Hilliard Bradley beats Upper Arlington in double overtime in regional final

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Bradyn Fleharty couldn’t mask the intense pain he was still feeling in his left ankle as the rest of his Hilliard Bradley teammates celebrated winning the first regional championship in their program’s 15-season history.

But the senior quarterback managed a grim smile when he was reminded that he suffered the injury while diving into the end zone from two yards out for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown in the Jaguars’ 35-28 double-overtime victory over Upper Arlington in the Division I, Region 3 final.

After twisting his ankle, the Yale recruit writhed in agony in the end zone for a few minutes and then hobbled off the field so that Jake Walter could kick the extra point and the Jaguars defense could shut down the Golden Bears’ offense to end the game.

The Jaguars, who were seeded second in Region 3, improved to 13-1 overall and will face Lakewood St. Edward (13-1) in a state semifinal on Nov. 24.

“I put my body on the line to help my team, and we won the game, so it was worth it,” Fleharty said. “I just knew I had to get into the end zone, so I ran as hard as I could.

“The first thing I was thinking was ‘my ankle really hurts.’ But I knew I got in, so I was happy for my team. I did this for my brothers. Our team is one big family and I would do anything for them.”

Fleharty did that and so much more for Bradley in its dramatic victory Friday at Historic Crew Stadium.

The Central District Offensive Player of the Year used his speed to scramble past defenders throughout the game, as he rushed for a game-high 180 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries.

Fleharty powered his way over a pile of Upper Arlington defenders for a 1-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and then tossed a pass to Samuel Green for a two-point conversion to tie the score at 14-14.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound athlete also showed off his vision and speed when he bounced a run up the middle to the outside and then outraced the Golden Bears’ secondary down the right sideline for a 61-yard touchdown run that put the Jaguars ahead 21-14 with 8:18 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“(Fleharty’s) a great player and he made big plays for them, just like he has all year,” said Upper Arlington coach Justin Buttermore, whose fourth-seeded squad finished 10-4 overall. “He’s really dynamic. We were in the right position to defend him and we had him pinned several times, but he’s the fastest guy on the field and he escaped and hurt us with both his arm and legs.”

Indeed, Fleharty also was 15-of-36 passing for 169 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception.

On Bradley’s second possession of the game, Fleharty tossed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Denis Shishlo, who snuck behind Upper Arlington’s defensive backs and was wide open at the goal line.

In the first overtime, Fleharty also feathered a 13-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Preston Wolfe, who made a twisting, leaping catch in the left side of the end zone.

Walter then kicked the extra point to tie the score at 28-28 and send the game into a second overtime, setting up Fleharty’s heroic third touchdown run.

“Bradyn’s the Central District Player of the Year for a reason,” Bradley coach Mike LoParo said. “Can you imagine trying to defend that? If you stop him throwing, he can beat you with his legs.

“He’s the most competitive kid I’ve ever coached. If he’s playing you in anything, he’s going to find a way to win. You saw on the long touchdown run that he can really fly. And he did a hell of a job getting the ball in the end zone on his last run of the game.”

Upper Arlington quarterback Kyle Cox almost matched Fleharty’s stellar play, by going 24-of-33 passing for 242 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

With just 43 seconds left in regulation, Cox connected with wide receiver Trent Wolpert for a 6-yard touchdown pass on a fade route. Edward Oakley’s extra point then tied the game at 21-21, eventually sending it into overtime.

In the second quarter, Cox also juked his way past a defender, scrambled to his left and then threw the ball to running back Connor McClellan, who raced down the left sideline for a 51-yard touchdown reception that put the Bears ahead 14-6 going into halftime.

McClellan was a workhorse, rushing for 93 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries, including a 2-yard run in the first overtime that put the Golden Bears ahead 28-21.

He also scored on a 27-yard run that gave Upper Arlington a 7-6 lead with 1:36 remaining in the first quarter, and finished with four catches for 61 yards and a score.

Upper Arlington wide receiver Austin Stutz finished with a game-high six catches for 69 yards, including a 41-yard reception that set up McClellan’s first touchdown run.

Outside linebacker Noah Gehlert led Upper Arlington’s defense with seven tackles, and inside linebacker Cam Baker was a one-man wrecking crew, racking up five tackles, two sacks and an interception.

“Kyle Cox played extremely well at quarterback, and our offensive line battled all night,” Buttermore said. “I thought our offense answered the bell every time they could. Hilliard Bradley’s front three linemen and two linebackers are outstanding, and they make it difficult to do anything with your running game.

“I’m disappointed with the result, but proud of our kids for battling hard until the very last play.”

Bradley linebacker Damon Bordner had a game-high nine tackles, including stopping McClellan for no gain on a second-and-six play from the 16-yard line in the second overtime, and then breaking up a pass intended for McClellan in the end zone on the following play.

“Damon’s the smartest guy we have and he’s the quarterback of our defense,” LoParo said. “He’s so savvy. He’s always in the right position and knows what we need.”

On the final play of the game, free safety Terris Dudley and linebacker Nikolaj Kisin converged to break up a pass in the end zone, setting off a wild celebration on the field.

Jordan Reed-Davis also finished with five tackles, while linebackers Kisin and Ethen Tebbetts, nose guard Jason Morbitzer, end Brody Healy and free safety Murphy Spears each had four tackles.

“We knew that (Fleharty was injured), so we had to get a stop in the second overtime and end the game right there,” Bordner said. “This is amazing (after finishing 5-7 overall last year), to be in this position. When we saw the ball hit the ground on that last play, it was an awesome feeling to know that we had won our region and are going to the state final four.”