Woodridge rides the legs of Anthony Kelly past Girard, 34-20

Bill Mayville, Special to The Plain Dealer, November 14, 2009 11:32 p.m.

UNIONTOWN, Ohio -- With the ball on their own 38, their 20-point lead cut to six, and a suddenly reinvigorated Girard team threatening to take over the game, Woodridge coach Eric Ervin turned to Anthony Kelly and the Bulldogs offense to recapture the momentum and put the game away.

Kelly and the offensive line responded with a 62-yard scoring drive, mostly on the strength of Kelly's legs, as the senior tailback popped off runs of 27 and 10 yards before finding the end zone on a 10-yard run. The score gave Woodridge some much-needed breathing room, and from there the sixth-seeded Bulldogs never looked back, running away with a 34-20 win over second-seeded Girard in Division IV, Section 13 playoff action Saturday at Blue Streak Stadium.

"In the fourth quarter of this kind of game, you've got to be able to move the chains and make first downs," Ervin said. "You have to, and the offensive line and Kelly led the way."

Kelly finished with 156 yards on 35 carries and two touchdowns, and added a third touchdown on a 97-yard interception return.

"We knew we had to get going, because they have a good defense," Kelly said. "We just knew we had to get going, and we did. The line did outstanding tonight."

The Bulldogs' defense harassed Girard's high-powered offense, keeping the Indians off the scoreboard in the first half, forcing three turnovers, and registering five sacks on the night.

"The plan was to get pressure and bring heat," Ervin said.

Junior linebacker Marcus Thompson was the one who brought the heat, leading the Bulldogs' defense with 31/2 sacks, and registering several other quarterback pressures and hits.

"Marcus Thompson played out of his mind," Ervin said. "He made a big name for himself in this game."

Despite keeping Girard's offense under wraps for most of the game, the Indians (11-1) threw a scare into Woodridge in the third quarter, using a pair of big plays to score twice in a 1:02 span and cut the Woodridge lead to 20-14. Woodridge responded with a pair of touchdowns to extend their lead to 34-14 before Girard closed the scoring with 2:01 remaining.

Woodridge (10-2) played most of the game without one of their top weapons, as wide receiver AJ Graham left the game after a 15-yard reception on the third play from scrimmage. Graham was immobilized and taken off the field on a backboard, but flashed a thumbs-up to the crowd as he left the field. He eventually returned to the Woodridge sideline in street clothes in time to see his teammates pull away and seal the deal.

The win sets up a rematch with Chagrin Falls, who beat the Bulldogs, 32-26, in Week 3.

"We've been waiting for this since we lost to them," Kelly said. "It's going to be a fun game next week.

"I just can't wait."

Bill Mayville is a free-lance writer in Parma Heights.