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Elder pushes past Oak Hills

One of the best venues in high school football saw the Elder Panthers play host to the Oak Hills Highlanders on Friday night. “The Pit” was juiced up and electric as the 2023 playoffs got off and running. The Panthers and Highlanders hooked up for a westside rivalry in the opening round of the playoffs.

 

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Oak Hills was seeking to pull the upset by beating their rivals for the first time in a long time. Elder on the other hand looked to continue their dominance in the series and advance to the second round. For most of the first half, the Highlanders did more than hold their own as the game was a grind it out affair early on. Both of these well-coached programs left it all on the field.

 

Elder took the opening kickoff and came out firing. The Panthers took the field and drove right down the field with a mixture of quarterback runs from Ryan Brass and efficient passing. In the end, Brass capped a 10-play, 74-yard drive with a rushing TD and a quick lead. It looked as though things would be easy for the Elder offense. Oak Hills saw things differently. On their opening drive quarterback Brandon Stidham led an efficient drive of his own. With well timed rollouts and keepers, the Highlanders found themselves ready to score. Demar Parker went three yards for a score and the game was tied 7-7 after a quarter.

 

Elder started their second drive as they did the first. Brass was hard to stop on the ground as he repeatedly used his legs to push Elder down the field. Once again he would cap off the drive with a touchdown run, this time from three yards out. Oak Hills drove methodically down the field again late in the half but needed to settle for a field goal attempt. They would fake and be turned away with nothing with 1:44 to play in the half. Elder took possession and used the passing game to be aggressive. Brass twice found Josh Mirus for big gains, the second a 30-yd touchdown strike with two seconds left in the half. 

 

Brass rushed for 71  yards in the half with two touchdowns and passed for 154 yards (12-13) and another score as Elder took a 21-7 lead into the half. Mirus caught five balls for 80 yards and a touchdown in the half. Jeremiah Triggs had 3 receptions for 42 yards to pace Oak Hills.

 

Oak Hills received the second half kick and responded from their late half debacle. On a third and long, Stidham dropped back, bought some time and went deep to Elias Wheeler who hauled in a 56-yd touchdown to snatch some momentum back. Oak Hills pulled themselves to within 21-14 with 8:14 left in the third. The Highlanders would follow up their great start to the half by forcing a three and out. They would take over again with 5:45 left in the quarter. 

 

Things would get a bit chaotic next. On the first play, Stidham’s pass was tipped by Henry Summers and intercepted by Max Stallmeyer. Elder’s Trenton Meyer then fumbled on their first play and it was scooped by Josh Blevins of the Highlanders and returned to the Elder 33-yard line. The Panthers defense would then hold and force a turnover on downs. Elder went back on the offensive as the third quarter came to a close.

 

To start the fourth, Brass would not waste any time as he took the snap around the right side for a 35-yard rushing score to bolster the lead to 28-14 with 11:09 remaining. The pressure was back on the Highlanders to keep themselves in the game. The Highlanders went on a long drive as Stidham kept making plays to extend the drive. Near the red zone the drive was halted as Stidham’s pass was intercepted in the endzone by Joey DiTullio for a touchback with 5:22 remaining.

 

The Panthers were able to sustain several first downs and run out the clock on a 28-14 first round win. Oak Hills coach Justin Rhoden said that he wanted his team to earn the respect of Elder during their first-round playoff game and on all accounts, the Highlanders did that and more. Oak Hills’ Brandon Stidham had a strong game in the loss. He was 13-21 for 137 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 78 yards on the ground in a losing effort.

 

Ryan Brass finished the night with a great stat line. The Panthers’ leader finished the night 13-14 for 160 yards in the air and a touchdown. He rushed 22 times for 151 yards and three touchdowns. Josh Mirus had 6 catches for 86 yards and a score. Elder advances to play Lakota West.

 

SCORING BY QUARTERS

Oak Hills 7-0-7-0-14                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Elder 7-14-0-7-28      

 

SCORING PLAYS

E: Ryan Brass 6-yd rush (Max Crawford kick)

O: Demar Parker 3-yd rush (Hunter Shouse kick)

E: Ryan Brass 3-yd rush (Crawford kick)

E: Josh Mirus 30-yd rec from Ryan Brass (Crawford kick)

O: Elias Wheeler 56-yd rec from Brandon Stidham (Shouse kick)

E: Ryan Brass 35-yd rush (Crawford kick)

 

RECORDS: Oak Hills (5-6); Elder (7-4)

UP NEXT: Elder at #3 Lakota West

 

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