Football: Easton Hill sparks Grove City to first playoff win since 2005
Friday, October 27, 2023
By Michael Rich
mrich@cbussports.com
Grove City’s Matthew Papas (11) tries to get past Hilliard Davidson’s Hayden Buckley in a Division I first-round playoff game Oct. 27 at Davidson. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Easton Hill provided the spark the Grove City football needed … twice. The junior linebacker came through at opportune times to help the Dawgs to a 38-22 win at Hilliard Davidson in a Division I, Region 3 first round game on Oct. 23.
Grove City had plenty of motivation coming in – a loss to the Wildcats earlier in the year and twice last year and 10 times in a row and 20 of the last 21. They hadn’t won a playoff game since 2005. So, when Hill fell on a fumble in the first quarter and had a key interception in the fourth quarter, Matthew Papas and the Grove City offense took advantage of the big plays.
And now, the ninth-seeded Dawgs (6-5) travel to top-seeded Gahanna in a regional quarterfinal on Nov. 3.
“Getting a playoff win and bringing this back to Grove City was a big part of our week,” said Hill, a senior linebacker, who also had nine tackles. “It was motivation for everyone. This is something this school hasn’t done in a long time. We came in motivated and we came in ready to play.”
The Wildcats (5-6), seeded eighth, held a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter. They had just stopped Grove City on fourth down in Davidson territory when Hill shot in off the end to fall on a fumbled exchange between Johnny DiBlasio and Keevin Gibbon in the backfield.
Hilliard Davidson’s Johnny DiBlasio tries to get by Grove City’s Jaxson Rohm (2) and Zach Adamets (25) in a Division I first-round playoff game Oct. 27. Photo: John Hulkenberg
“I saw the ball and it was between me and (DiBlasio),” Hill said. “I knew I wanted it more than he did. So, I got it.”
That play turned the tide for the Dawgs, who scored two plays later on 32-yard pass from Papas to Owen Steele to give them a 7-3 lead with 6.8 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
JJ King scored from 8 yards out on a fly sweep from Papas and Kaedon King added a 35-yard field goal to five the Dawgs a 17-3 lead at the break.
“We took this week more seriously than any other week,” Papas said. “Everybody played their hearts out. That sour taste in our mouth from last year. They ended our playoff run at home in our place. We just had to return the favor. Everybody was on the same page, working together – all 11 of us.”
King finished with nine catches for 123 yards, scoring a 46-yard reception in the fourth quarter.
Papas finished 17 of 19 for 227 yards and four touchdowns, adding a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Hill’s 89-yard interception return to the 1 to set up the Papas run, which gave the Dawgs a 38-15 lead with 3:59 remaining.
“(Hill) is a kid that never has a bad day,” Waits said. “He practices hard every single day and that’s why he plays as well as he does.”
Cale Snyder had seven carries for 70 yards and caught four passes for 56 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown reception. Braden Young also had nine tackles and Myles Hutchinson had 4.5 tackles and 1.5 sacks for Grove City.
Grove City’s Parker Toadvine (left) runs while Hilliard Davidson’s Nathan Hovest tries to make the tackle in a Division I first-round playoff game Oct. 27.. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Davidson defeated Grove City 48-21 on Aug. 25 and twice last season, including 7-3 in Week 2 and 17-7 in the first round of the playoffs.
“Davidson is a big game for us every year,” Hill said. “They out-physicaled us and outplayed us in Week 2. I knew the whole team on the bus ride here was thinking about that loss. We didn’t want to feel like that again, so we came out with fire in our eyes. We came out to play.”
The Wildcats hold a 47-33 record against the Greyhounds all-time.
“They’re a well-coached team,” Waits said. “I love their kids – they play football the right way. I appreciate their coaches – they do a great job. But this is a great win for our program. It’s a big deal.”
Davidson controlled much of the third quarter, pulling within 17-15 on a pair of James Tarantine touchdown receptions. But a missed extra point on the first score and two-point conversion on the second one had the Wildcats behind the eight ball.
“I feel like the story of our season is missed opportunities,” Davidson coach Jeremey Scally said. “The first drive, we dropped a touchdown pass and then we overthrew a second wide open touchdown pass (later). Credit to (Grove City) – they capitalized on their moments and we didn’t capitalize on our moments.
Gibbon finished with 26 carries for 116 yards, DiBlasio went 19 of 32 passing for 185 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and Tarantine had four receptions for 39 yards and two scores to lead Davidson on offense. Riley Johnson had 5.5 tackles and Hayden Buckley had a sack for the Wildcats on defense.
“We just gave up way too many explosive (plays) on defense and way too many mistakes on offense,” Scally said. “We fumbled in good field position. We had all the momentum (in the third quarter) and then missed an extra point.”