In a game filled with twists, Bellefontaine punished host Indian Lake both on the ground and through the air while forcing the Lakers into numerous miscues in a 49-14 Chieftain victory Friday night.
The Chieftains, who piled up 537 yards compared to 283 for the Lakers, took a commanding 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter before a wild last minute of the first half saw the Lakers score two touchdowns to cut the BHS lead in half entering the break.
But Bellefontaine regained control early in the second half — with freshman Reign St. Clair relieving his injured brother Tavien at quarterback — to run away with the 35-point victory.
Tavien St. Clair, the five-star signal caller headed to Ohio State, suffered a lower leg injury in the first half and left the game just before halftime.
He returned to the BHS sideline in the second half in full uniform, but was held out of action.
“I am extremely proud of the response from our young men in the second half,” said Bellefontaine head coach Jason Brown. “Life is all about how you respond. We relied on the brotherhood and loved each other to pull through tonight.”
Brown was also impressed with the way Tavien St. Clair handled the aftermath of the injury.
“He was as great at halftime as he has ever been,” said Brown. “He really rallied the troops going into the second half.”
Indian Lake was undone by a defense that could not slow down the Chiefs, as well as a slew of miscues.
The Lakers turned the ball over twice and were penalized seven times for 49 yards.
“We shot ourselves in the foot a lot,” said Indian Lake head coach Jonn Rapp. “Losing never feels good, but it is easier to take when you play your best. It is really hard to take when you lose because of mistakes and shooting yourself in the foot.”
Bellefontaine jumped out to a 21-0 advantage in the first quarter.
