Takeaways from week 5 of the high school football season

What we learned in week five of the 2021 high school football season:

1, One well-executed trick play helped Alliance steal momentum

Trailing by two touchdowns early and with its offense struggling, Alliance surprised Salem with a double pass, and the second aerial, a 46-yard touchdown pass from wideout K'Vaughn Davis to fullback Adam Zumbar, jump-started the Aviators and they outlasted the Quakers 27-21 in overtime.

That touchdown pass launched a 21-0 Alliance run before Salem scored tied the game in the fourth quarter. K'Vaughn Davis not only threw a touchdown pass on the trick play, but he also delivered the key block on a speed-option in overtime that created space for Kaden Davis, his brother, to score on a 20-yard touchdown run, the eventual game-winning score.

2, West Branch win is one for the record books

Seniors Steven Marra and Nick Wilson etched their way into the West Branch offensive books during the Warriors' 63-42 win over Canton South in their final Eastern Buckeye Conference regular-season meeting. 

Marra not only amassed 291yards on the ground in 37 carries, but he also scored seven of his team's nine touchdowns. The seven rushing touchdowns broke the single-game record of six set by Tom Hinton in 2001.

Wilson matched Greg Sharp, who played for the Warriors from 1983-85, for career touchdown catches (19) when one of his four grabs against Canton South went for six points.

3, Marlington run game improving

In its three previous games, all defeats, Marlington had difficulty establishing the run and the lack of a balanced offense.

When the Dukes traveled to Minerva to meet the Lions in an EBC contest in Dr. Robert Hines Stadium last Friday night, they unleashed one.

Senior Luke Tortola broke the century mark with 102 yards on the ground and added three rushing scores in a 42-7 win. Tortola began the season on defense exclusively, starting at outside linebacker. After the second contest, a home loss to Northwest, he was inserted into the running back mix.

Tortola's effort complemented the passing game, which finished with 280 yards in the decisive Minerva win.

4, Sebring showed poise on road at McDonald

It would have been easy for Sebring to fold early against McDonald, a team which has dominated the series between the two teams became league rivals in the 2000s.

The Blue Devils assumed a 15-point lead in the second quarter and appeared ready to break the game open, but the Trojans answered with 14 straight points. Sebring could not sustain the momentum created by consecutive Noah Frederick touchdown jaunts, falling 41-26.

Frederick's 70- and 56-yard touchdown runs, however, cut the McDonald advantage to 21-20 early in the third quarter, showing the Blue Devils they weren't going to collapse.

Sebring also scored on a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Kade Leasure to Carter Holodnak, indicating the Trojans are more than just a run-dominant team.

5, Alliance's undersized offensive line stood tall

Without 6-foot-7 senior Stephen Gales, who didn't play due to a family death, and 6-5 freshman Jaezen Lewis, who is recovering from a broken nose suffered in summer baseball, the Alliance offensive line of seniors Thomas Butt and Tremar Battle, junior Carter Lewis, and sophomores Kevin Frazier and Aidan Mozden more than held their own against the Quakers.

Lewis, who filled in for Gales at right tackle, and Butt, a three-year starter at left tackle, are both listed at 5-10. Mozden and Battle, the two guards, are measured at 5-8 and 5-5, respectively. Frazier, the starting center, is 5-9.

6, Little things help West Branch produce

With the right mix of experienced skill and two first-year starters stepping up and making plays, the West Branch offense has been scoring at a record-setting pace.

While quarterback Dru DeShields, running back Steven Marra and wideouts Nick Wilson and Jaxon Hendershott have combined to amass most of the yardage and score most of the points, they've had plenty of help from teammates doing the little things that made the spread attack function at a high level the first five weeks.

Downfield blocking by the wideouts, headed by Wilson and Hendershott and including Jed Smith, Christian Martig and Michael Kanagy as the five primary threats, have been instrumental in the Warriors' turn short pass plays into big gains.

It starts with DeShields releasing the ball quickly and accurately to one receiver in either a two- or three-man cluster. Once the ball is caught, the non-receiving wideout or wideouts have turned into a downfield blocker, resulting in a short gain turning into a big play.

7, Alliance in-game defensive switch worked

Trying to slow down an explosive Salem offense directed by dual-threat quarterback Jackson Johnson, Alliance started out with a 2-4 defensive scheme and intermixed it with the more familiar 3-4 look.

After the Quakers scored two touchdowns following drives of 61 and 93 yards on their first two possessions covering less than six minutes of the opening quarter, the Aviators scrapped the 2-4, sticking to the three-man front.

That adjustment helped Alliance hold Salem to one offensive touchdown the rest of regulation and no points in overtime. The Aviators also made several defensive plays, highlighted by interceptions from defensive backs Carter Bugara and Ovie Love.

8, Marlington revamped line helps offense

It's amazing how two veteran offensive linemen can help uplift an entire interior front. 

That is what transpired for Marlington at Minerva.

Seniors Zach Dine and Danny Grimes returned as starters. After missing some time due to injury, Dine returned at right guard. Grimes, who began the season as a H-back, was moved back to center, the position he manned last season.

Providing experience to a unit which includes senior right tackle Walter Bungard and junior tackle Cole Bland and senior left guard Lee Hall — two newcomers — Marlington managed to develop a run game with Luke Tortola to support the passing attack.

9, Sebring will throw the football

Sebring coach Matt Seidel favors the run, especially with senior brothers Noah Frederick and Elijah Frederick as returning 1,000-yard runners.

However, Seidel surprised Waterloo with a pass completion on the first play of scrimmage in week 4 and followed with a touchdown pass from quarterback Kade Leasure to Carter Holodnak in the second quarter at McDonald.

Don't expect the Trojans to throw the ball 30-40 times a game, but Seidel wants opposing defenses to be prepared for something other than the run.

10, West Branch defensive ends showing growth

West Branch returned starters at most of their position groups, but it had to replace the top three defensive ends in its rotation.

After five games, Thomas Egli and Mitchell Coffee have made their share of plays at the two positions for the Warriors. Egli, who stands 6-6 and weighs 197, possesses the ideal wing span that makes it difficult for opposing quarterbacks to find passing lanes.

Coffee, who is 6-3 and 249, has used his muscle and agility to record several tackles for loss and sacks. 

Both players, who have succeeded graduated seniors Josh Gregory, Andrew Coffee and Alek Wilson, are juniors on a team loaded with several junior linemen