Medina Today

The Buckeye Bucks returned to the win column with an OHSSA  Division 3, Region 10 play-off win over River Valley, 35-28. On a wet field, the Bucks entered the play-offs with a dismal 1-12 lifetime play-off mark, but that was then and this is now. The inspired Bucks downed the one-man-band  pass-pass-passing Vikings (5-6) to move on to the second round of the play-offs.

The Vikings quarterback Cayden Shidone put the ball in the air 47 times and completed 26 for 263 yards and 3 TDs, and he also ran the ball 21 times for 112 yards. That means he was in on 68 of his team’s 74 plays, but the Bucks made stops on him and his teammates when it counted.

Down 7-0 early, the Bucks tied it on a 65-yard strike and run from Jaden May to Kaymen Marshall, but the Vikes went the length of the field on their next possession to go up 12-7.

Bucks senior running back Ben Barnes scored his first tally of the game on a 20-yard high hurdle TD, but a 20-yard TD pass from Cayden Shidone to Keyan Shidone gave River Valley the lead before the half.

The Vikings held a 20-14 half-time lead, and the Bucks came out charging in the second half with a 5-yard score by Barnes to take a 21-20 lead about 7 minutes in.

The Vikings retook the lead with their next possession on a short pass and a 2-pt. conversion to go up 28-21 with 2 ½ minutes left in the third.

The Bucks came storming back to tie it on the ensuing kick-off, thanks to a 92-yard tackle-brake and sprint return by Michael McGivern, to tie it at 28-28.

After a defensive stop, the Bucks started at their own 13 just inside the fourth quarter. A 15-play drive brought the Bucks home. May picked up a first down with a 14-yard completion to McGivern on 3rd and 14. With another set of downs earned, the Bucks inched closer to pay dirt, and with three minutes left in the game Marshall plunged in from the 2 to give the Bucks their margin of victory.

But it wasn’t over yet. River Valley brought the ball up methodically to the Buckeye 31 at the 2-minute warning. But the Bucks' “D” held fast on hits by Barnes, Cam Stout and Jacob Berger, and stopped the Vikes on downs at the 35.

The Bucks’ offense was led by Barnes, who gained 163 yards and scored 2 TDs on 28 carries  and Marshal, with 8 carries for 63 yards.

Improving their record to 8-3, the No. 6-seeded Bucks take on No. 3 seed Rocky River (8-3) on Friday in the Final Four round. In a rematch of the Oct. 22 game in which  the Pirates won 23-12, the Bucks will look to stop 1000-yard rushing running back Tommy Bebie, who gained 174 of Rocky River’s 284 ground yards last time they met, while also picking up their offense, which was stifled by Rocky River.