AURORA — “What does this mean?”
The question was unnecessary after Twinsburg broke a streak of seven straight losses to Aurora with a 20-19 overtime victory over the host Greenmen Sept. 5.
All you had to do was hear the roar as Lucas Kienzlen scored the tying touchdown in overtime and Mason Boerner broke the tie with the game-winning point-after attempt.
“It means everything,” Tigers coach Charles Saulter said. “God’s just been so good to us.”
After Luke McGovern put Aurora in front with a two-yard touchdown run on the opening possession of overtime, Twinsburg responded by blocking the point-after attempt.
Then, it was the Tigers’ turn.
On their first possession of overtime, Kienzlen, a senior running back, plunged straight ahead on third-and-goal from the 4 to tie the score 19-19. Twinsburg hadn’t run it much to that point but executed that particular inside run perfectly.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Kienzlen said. “There’s nothing like it. Just the entire town in the stands behind you, just all on your side, and you just go in and you satisfy all of them and you just come out with the big win, there’s nothing else that can feel like that.”
All the Tigers needed then was the point-after attempt to win it.
Boerner, another senior, drove it home.
“Mason did the same thing Week 1,” Saulter said. “He’s a guy that’s clutch. When it comes down to the wire, he’s not frazzled. He does everything he needs to do, so he’s a clutch guy and we owe him two games now at this point.”
Twinsburg’s comeback was particularly remarkable after the Greenmen (1-2) scored on their opening possession of the second half, then stopped the Tigers on a three-and-out.
Aurora had all the momentum.
Somehow, trailing 13-0, Twinsburg rallied.
It started with a stop as Tigers senior Bearon Grant crushed a weak-side screen to force a Greenmen punt. The Tigers then had a gutsy drive down the field capped by junior quarterback Dylan Fantone converting fourth-and-2 for a much-needed score midway through the third quarter. Fantone, rolling left, found a leaping JD Okuma in the back of the end zone to draw Twinsburg within 13-6.
“We’ve been working all offseason,” Okuma said. “Props to him, he found me. He just put it right and gave me a chance. That’s all I’m asking.”
After garnering another stop on defense, Twinsburg converted again in crunch time to tie it up. Facing third-and-2 from the Aurora 17 in the closing seconds of the third quarter, Fantone found senior Rob Herndon on an inside slant for the touchdown and Boerner nailed the point-after attempt to tie the score 13-13.
“We could have went down by 30, these guys still would have been cheering themselves on and still ready to go,” Saulter said. “So they just don’t quit. They don’t quit. They don’t flinch.”
After a gripping but scoreless fourth quarter, the Greenmen got the ball to start overtime and scored on McGovern’s sweep, but the point-after attempt was blocked.
Saulter wasn’t sure who blocked it. Okuma thought it was senior Bal Bhullar. Whoever blocked it set the stage for Kienzlen, Boerner and the Tigers to deliver an unforgettable moment as they moved to 3-0 for the first time since 2010.
“We never lost heart here,” Saulter said. “We went down by two scores and we were able to battle back and do something. That means everything. You can tell by the community that it means a lot to us here and it feels good to get over the hump.”
Check out our live updates from throughout the game:
Aurora scores to start OT
Aurora scores on its first possession of overtime. I believe that sweep score was by Luke McGovern. It’s 19-13. The kick is blocked. Twinsburg ball.
Twinsburg-Aurora heading to overtime
Well, that punt proves particularly pivotal as pinned to its own eight, Aurora decides to kneel it out and force overtime.
Twinsburg was out of timeouts.
We are headed to overtime, tied at 13.
Quincy John comes up clutch
The Tigers driving with a chance to take their first lead but Quincy John another huge play. On third-and-8, Twinsburg QB Dylan Fantone evades pressure and tries to find his man along the right sideline but John was there as the ball bounced harmlessly to the turf.
Great punt despite the high snap.
Aurora ball at its own eight, tied at 13, with 1:24 left in regulation.
Aurora looks to take the lead
Quincy John another huge play for the Greenmen as he has a leaping pick near midfield. Aurora now at the Twinsburg 17 with 3:51 left, still tied at 13.
Twinsburg ties it up
How about that third-and-2 for the Tigers.
Dylan Fantone, with three receivers to his left and one on the right, fires a 17-yard touchdown pass to Rob Herndon. With three receivers on the short side, Herndon, the lone wideout on the right, had plenty of room to operate. The inside slant for Herndon opens up and Fantone finds him.
We’re tied at 13 with nine ticks left in the third quarter.
Twinsburg gets a stop
What a stop by Cole Kramer as Aurora tried to pitch it right on third-and-1 near midfield. A huge stop by Kramer to get the ball back for Twinsburg.
Tigers ball, down 13-6 with 3:21 left in the third.
Dylan Fantone, JD Okuma lead a big drive for Twinsburg
Just what the doctor ordered for the Tigers.
Junior quarterback Dylan Fantone finds senior wide receiver JD Okuma three times for a combined 49 yards to get Twinsburg back within 13-6.
The last one came on fourth-and-2 as Fantone rolled left, then made a tricky throw against his body. Okuma the leaping catch toward the back-middle of the end zone.
The kick, after a penalty moved it back, is no good.
It’s 13-6 Greenmen with 6:06 left in the third.
Quincy John provides a jolt for Aurora
What is Greenmen football?
Power football with a dash of speed.
Quincy John provided the jolt, picking up the bouncing kickoff at the 14-yard line. He split a tight seam along the left side and found the sideline for a 59-yard kickoff return.
Aurora capitalizes. On third-and-goal, just a perfectly-blocked run to the right side for Xavier Board as he punches it in from four yards out.
It’s 13-0 Greenmen with 10:47 left in the third quarter.
Halftime thoughts
The Greenmen leading in possession and yardage (as well as the score). Aurora leads in total yards: 136-54.
Xavier Board with 12 carries for 41 yards and the game’s lone touchdown. Ryan Ziegler with 10 carries for 47 yards.
The Tigers have had two nice connections between QB Dylan Fantone and WR RJ Ruffin for their lone first downs but couldn’t sustain the drives.
A dropped snap. A fumble. Little things have cost Twinsburg.
Again, it’s 6-0 Greenmen at the half.
Aurora punches it in
What a momentum shift.
It appeared Twinsburg had a huge pick to wipe out a second promising drive from Aurora. Instead, it must have been pass interference or defensive holding.
The Greenmen resume the drive from the Tigers’ 17 and Ryan Ziegler runs it for 13 yards. Xavier Board caps the drive with a two-yard TD run around the left tackle.
The PAT is off the upright.
It’s 6-0 Aurora with 29 seconds left in the half.
Aurora threatens again
The Greenmen finally get something going through the air with Ryan Ziegler finding Josh Harrell on third-and-6. Aurora gets all the way to the Twinsburg 27 before a costly interception. But the pick is wiped out by a penalty.
On first and 10 from the Tigers’ 17, Ryan Ziegler tucks it and runs and gets to the four. Timeout on the field. Timeout with Aurora at the Twinsburg four.
It’s still scoreless.
Bal Bhullar sack wipes out promising drive
On fourth and eight, the Greenmen opted to go for it instead of try the 32-yard field goal. Quarterback Ryan Ziegler tried rolling left but Bal Bhullar was in hot pursuit and brought him down for the sack and turnover on downs.
Still scoreless early in the second stanza.
Defensive battle early
Nothing easy thus far. The Greenmen have run 14 plays on their second drive to get to the Tigers’ 15. It’s a big third-and-8 to open the second quarter.
Aurora’s biggest gain on this marathon drive?
Just 12 yards.
Everything has been hard-earned and hard-fought.
It’s scoreless after a quarter in Aurora.
Kickoff is here
We’re ready and rolling here at Veterans Stadium.
Great crowd on both sides of the field. Good turnout from both sides.
Greenmen won the toss and deferred.
They’ll kick off to the Tigers to start this one.
Tale of the tape between Twinsburg and Aurora football
Meet the Twinsburg Tigers football team
The Tigers are 2-0 for the first time since 2010, when they won their first seven games and finished 10-2. Dylan Fantone guided Twinsburg to a tight opening win over Bedford, completing 32 of 43 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns. The Tigers won their second game against Bedford by a more comfortable margin. Fantone has a nice receiver corps to work with, including Rob Herndon and JD Okuma.
Meet the Aurora Greenmen football team
The Greenmen bounced back from a heartbreaking Week 1 loss to Brecksville-Broadview Heights to shut out Lutheran West. Aurora has gotten off to dominant starts thus far, outscoring the Bees and Longhorns 50-0 in the first half. Xavier Board is coming off a particularly dominant performance, turning 17 carries into 155 yards and three touchdowns against Lutheran West. Luke McGovern has been sensational as well, with 10 catches for 146 yards on offense and three interceptions on defense.
Contact Jonah L. Rosenblum at jrosenblum@recordpub.com and follow him on Twitter at @JLRSports.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: OHSAA football | Twinsburg vs. Aurora recap
Reporting by Jonah Rosenblum, Ravenna Record-Courier / Record-Courier
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