Leopards Can’t Erase Early Deficit, Falls Short at Northwest 35-28 – Varsity Football
Northwest 35, Louisville 28
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The Louisville Leopards Varsity Football Team fell to the host Northwest Indians 35-28 on a rainy Friday Night at Dr. Martin Smilek Stadium. With the loss, Louisville drops to 1-2 on the season.
Game Stats | Scoring Summary | Team Stats | Individual Stats
Dougherty Scores 4th Quarter Touchdown
Quarterback Chase Badger ran right for an 11 yard touchdown run to put the Indians ahead 35-13 with just 4:25 left the play. Considering the 22-point deficit and the unruly weather elements, it would have been very easy for the Leopards to run out the clock and call it a night.
Instead Louisville was scrappy to the end and nearly came all the way back. The Leopards stormed right down the field against Northwest’s prevent defense marching 73 yards on 10 plays in just 2:05. Quarterback Tate Aljancic found Owen DiMarzio for a pair of 13 yard completions and also scampered for another first down himself.
On 3rd-and-10 from the 25, Aljancic dumped a pass off to runningback Cam Dougherty. Two Indians defenders dived at him as he made a b-line for the right sideline. Dougherty then shook off one more Northwest defender before running the remaining 15 yards down the sideline into the endzone. Aljancic then hit wide receiver Ashton Marshall on a fade route in the back left corner of the endzone for the two-point conversion to shrink the deficit to 35-21 with 2:14 to play.
Wade Makes 4th-and-Goal Touchdown Grab
Aljancic’s ensuing onside kick attempt was recovered by the Indians at midfield, but the Leopards still had three timeouts in their pocket. Northwest handed the ball off three straight times to Kellan Reinford who was only able to net 1 yard. The Indians punted on fourth down and Louisville got the ball back with only 30 seconds shaved off the clock since Dougherty’s score.
Aljancic ran for back-to-back 6 yard gains to start the drive. He then rolled right and found wide receiver Gabe Stoffer for a 31 yard gain down to the Northwest 28. Two Indians defenders collided on the play and Stoffer made another defender miss before finally being forced out of bounds with 57 ticks left. Stoffer would finish with 4 catches for 54 yards.
Aljancic found the speedy DiMarzio underneath on the next play and he zoomed out of bounds past the sticks for another first down. Aljancic then completed a 14 yard pass to wide receiver Quin Burick to set the Leopards up 1st-and-goal with 36 seconds to go.
Aljancic spiked the ball on first down and the next two plays resulted in incompletions. On 4th-and-goal from the 4, tight end Austin Wade was hand locked with Northwest defensive back Brayden Venables on a fade to the left corner of the endzone. Wade broke free, pulled in a one handed catch, and got two feet in bounds for a touchdown. Aljancic booted home his second extra point of the night to get Louisville to within 35-28 with only 16 seconds left.
Last Second Hail Mary Falls Incomplete
Aljancic dribbled a short onside kick down the center of the field and started to recover his own kick right as it traveled 10 yards. The Indian who had the best chance for recovery was sent flying backward three yards by a furious block by Owen Wilson.
The Leopards had retained possession with 13 seconds, but still needed a miracle. Aljancic threw to Burick on a comeback route and he stepped out of bounds at the 40 yard line with 8 second left. With trips to the right, Aljancic rolled to his right and heaved a pass 40 yards through the air into the endzone. The ball would hit off the back of Northwest defensive back Carsen Nickey as time expired.
Aljancic and DiMarzio Lead Louisville Offense
Aljancic was 26 of 42 passing for 260 yards and through 3 touchdown passes. This included a 15 yard strike to Burick in the back of the endzone on a 4th-and-7. Burick made the over the shoulder grab that got Louisville to within 21-13 with 2:15 remaining in the third quarter. Burick would finish as one of Aljancic’s top targets with 8 catches for 52 yards.
Aljancic’s other top target was DiMarzio who made 8 catches for 82 yards to go along with 16 carries on the ground for 49 yards. DiMarzio also took a direct snap and scored from a yard away early in the second quarter to get the Leopards on the board after trailing 14-0.
Louisville out-gained Northwest 355-322 in total yardage, which included a 96-54 advantage on the ground. Aljancic also ran the ball 15 times for 46 yards to account for 306 total yards of offense.
Badger and Allman Lead Northwest Offense
Badger hooked up with wide receiver Logan Allman 7 times for 79 yards, which included 3 first half Indian touchdowns. Badger found Allman for a 29 yard touchdown pass on 3rd-and-10 on the game’s opening 8 play, 75 yard drive. Allman also scored on a 21 yard touchdown reception to put Northwest in front 14-0 in the opening quarter. Badger found Allman again for an 8 yard score in the second quarter to increase the margin to 21-6 by halftime.
Badger would complete 22 of 34 passes on the night for 268 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also carried the ball 18 times for 34 yards to lead the Indians on the ground.
Joe Musleve would finish as Northwest’s leading receiver with 6 catches for 81 yards. On a 4th-and-9, Badger hit Musleve for a 24 yard touchdown reception over the middle to put the Indians ahead 28-13 with 9:06 left in the third quarter. Landen Cross also finished with 5 catches for 64 yards.
Teams Combine for 10 Turnovers in the Rain
The rain poured throughout the pregame, but let up in time for kickoff. The driving rain came back again in the third quarter and ball security would become a premium commodity.
In the middle of a scrum, the ball popped free from the Indian ball carrier and Cooper Rice fell on it for the Leopards at the Northwest 27. Louisville had a golden opportunity to tie the game with a short field and trailing 21-13. However, they gave it right back as a mishandled snap was pounced upon by Indian defensive lineman Colin Smith at the NHS 18.
Northwest went three-and-out and punted on their next drive. The punt proved to be a luxury with how wet the ball was as it flipped field position significantly in the Indians’ favor. Louisville fumbled on the next play from scrimmage and Northwest linebacker Jon Campbell fell on the ball at the LHS 37. The Indians would turn that takeaway into points to go ahead 28-13.
On the next possession, Northwest linebacker Conner Stephenson sacked Aljancic from behind jarring the ball free and fellow defensive back Abe Lazarus recovered the ball at the Leopards 28. Stephenson also forced another fumble earlier in the second quarter that was recovered by Indian defensive lineman Vincent Lattimer.
The next two possessions resulted in interceptions. Stoffer intercepted Badger at the goal line to give possession back to Louisville. Two plays later, Cross recorded his second interception of the game by stepping in front of a pass near the left sideline. Six turnovers in eight total possessions between the two teams. That pick would prove the be the dagger as it would lead to Badger’s 11 yard touchdown run to put Northwest up 35-13.
Overall Louisville lost 5 of 7 fumbles and turned the ball over a total of 7 times. Brody Betty also recovered a muffed punt for the Indians in the first half.
The Indians lost their only two fumbles, one of which was the onside kick, and finished with 3 turnovers on the night.
Leopards Vs. Indians Football Series
Northwest has now defeated Louisville in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2007. The Leopards still lead the all-time series 17-7 overall, which includes a 9-3 record when playing at Dr. Martin Smilek Stadium.
The 63 points scored is the most between the two teams since the 2007 matchup.
<<< Previous 2023 | Northwest All-Time Series
UP NEXT: The Leopards will next host the Marlington Dukes on Friday, September 13. Game time is slated for 7:00 PM from Louisville Leopards Stadium.
Upcoming Leopard Football Schedule
September 7 – Louisville JV Vs. Northwest, 10:00 – Louisville Leopards Stadium
September 12 – Louisville Freshman At Marlington, 5:00 – Marlington Stadium
September 12 – Louisville 8th Grade Vs. Jackson Purple, 5:45 – Louisville Leopards Stadium
September 13 – Louisville Varsity Vs. Marlington, 7:00 – Louisville Leopards Stadium
September 14 – Louisville At Marlington, 10:00 – Marlington Stadium
Louisville Opponents Week 3 Scores
Friday, September 6
New Philadelphia 28, at Wooster 7
Streetsboro 56, at Alliance 6
Manchester 40, at Marlington 0
at North Canton Hoover 40, Akron North 6
at Orrville 59, Canton Central Catholic 37
at Olmsted Falls 35, Canfield 6
at Green 14, Tallmadge 6
at South Range 36, Barberton 0
35-28 Scorigami?
No Scorigami! Two Leopard football games have ended in a 35-28 result previously with Louisville winning both matchups:
- 8/24/2007 – Louisville 35, Ravenna 28
- 9/15/2011 – Louisville 35, Marlington 28
Donate to Leopard Nation
Northwest at Louisville Football Game Statistics
Scoring Summary
INDIANS 35, LEOPARDS 28
Team 1-2-3-4–TOTAL
Louisville 0-6-7-15–28
Northwest 14-7-0-14–35
1st Quarter
NORTHWEST – Logan Allman 29 Yard Pass from Chase Badger (Ben Schantz Kick) | LHS 0, NHS 7, 8:56
8 Plays, 75 Yards
NORTHWEST – Logan Allman 21 Yard Pass from Chase Badger (Ben Schantz Kick) | LHS 0, NHS 14, 4:31
9 Plays, 89 Yards
2nd Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Owen DiMarzio 1 Yard Run (Kick Failed) | LHS 6, NHS 14, 10:34
9 Plays, 42 Yards
NORTHWEST – Logan Allman 8 Yard Pass from Chase Badger (Ben Schantz Kick) | LHS 6, NHS 21, 5:48
6 Plays, 29 Yards
3rd Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Quin Burick 15 Yard Pass from Tate Aljancic (Tate Aljancic Kick) | LHS 13, NHS 21, 2:15
8 Plays, 44 Yards
4th Quarter
NORTHWEST – Joe Musleve 24 Yard Pass from Chase Badger (Ben Schantz Kick) | LHS 13, NHS 28, 9:06
7 Plays, 37 Yards
NORTHWEST – Chase Badger 11 Yard Run (Ben Schantz Kick) | LHS 13, NHS 35, 4:25
4 Plays, 26 Yards
LOUISVILLE – Cam Dougherty 25 Yard Pass from Tate Aljancic (Ashton Marshall Pass from Tate Aljancic) | LHS 21, NHS 35, 2:14
10 Plays, 73 Yards, 2:05
LOUISVILLE – Austin Wade 4 Yard Pass from Tate Aljancic (Tate Aljancic Kick) | LHS 28, NHS 35, 0:16
11 Plays, 71 Yards, 1:28
Records: Northwest 3-0, Louisville 1-2
Team Stats
First Downs
Louisville: 21 (12 Passing, 7 Rushing, 2 Penalty)
Northwest: 17 (11 Passing, 6 Rushing)
Total Offense
Louisville: 73 Plays, 355 Yards, 4 Touchdowns (4.9 Average)
Northwest: 64 Plays, 322 Yards, 5 Touchdowns (5.0 Average)
Rushing
Louisville: 31 Carries, 95 Yards, Touchdown (3.1 Average)
Northwest: 30 Carries, 54 Yards, Touchdown (1.8 Average)
Passing
Louisville: 26 of 42 for 260 Yards, 3 Touchdowns, 2 Interceptions
Northwest: 22 of 34 for 268 Yards, 4 Touchdowns, 1 Interception
Fumbles/Lost
Louisville: 7/5
Northwest: 2/2
Penalties/Yards
Louisville: 5 for 36 Yards
Northwest: 7 for 73 Yards
3rd Down Conversions
Louisville: 6 for 11 (55%)
Northwest: 5 for 14 (36%)
4th Down Conversions
Louisville: 1 for 1 (100%)
Northwest: 1 for 2 (50%
Punt Yards
Louisville: 3 Punts, 121 Yards (40.3 Average)
Northwest: 6 Punts, 185 Yards (30.8 Average)
Kick Return Yards
Louisville: 4 Returns, 86 Yards (21.5 Average)
Northwest: 3 Returns, 14 Yards (4.7 Average)
Punt Return Yards
Louisville: 1 Return, 0 Yards
Northwest: None
Field Goal Attempts
Louisville: None
Northwest: None
Individual Stats
Rushing
Louisville
Owen DiMarzio 16 Carries, 49 Yards, Touchdown
Tate Aljancic 15 Carries, 46 Yards
Northwest
Chase Badger 18 Carries, 34 Yards, Touchdown
Kellan Reinford 12 Carries, 20 Yards
Passing
Louisville
Tate Aljancic 26 of 42 for 260 Yards, 3 Touchdowns 2 Interceptions
Northwest
Chase Badger 22 of 34 for 268 Yards, 4 Touchdowns, 1 Interception
Receiving
Louisville
Owen DiMarzio 8 Catches, 82 Yards
Gabe Stoffer 4 Catches, 54 Yards
Quin Burick 8 Catches, 52 Yards, Touchdown
Cam Dougherty 1 Catch, 25 Yards, Touchdown
Austin Wade 2 Catches, 24 Yards, Touchdown
Ashton Marshall 2 Catches, 18 Yards
Jacob Paumier 1 Catch, 5 Yards
Northwest
Joe Musleve 6 Catches, 81 Yards, Touchdown
Logan Allman 7 Catches, 79 Yards, 3 Touchdowns
Landen Cross 5 Catches, 64 Yards
Carson Nickey 1 Catch, 21 Yards
Kellan Reinford 1 Catch, 14 Yards
Devin Simon 1 Catch, 8 Yards
Brayden Venables 1 Catch, 1 Yard
Kick Returns
Louisville
Cooper Rice 2 Returns, 41 Yards, 23 Long (20.5 Average)
Gabe Stoffer 1 Return, 24 Yards
Jacob Paumier 1 Return, 21 Yards
Northwest
Joe Musleve 1 Return, 14 Yards
Carsen Nickey 2 Returns, 0 Yards
Punt Returns
Louisville
Gabe Stoffer 1 Return, 0 Yards
Northwest
None
Punts
Louisville
Gabe Stoffer 3 Punts, 121 Yards, 48 Long, 2 Inside 20 (40.3 Average)
Northwest
Jakob Garber 6 Punts, 185 Yards (30.8 Average)
