Bob Fisher - Mansfield News Journal
www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2017/11/11/clearing-his-head-shelby-qb-overcomes-mistakes-big-second-half/852986001/MARION - Shelby quarterback Brennan Armstrong uncharacteristically threw two interceptions in the first half Friday night against St. Mary's Memorial in the Division IV Region 14 semifinals.
He more than made up for it in the second half at Marion Harding Stadium.
The 2016 second team All-Ohioan scored four touchdowns on the ground after intermission to lead unbeaten and No. 2 seed Shelby to a 47-7 victory over the third-seeded Roughriders, who finished their season at 10-2.
"Those two interceptions were frustrating to me but we talked all week this team (St. Mary's) is a smash mouth team and they'll make some plays against us," Armstrong said. "I went into halftime and just cleared my head. I knew we were going to get the ball to start the second half and we just needed to come out and punch it in. And we just kept rolling from there."
Armstrong threw two touchdown passes in the frst half and Devon Brooks scored on a 38-yard run that staked the Whippets to a 20-0 lead.
Armstrong's first interception came at the 4:50 mark of the second quarter. Bo Kuenning stepped in front of a screen pass and returned the ball to the Whippet 11. It took St. Marys four plays to score, a 1-yard sneak by quarterback Colin Clements, his seventh TD of the year.
Armstrong's second interception came with 1:18 to play in the first half.
Brooks returned the second half kickoff 55 yards to set the Shelby offense up at St. Marys' 36. Two plays later, Armstrong took off on a 32-yard touchdown run to increase the lead to 26-7.
After the Roughriders were forced to punt, Armstrong made it 33-7 on a 2-yard run. Shelby's Hunter Bishop recovered a fumble and Armstrong scored again from seven yards out but it was nullified by a penalty.
Brady Hill, who caught one of Armstrong's touchdown passes in the first half, came up with the first of his two interceptions on defense, both leading to Shelby touchdowns.
Brooks' 72-yard run got the Whippets down to the 5 and Armstrong scored on a 3-yard run that pumped the lead to 40-7 with 10:21 to go in the game. That meant for the 12th game in a row the Whippets would enjoy a running clock for leading by 30 or more points.
Hill's second interception allowed Armstrong to add a final score, a 36-yard touchdown run with 6:59 to play in the game.
Shelby became the first 12-0 team in school history. The Whippets have advanced to the regional finals for the second straight year and will play Bellevue, a 21-13 winner over top-seeded Clear Fork, at a site that will be announced by the OHSAA on Sunday.
"I am happy with both sides of the ball," coach Erik Will said. "Our coaches on both sides of the ball did a great job and the kids played well. The kids played hard.
"Brennan has been doing it for four years. There's a reason he's a Division I recruit. It didn't matter that he threw two interceptions. With him it's on to the next play."
St. Mary's was on a 10-game winning streak after dropping the opening game of the year, 39-32, to Division II Sidney. The Roughriders won the Western Buckeye League and were surrendering just 258 yards a game and just 17 points a game.
Brooks ran for 210 yards on 15 carries and Armstrong added 174 yards on 21 carries. Shelby gained 411 yards rushing.
St. Mary's did slow down Shelby's passing game. Armstrong completed just 3 of 11 for 46 yards and two TDs, including a 17-yarder to Brooks.
"Devon Brooks is the best running back in the history of this program," Will said. "He's about to go over 4,500 yards rushing. The last two games he has really run hard. I'm happy and I'm going to enjoy this win."