Football: Hartley edges DeSales in matchup of CCL perennial powers
Friday, October 6, 2023
By Jarrod Ulrey
julrey@cbussports.com
DeSales’ Adam Faulkner (left) tries to bring down Bishop Hartley’s Ryan Perry on Oct. 6 at Hartley. Photo: John Hulkenberg
It was fitting that the latest meeting between the Hartley and DeSales football teams came down to the game’s final play considering the recent history between the programs.
Although the Stallions hold a 22-14-1 all-time record in the series, the teams have split the 12 times they’ve matched up since they began playing one another again in 2014 after not meeting from 1988-2013.
The Hawks missed one extra point and DeSales missed two, but on the game’s last play, Hartley senior kicker Connor Bjornson made a 32-yard field goal to give his team a 15-12 victory.
The Hawks, who are 6-2 overall, 1-1 in the league and have clinched a playoff berth in Division IV, Region 15, avenged a 7-2 loss to DeSales a year ago.
“They’re all down to the wire,” Hawks coach Brad Burchfield said. “I don’t want to say it was mistake-driven, but it was mistake-magnified because it’s such a tight game. … It’s gratifying to win in the CCL because it’s just so hard.”
DeSales, which dropped to 3-5 overall and 1-1 in the CCL, tied the game at 12 with 8 minutes, 20 seconds remaining when Max Shulaw ran in on fourth-and-goal at the Hartley 1.
The Stallions started that drive at their own 4, but on second-and-9 from their own 5, sophomore running back Jonathan Brown found a hole and sprinted 94 yards before being tackled at the 1. DeSales was called for sideline interference at the end of the play to drop them back to the 6 but scored four plays later.
DeSales’ Nolan McSweeney tries to get past Bishop Hartley’s Brendan Laret on Oct. 6 at Hartley. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Hartley began the game’s final possession at its own 15, but seven plays into the drive, sophomore quarterback Matt Galich connected with junior wide receiver Fedelis Imojah for 8 yards and DeSales was called for a face mask to move the Hawks to the Stallions 22.
On second-and-5 from the DeSales 7, Galich couldn’t handle the snap and was dropped for an 8-yard loss to set up the field-goal attempt by Bjornson.
“It’s something we needed to do to go out there and win,” Bjornson said. “I was just looking at the uprights and just wanted to get it over with.”
In the opening quarter, Hartley senior Xavier Martin Fuller had an interception and Shulaw had a fumble recovery to set the defensive tone. With 11:12 to go in the second quarter, Galich hit senior wide receiver Ryan Perry for a 30-yard touchdown to make it 6-0. Sophomore running back Robert Lathon’s 53-yard run on the seventh play of the drive helped set up that score.
The Stallions tied it at 6 with 5:14 left before halftime when senior Elijah Charles returned an interception 18 yards for a touchdown.
Then with 5:51 to go in the third period, Galich threw a short pass to the right side of the field to Perry, who then ran 35 yards for a touchdown and a 12-6 lead.
“Both teams probably had a play here or there where they thought they missed an opportunity,” DeSales coach Ryan Wiggins said. “There was good defense, it went back and forth, and they got the last kick. Last year it was 7-2 and they were trying to score at the end.
Members of the Bishop Hartley defense, including Charlie McCall (30), bring down DeSales’ R.J. Day on Oct. 6. Photo: John Hulkenberg
“The playoffs are coming, we’ve got the Watterson game (in Week 10) and there’s still plenty to play for. A game like this can still make you better because it was physical and hard-fought. I’m sure we’re going to watch the film and wish we had this play or that play back, but I had no issue or problem with the heart or toughness our kids played with.”
Lathon finished with 23 rushes for 181 yards and is now over the 1,000-yard rushing mark on the season.
Galich completed nine of 11 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns and Perry added five catches for 91 yards to lead Hartley’s offense.
Hawks senior linebacker Denim Cook, who has 12 Division I scholarship offers, had two sacks, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
“We trusted in the coaches and we trusted in each other,” Cook said. “I feel like it’s a brotherhood, and our confidence is growing. It’s been two years since we’ve beaten DeSales, so that was a big accomplishment for our team.”
While the Stallions play host to Cincinnati Northwest on Oct. 13 and to Watterson on Oct. 20, Hartley travels to KIPP Columbus on Oct. 13 before closing its CCL schedule Oct. 20 at home against St. Charles.
Watterson leads the CCL at 2-0.
“We’re having a lot of fun,” Burchfield said. “It’s a really good team and we’ve had a couple good wins. We had a couple games we didn’t play as well against good teams. This was two teams that are really good, and two teams that played hard. We’re still young, but we’re better (than last season) because all of these kids played.”