The Tigers entered the fourth quarter trailing by 10, with just 12 minutes to turn their home opener around. They then found what it took to rally past Columbus Bishop Ready 28-24 Friday evening at Unckrich Stadium. Galion improved to 2-1 and handed the Silver Knights their first loss, leaving both teams with matching records after three weeks.
A familiar climb
The Tigers had overcome a 14-0 deficit to beat Carey 21-17 a week earlier. This time, the climb was steeper.
Ready led 7-0 after the first quarter and 17-0 at halftime, according to the MaxPreps quarter-by-quarter record. The Silver Knights still held a 24-14 advantage after three quarters. Galion scored all 28 of its points in the second half, including 14 unanswered in the fourth. Kingston Norris and Izayah Taliaferro supplied Ready’s first-half rushing touchdowns. A field goal before halftime completed the 17-point cushion, according to both MaxPreps scorekeeping feeds.
Hay helps turn it around
Quarterback Kane Hay figured in all four Galion touchdowns. WMFD’s account credited him with three scoring passes, two to Jamesen Glew and one to Kurt Hay, followed by the go-ahead touchdown run. The first connection with Glew came in the third quarter. Ready later restored its 17-point margin at 24-7, but Galion answered again. WMFD described Kane Hay recovering a loose snap and finding Kurt Hay, who broke a tackle on his way to the end zone. The Tigers were back within 24-14.
In the fourth quarter, another long touchdown pass from Kane Hay to Glew helped cut the deficit to 24-21. Then Hay supplied the finish himself, escaping pressure in the pocket and running for the touchdown that finally put Galion ahead. The defense did its part to make the rally stand. Both MaxPreps scorekeeping feeds recorded three Ready punts in the fourth quarter and a turnover on downs on the Silver Knights’ final possession.
Learning to move on
The recovery fit a theme Galion coach Matt Dick had discussed before the game: learning to leave the previous play behind. “We’re a young football team, a lot of first year starters,” Dick told Swank on Sports in a pregame interview published September 4. He described a team working on execution and trying to keep one mistake from becoming several.
Against Ready, a scoreless first half did not become a lost evening. The Tigers gave themselves another chance, then made enough plays to take it.
A busy band
Like the players on the Galion Tigers football team, members of the Galion Tiger Marching Band must have been exhausted when they went to bed last night. There was no visiting band from Bishop Ready High School, and so the local kids played practically non-stop for over two and a half hours, rousing the crowd and encouraging the team’s performance.
Shelby is next
Galion opens Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference play at home against Shelby at 7:00 PM Friday, September 11. The Whippets are 3-0 after beating Bellevue 27-7.
For Galion, the next challenge is to build on two straight comeback wins without needing another great escape.