’s first drive, the Trojans went 32 yards in five plays to score.
De La Cruz flipped a shovel pass to Reece Little for a 6-yard TD.
That gave Findlay a 7-0 lead with 7:39 left in the first quarter.
The Spartans’ Hall was then picked off by the Trojans’ Connor Harp at the Lima 37 and returned it to the Lima 15.
Findlay got a field goal off the turnover when Owen Clevenger pounded home a 31-yard field goal.
That gave Findlay a 10-0 lead with 3:55 left in the first half.
Findlay pushed its lead to 12-0 when Hall was tackled in the end zone by Nathan Riegle for a safety.
That came with 1:56 left in the first quarter.
Findlay made it 18-0 when De La Cruz lofted a wobbly pass to Austin Haselbach for a 21-yard TD.
That came with 3:41 left in the second quarter.
De La Cruz’s 1-yard TD gave Findlay a 25-0 lead with 5:25 to go.
Tonight marks the Spartans’ and the Trojans’ final game in the Three Rivers Athletic Conference.
The conference is dissolving after this school season.
Lima Senior will head to the Toledo City League. Findlay will go to the Northern Lakes League.
Lima Senior and Findlay will continue to play next season, as the two have a two-year contract for 2023 and 2024.
Tom Usher wrote this story for LimaScores.com. Reach The Lima News sports department at 567-242-0451.
