Leopards Rally Past Spartans with 22 Unanswered for Second Straight Win – Freshman Football
Louisville 22, Boardman 8
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The Louisville Leopards Freshman Football Team erased an eight-point deficit and scored 22 unanswered points to defeat the visiting Boardman Spartans 22-8 Thursday evening at Louisville Leopards Stadium.
After falling behind during the second quarter, Louisville tied the game before halftime, took its first lead in the third and delivered the knockout punch on a 75-yard touchdown connection from Jayden Schloneger to Troy Simpson early in the fourth.
The Leopards out-gained Boardman 291-121 and held an 11-6 advantage in first downs. Louisville rushed for 185 yards, passed for 106 and averaged 7.1 yards across 41 offensive plays. The victory improved the Leopards to 2-2 and extended their winning streak to two games.
Game Recap | Scoring Summary | Team Stats | Individual Stats
First-Quarter Turnovers Keep Game Scoreless
Louisville converted an early fourth down during its opening possession. Facing 4th-and-1, Hunter Watson powered through the middle for three yards and a first down at the Louisville 47.
The drive eventually stalled, resulting in an unusual punt procedure that remained in effect throughout the game. Because Boardman did not have a punter, the officials used automatic punts and moved the football approximately 25 yards for both teams. Louisville’s first team punt was marked off 22 yards, giving Boardman possession at its own 25.
Markus Thomas immediately attacked downfield for the Spartans. Thomas found Jalen Smith open over the middle for a 38-yard completion, but Logan Barrett pursued the play from behind and lunged forward to knock the football loose.
Damon Gail recovered the fumble at the Louisville 27 to end Boardman’s first possession.
Watson continued his punishing running style on Louisville’s next series, gaining nine yards before carrying multiple defenders for a 14-yard first down to midfield.
Schloneger then completed a pass to Eden Swonger for no gain, but Gi’Mani Womack jarred the ball free. Smith recovered for Boardman and returned the fumble 15 yards to the Louisville 35.
Rusu Touchdown Gives Boardman 8-0 Lead
Boardman converted Louisville’s fumble into the first points of the game.
Gino Patron dropped the Spartans for a 2-yard loss on the opening play, but Boardman recovered from the setback. Facing 3rd-and-12, the Spartans used a triple-option reverse to gain 14 yards and move the ball to the Louisville 23.
Jax Haugen recorded another tackle for loss on the following snap. Boardman again responded on third down when Thomas connected with Smith for a 19-yard completion on 3rd-and-10, setting up goal-to-go.
Two plays later, Landan Rusu pushed across the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown. After a penalty preceding the conversion, Thomas kept the ball and ran it into the end zone to give Boardman an 8-0 advantage with 7:59 remaining in the second quarter.
The Spartans covered 35 yards in eight plays while using 3:22 off the clock.
Thomas Interception Stops Louisville Threat
Louisville put together a promising drive in response.
Schloneger opened the possession with a 13-yard run before finding Simpson for an 11-yard completion on 4th-and-2 at the Boardman 33. Schloneger followed with another 11-yard run, advancing to the Spartan 22.
Kyler Levoff dropped Louisville for a loss to set up 2nd-and-11. Two plays later, Thomas intercepted Schloneger’s pass in the back of the end zone with 3:55 remaining before halftime.
Boardman picked up a first down on a third-down run by Rusu, but a mishandled exchange during a reverse resulted in a 3-yard loss and helped derail the possession. The Spartans eventually used an automatic 25-yard punt to give Louisville another opportunity before the break.
Schloneger and Watson Tie Game Before Halftime
Louisville needed only two plays and 28 seconds to travel 60 yards for the tying touchdown.
Schloneger kept the football, broke toward the right and then cut back across the field for a 46-yard run to the Boardman 14.
Watson took the handoff to the left on the next play and refused to go down. He broke four tackles during a punishing 14-yard touchdown run that pulled Louisville within 8-6 with 1:09 remaining in the first half.
Schloneger then found Simpson on the left side of the end zone for the conversion pass, tying the game at 8-8.
Watson Powers Louisville Into the Lead
Boardman received the second-half kickoff, but Louisville’s defense forced another punt. Patron stopped a rushing attempt at the line of scrimmage, and a personal-foul penalty eventually left the Spartans facing 4th-and-23.
After Boardman’s automatic 25-yard punt, Louisville began at its own 47.
The Leopards handed the ball to Watson on each of their first five plays. He gained 28 yards and moved the chains twice as Louisville steadily wore down the Boardman defense.
Schloneger then ran right for a 14-yard first down, setting up goal-to-go at the 5. Watson received another handoff on the next play, ran through a Boardman defender and fell across the goal line for his second touchdown.
The seven-play, 47-yard drive gave Louisville its first lead at 14-8 with 4:10 remaining in the third quarter. Schloneger connected with Swonger for the conversion pass to increase the advantage to 16-8.
Watson finished with 86 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. His two scoring runs covered 14 and five yards.
Uphold and Ritenour Sack Spartans
Boardman attempted to answer behind consecutive first-down runs. Rusu gained eight yards before Thomas kept for 10 yards and crossed into Louisville territory at the Leopard 41.
Brandon Uphold stopped the Spartans for a loss and then stormed into the backfield on the following play for a 9-yard sack. Eli Cullins brought down the ball carrier behind the line on the next snap, although the officials spotted the play for no gain.
Facing fourth down, Boardman elected to use another automatic punt. This one was marked off 26 yards, giving Louisville possession at its own 25.
Uphold and Wyatt Ritenour combined for Louisville’s two sacks during the game. Uphold recorded a 9-yard loss, while Ritenour added a 2-yard sack during the fourth quarter.
Schloneger Hits Simpson for 75-Yard Knockout Punch
Louisville went deep on the first play of its next possession.
Schloneger dropped back and launched a pass downfield toward Simpson. The Boardman defender fell as Simpson secured the catch, leaving the Louisville receiver with an open path to the end zone.
Simpson completed the 75-yard touchdown reception untouched, stretching Louisville’s lead to 22-8 with 8:47 remaining. The one-play scoring drive lasted only 13 seconds.
Smith intercepted Louisville’s conversion pass, but conversion plays are not included in regular offensive or defensive statistics.
Simpson finished with three receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. His 75-yard score accounted for more than 70 percent of Louisville’s passing yardage.
Schloneger completed 7 of 12 passes for 106 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed eight times for a game-high 87 yards, giving him 193 yards of total offense.
Louisville Defense Closes Out Spartans
Thomas opened Boardman’s ensuing possession with another 10-yard first-down run.
Ritenour, Cullins and Quintin Smith combined to bring down the ball carrier for a loss on the next play. Ritenour later broke into the backfield on 3rd-and-10 and recorded a 2-yard sack.
Trailing by two scores with fewer than six minutes remaining, Boardman elected to use another automatic punt. The ball was moved 22 yards to the Louisville 35.
Conner Longwell opened Louisville’s final possession with two carries for nine yards. Schloneger then completed a 2-yard shovel pass to Cohen Lykins on 3rd-and-1 to move the chains.
Louisville later faced 3rd-and-7, but Schloneger ran right for eight yards and another first down to seal the victory. That final carry moved Schloneger one yard ahead of Watson as Louisville’s leading rusher, 87-86.
Longwell finished with 12 yards on five carries, while Lykins’ 2-yard catch helped Louisville maintain possession and run out the remaining time.
Barrett’s forced fumble and Gail’s recovery produced Louisville’s lone takeaway. Patron, Haugen, Uphold, Ritenour, Cullins and Smith were each credited with a tackle for loss.
Boardman finished with 121 yards on 33 offensive plays. Thomas completed 4 of 7 passes for 64 yards, Rusu led the Spartans with 28 rushing yards and Smith caught two passes for 57 yards.
Leopards Reach .500 After 1-7 Eighth-Grade Season
Louisville’s victory continued a promising turnaround for a class that finished 1-7 as eighth graders last season.
After opening their freshman campaign with two losses, the Leopards defeated Dover 24-12 at home and followed with a 22-8 victory over Boardman. Louisville is now 2-2 and has won consecutive games for the first time as a team.
UP NEXT: The Freshman Leopards will next host the North Canton Hoover Vikings on Thursday, September 17. Game time is set for 5:00 PM from Louisville Leopards Stadium.
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Boardman at Louisville Freshman Football Scoring Summary
LEOPARDS 22, SPARTANS 8
Team 1-2-3-4–TOTAL
Boardman 0-8-0-0–08
Louisville 0-8-8-6–22
1st Quarter
NO SCORING
2nd Quarter
BOARDMAN – Landan Rusu 1-Yard Run (Markus Thomas Run) | LHS 0, BHS 8, 7:59
8 Plays, 35 Yards, 3:22
LOUISVILLE – Hunter Watson 14-Yard Run (Troy Simpson Pass from Jayden Schloneger) | LHS 8, BHS 8, 1:09
2 Plays, 60 Yards, 0:28
3rd Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Hunter Watson 5-Yard Run (Eden Swonger Pass from Jayden Schloneger) | LHS 16, BHS 8, 4:10
7 Plays, 47 Yards, 2:55
4th Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Troy Simpson 75-Yard Pass from Jayden Schloneger (Pass Failed) | LHS 22, BHS 8, 8:47
1 Play, 75 Yards, 0:13
Records: Louisville 2-2
Team Stats
Total Offense
Louisville: 41 Plays, 291 Yards, 3 Touchdowns (7.1 Yards Per Play)
Boardman: 33 Plays, 121 Yards, 1 Touchdown (3.7 Yards Per Play)
Rushing
Louisville: 29 Carries, 185 Yards, 2 Touchdowns (6.4 Average)
Boardman: 26 Carries, 57 Yards, 1 Touchdown (2.2 Average)
Passing
Louisville: 7 of 12 for 106 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 1 Interception
Boardman: 4 of 7 for 64 Yards
First Downs
Louisville: 11 (8 Rushing, 3 Passing)
Boardman: 6 (5 Rushing, 1 Passing)
Turnovers
Louisville: 2
Boardman: 1
Sacks
Louisville: 2 Sacks, 11 Yards
Boardman: None
Punt Yards
Louisville: 1 Team Punt, 22 Yards (22.0 Average)
Boardman: 4 Team Punts, 98 Yards (24.5 Average)
Penalties
Louisville: 1 Penalty, 5 Yards
Boardman: 2 Penalties, 20 Yards
Individual Stats
Rushing
Louisville
Jayden Schloneger 8 Carries, 87 Yards
Hunter Watson 16 Carries, 86 Yards, 2 Touchdowns
Conner Longwell 5 Carries, 12 Yards
Boardman
Landan Rusu 6 Carries, 28 Yards, Touchdown
Jahki Johnson 6 Carries, 14 Yards
Markus Thomas 5 Carries, 9 Yards
Ja’Vien Bailey 5 Carries, 5 Yards
Jalen Smith 4 Carries, 1 Yard
Note: Sacks count as rushes in Middle School/High School Football
Passing
Louisville
Jayden Schloneger 7 of 12 for 106 Yards, Touchdown, Interception
Boardman
Markus Thomas 4 of 7 for 64 Yards
Receiving
Louisville
Troy Simpson 3 Catches, 94 Yards, Touchdown
Logan Barrett 2 Catches, 10 Yards
Cohen Lykins 1 Catch, 2 Yards
Eden Swonger 1 Catch, 0 Yards
Boardman
Jalen Smith 2 Catches, 57 Yards
Jahki Johnson 1 Catch, 6 Yards
Ja’Vien Bailey 1 Catch, 1 Yard
Punts
Louisville
Team 1 Punt, 22 Yards, 22 Long (22.0 Average)
Boardman
Team 4 Punts, 98 Yards, 26 Long (24.5 Average)
Note: All punts were administered as automatic team punts.
Tackles for Loss
Louisville
Gino Patron 1
Jax Haugen 1
Brandon Uphold 1
Wyatt Ritenour 1
Eli Cullins 1
Quintin Smith 1
Boardman
Kyler Levoff 1
Sacks
Louisville
Brandon Uphold 1 Sack for 9 Yards
Wyatt Ritenour 1 Sack for 2 Yards
Interceptions
Boardman
Markus Thomas 1 Interception, 0 Return Yards
Fumble Recoveries
Louisville
Damon Gail 1 Recovery, 0 Return Yards
Boardman
Jalen Smith 1 Recovery, 15 Return Yards
Forced Fumbles
Louisville
Logan Barrett 1
Boardman
Gi’Mani Womack 1
Note: Some defensive statistics are unofficial based on game notes from the author.
