A gut punch is a physical strike to the abdomen that disrupts the solar plexus or diaphragm, or a sudden, shocking event that causes deep emotional distress. Fans of Greenville football suffered a double blow Friday evening as the Wave fell to Piqua in Miami Valley League action 26-21.
Halfway through the first quarter of play at Alumni Stadium, GHS running back Gage Denham, who was leading the MVL in rushing through the first two games of the season with over 360 yards, went down with a lower leg injury and was helped off the field, not to return.
After Piqua went ahead 20-0 late in the first half, the Wave mounted a strong comeback as senior Isaac Kerg scored two rushing touchdowns and junior Logan Inman hauled in a pretty touchdown pass from junior QB Grady Looker. After Kerg’s second score junior Rylan Grosch’s extra point kick put the Wave up 21-20 with less than two minutes left in the game.
With Wave fans sensing victory, particularly as the Indians faced a fourth-and-long from their own 25-yard line, Piqua threw a short pass to the sideline that, after several missed Wave tackles, was converted into a 75-yard touchdown, resulting in the winning points with 38 seconds remaining for the team from Miami County.
You could feel the collective air coming out of the home crowd as emotions took a 180-degree turn. With the loss, the Wave fell to 1-1 in league action, 1-2 overall. Next up is a trip Friday to Fairborn to face a decent 2-1 Skyhawks ball club.
Here’s a tip of the hat to local podiatrist Dr. Rob Maher, who attended the game. After the injury to Denham, the good doctor opened his office and X-rayed and treated the senior, allowing him to return later to the sidelines to cheer on his teammates. Evidently, Gage suffered a fractured fibula of the left leg, which unfortunately will most likely cost him most, if not all, of the remaining schedule. Dr. Maher is just an example of the care provided by health care professionals throughout Darke County and West Central Ohio!
Another example of a gut punch occurred on a national level as That Team Up North was given a second chance to win a game at the “Big House” in Ann Arbor. A strong Western Michigan team completely outplayed the Maize and Blue and appeared to have won the contest 12-7 as a last-second pass was incomplete in the back of the end zone. With Bronco players, fans, and most of the nation celebrating the upset, the officiating crew was in communication with Big Ten headquarters, reviewing the play. According to the explanation given later by the Big Ten, there was still one second remaining on the official game clock, although the stadium scoreboard showed 0:00 seconds, game over.
You just knew that, given a second chance, bad things were about to happen as the Wolverines hit the miracle “Hail Mary” pass from 47 yards out to pull out a 13-12 “win”. OOF!!
Here’s a quick look at local fall high school sports—
In soccer action, both Green Wave boys and girls still seek their first wins in MVL play, while the girls tennis team has a 4-2 mark (1-3 in league play), being paced by seniors Riley Capasso and Sienna Gilman. The Wave boys golf squad is 3-3 overall (2-2) and led by junior Hayden Null’s 37.8 nine-hole scoring average, with sophomore Braxton Moore, senior Brody Weaver, and junior Hayden Burns all averaging under 40 strokes.
The girls golf team boasts the MVL’s best record at 8-1 (3-1) and is led by freshman Piper Jenkinson’s 37.7 mark, best in the league by almost 10 strokes! Girls volleyball finds the Lady Wave with a 3-3 record (2-2), trailing defending state champion Tipp City, Butler, and Piqua in the Miami Division. Both boys and girls cross country squads have faced stiff competition in various invitationals, the boys being paced by sophomore CT McRill and senior Jack Fitzgerald while the girls’ top two are freshman Kinsey Fiora and senior Sami Elam.
In Western Ohio Athletic Conference volleyball action, Tri-Village and Dixie head the pack, with Franklin-Monroe close behind. Dixie is undefeated in boys soccer, while Newton and Twin Valley South set the pace in girls play.
Ansonia senior Bennett Lehman, last year’s defending state D-IV champion, is more than two minutes faster than any other WOAC runner, while sophomore Anna Yeomans of Ansonia, sophomore Ella Eshleman of Franklin-Monroe, and freshman Claire Barger of Ansonia all have times under 20 minutes for the 5K runs.
Arcanum senior Luke Stephens’ 36.4 average leads the way for a strong Arcanum boys golf team which is 13-1 (9-0) trailed by Tri-Village’s 8-2 (7-2) and National Trail at 7-2. On the girls’ side, Arcanum at 7-1 (4-1) outpaces Tri-Village at 5-1 (2-1). Tri-Village sophomore Lyla Brewer at 41.9 is nine strokes better on average than the next league golfer.
Finally, after the earlier mention of gut punches in sports, comes this quote from Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean” for dealing with life’s difficulties—“The problem is not the problem, the problem is your attitude about the problem.” Truer words were never spoken; stay positive!!
Gut
