PERRYSBURG — It definitely was not the most beautiful game ever played, but Perrysburg will take it.
The Yellow Jackets overcame their opening-game jitters to defeat Toledo Bowsher, 28-6, even though the
game was much closer than the final score might indicate. PHOTO
GALLERY
Rain
throughout the evening resulted in a wet surface on the newly installed FieldTurf at Steinecker Stadium,
playing a large part in the two teams combining for 15 penalties, 10 turnovers and 13 fumbles.
“I’m happy to win. With the situation we’re in, having a bunch of young guys … We’ve got no experience
and they do dumb things at the most inopportune times, and you saw that tonight,” Perrysburg coach Matt
Kregel said. “All those things, I think, with repetition we’re going to get better at.”
Perrysburg’s offense had the ball inside Bowsher’s 25-yard line three times in the first half, but a
fumble and two failed fourth-down conversions resulted in zero points.
But in perhaps the biggest play of the game, junior quarterback Matt Slocum hit senior receiver Matt
Marquette on a 21-yard scoring strike with three seconds remaining in the second quarter to give
Perrysburg a 7-0 lead and momentum heading into the locker room.
“That was huge,” Slocum said. “We couldn’t put the ball in the end zone at all early in the game. We did
that and it got us fired up.”
Both teams went scoreless in the third quarter, and after a short touchdown run by Perrysburg’s Matt
Kruzel in the fourth, Bowsher scored less than a minute later to make the score 13-6 with 7:52 left in
the game.
Perrysburg responded with a 60-yard touchdown drive capped off by a two-yard run by Erick Logan and a
two-point conversion to make it 21-6. Kruzel added a six-yard run with 1:17 remaining for the final
score.
“We’ve got a lot of two-way guys. We knew passing-game wise we could do some things, but when those guys
started cramping up and getting tired; it handcuffed us,” Kregel said. “We had to run clock and pour it
down their throat. Our offensive line and our fullback just handed it to them. It was great.”
Slocum finished with 161 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception, which halted another
first-half drive for the ’Jackets. Logan finished with a game-high 77 yards rushing on 15 attempts,
including the touchdown, and Kruzel scored twice with 34 yards on seven carries.
Providing a huge spark for Perrysburg was sophomore Micah Carter, listed at 5-feet-9, 230-pounds, who
made an impact as a freshman nose tackle last season. To start off this season, Carter caused a fumble,
recovered another, and also ran for 49 yards, including a 40-yard gallop that left several Bowsher
defenders trampled in his wake.
“That’s something that we’re going to force people to defend. He’s a bowling ball when he comes through
there,” Kregel said of Carter. “If he can do what he did tonight, we’re going to ride that horse. He’s
not the tallest guy, but he might be three inches shorter when this season’s over the way we’re going to
ride him.”
And though Carter’s biggest impact is likely on the defensive side of the ball, he’s more than willing to
dish out some punishment on the offense.
“After that run today I’m kind of liking offense,” Carter said. “Defense is fun. I love going to get
those sacks. So, we’ll see.”
Perrysburg’s offense finished with 345 yards of total offense, 184 of which came on the ground. Bowsher
was able to gain yards (338 total offense) on the ’Jackets, but committing seven turnovers was too much
to overcome.
“Our defense … I pretty much give the win to them,” Slocum said. “They played well. Bowsher was close
to scoring several times and they stepped up.”
Marquette, playing in his first varsity game, finished with 60 yards receiving and also had an
interception and made 2-for-3 extra-point kicks, as well as taking care of the punting duties for
Perrysburg.
“Matt Marquette played like a warrior,” Kregel said. “For a guy in his first year of varsity football as
a senior, he did a great job.”
Senior Dan Noland had three catches for 64 yards, and Dan Endicott picked off a pass.
Up next for Perrysburg is a game with Clay at Bowling Green State University’s Doyt Perry Stadium next
Friday.
“We have a lot of things to correct but we played well. We got the win, just like we wanted,” Carter
said. “It’s something good to take into next week.”
PERRYSBURG 28, TOLEDO BOWSHER 6
BOWSHER
6
—6
PERRYSBURG
7
21
—28
P — Marquette, 21 pass from Slocum (Marquette kick)
P — Kruzel, 3 run (kick failed)
B — Russel, 20 pass from Shelton (kick failed)
P — Logan, 2 run (Pavelko pass from Slocum)
P — Kruzel, 6 run (Marquette kick)
TEAM STATISTICS
Category
B
P
First downs
14
17
By rushing
6
8
By passing
7
5
By penalty
1
4
Total net yards
338
345
Rushing
192
184
Passing
146
161
Attempts
25
25
Completions
13
12
Interceptions
2
1
Punts/average
4/36.0
7/25.3
Penalties/yards
9/75
6/40
Fumbles/lost
8/5
5/2
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: (B) McNair, 4-13; Harris, 17-73; Shelton, 11-31; Brown, 4-7; Florence, 2-25; Braden, 1-7;
Gaston, 2-36; (P) Kruzel, 7-34; McKinley, 2-5; Logan, 15-77; Slocum, 8-9; Carter, 5-49; Pavelko, 1-10.

PASSING: (B) Shelton, 13-25-2—146; Gaston, 0-1-0—0; (P) Slocum, 12-25-1—161.
RECEIVING: (B) Harris, 2-17; Russel, 4-61; Braden, 2-18; McNair, 2-5; Florence, 1-23; Brown, 1-5;
Johnson, 1-17; (P) Noland, 3-64; Pavelko, 2-17; Logan, 2-27; Marquette, 4-60; Kruzel, 1-(minus-7).
Photo caption: Perrysburg’s Micah Carter celebrates after recovering a fumble (Andrew
Weber/Sentinel-Tribune)