CINCINNATI — The Badin High School football team learned an important lesson Friday night at Withrow: The Rams must always be ready to play with a significant level of intensity.
"I think we were a little bit shell-shocked coming in here," Badin coach Nick Yordy said. "A little bit at halftime we kind of had a little bit of blank stares on our face. We're in a ballgame. It's been a while since we've been in some close ones like that but that's what we needed."
Badin rallied from a three-point halftime deficit to defeat Withrow 24-17 in an intriguing non-conference matchup between the Division III Rams and Division II Tigers.
"We learned we got to come ready to play," Yordy said. "I don't know how we were when we got off the bus and that's definitely going to be addressed."
Withrow took an early 3-0 lead when junior Rex Shaffer made a 20-yard field goal.
Junior Aidan Brown's 25-yard touchdown reception from junior quarterback Alex Ritzie and junior Nick Warner's point-after kick gave the Rams a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter.
Withrow sophomore Quintin Simmons made a nifty 9-yard touchdown run in a reverse direction to give the Tigers' 9-7 advantage with 8:11 left in the second quarter.
Badin went ahead 14-9 later in the quarter after Ritzie found senior Braedyn Moore for a 16-yard touchdown pass connection and Warner's PAT.
Withrow senior quarterback Troy Montgomery's 2-yard touchdown and his pass to senior Gideon Tafari-Thompson for the two-point conversion gave the Tigers a 17-14 halftime lead.
Badin decided to run the football early and often in the third quarter when senior Carter Russo had 10 carries on the first drive which culminated in a 1-yard touchdown run.
"We said at halftime if we're going to win the game we had to run the football," Yordy said.
Warner's field goal gave the Rams the lead for good at 24-17 with 8:24 left.
Badin (3-0) plays at Roger Bacon (1-2) Sept. 9.
Withrow (1-2) plays host to Akron Archbishop Hoban (2-0) Sept. 9.
