TIPP CITY – The Greenville varsity football team defeated the Tippecanoe Red Devils 21-7 in a Friday night Miami Valley League (MVL) matchup.
“I don’t know the last time we beat Tipp – but it feels dang good,” Greenville coach Bart Schmitz told his team following the win.
The Green Wave took a 0-9 winless record against an excellent Tippecanoe football program dating back to 2010 with the Red Devils outscoring the Wave 295-63 over the nine year drought, an average loss of 34-7. Tipp beat Greenville 21-0 in 2010, 6-3 in 2011, 55-0 in 2012, 42-14 in 2013, 42-14 in 2014, 32-19 in 2015, 7-6 in 2016, 47-0 in 2017 and 43-7 last season; the two team’s last year playing in the GWOC.
Greenville got on the board first with the Wave’s Alec Fletcher intercepting a Jackson Subler pass at the Greenville 47 and sprinting 53-yards into the end zone for a Green Wave touchdown.
“What a way to start the game,” Schmitz said of Fletcher’s pick-six. “That came after we drove into their territory and threw a pick and then we come back and get one of ours. These kids are responding to every situation, they are accepting coaching and hopefully that shows that we are getting better each week.”
Ethan Flanery split the uprights out of the hold of senior quarterback Tyler Beyke making good on the PAT kick to give Greenville a 7-0 lead at 5:39 in the first period of play.
Greenville pushed its lead to 14-0 with 7:43 showing on the second quarter clock with Beyke scoring on a quarterback keeper from 1-foot out followed by a Flanery successful PAT kick. The TD drive used up 7:54 on the clock with the Wave chewing-up 67-yards on 15-plays.
Tippecanoe battled back with a 10-play 72-yard touchdown drive and a PAT kick to make it a 14-7 game with 2:26 on the second quarter clock to closeout first half play sending the teams to the break with Tippecanoe taking some momentum to the locker room.
“It wasn’t any magical potion at halftime,” said Coach Schmitz. “We just said continue to do what we do and we’ll be fine, and that’s what we did.”
Touchdown No. 3 on the night for the Wave was put in motion by an Ethan Flanery third down sack deep in Tippecanoe’s territory at the 17-yard line setting up a Red Devils fourth-and-13 punt on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Greenville senior Marcus Wood settled under the Devils’ punt at the Greenville 37 and turned a highlight-reel return into a 46-yard run-back to the Tippecanoe 29-yard line.
The Wave used an 8-play 29-yard drive to score the team’s third TD of the night to push its lead to 21-7 with Flanery’s PAT kick through the uprights.
Big plays on the drive included an 11-yard Beyke quarterback keeper, a 7-yard Wood carry and a Connor Mills 9-yard run setting up a first and goal from the one.
Tipp’s defense stuffed the Wave on the first two attempts up the middle before Beyke nosed the ball over on the third try for his second TD of the night with the drive using up 5:08 on the game clock.
The Greenville defense was up to the task keeping the home team off the board over the final 6:33 of the game to earn the MVL win and improve to 4-2 on the season.
“Our defense is playing amazing,” noted Schmitz. “They (Tipp) only had that one touchdown drive and after that they couldn’t move the ball. We kept the ball away from them for a big portion of the game and that allows our defense to play quick. Offense, we have to find a way to not turn the ball over but we moved the ball on them all night.”
“We have what we call a Monday conditioner called the Michigan and it isn’t easy,” Schmitz added. “You just preach and preach this is why you do it. At the end of the game I think it showed that our kids in the fourth quarter still have something left to give – more than our opponents do and I think the kids see that and they buy into it.”
The Greenville players did not allow the “Tippecanoe” on the front of the Red Devils’ jerseys to get in their heads during the game.
“Our kids don’t look at that – this is a different group of birds,” Coach Schmitz said with a chuckle. “They don’t care and it’s what we preach. I don’t care who is out on the field against us. We do what we do. If you do what you’re coached to do and we do the little things right, at the end of the day you can beat anybody and hopefully this proves that – if we do what we’re supposed to do we can beat anybody.”
Coach Schmitz took time to give his coaching staff credit for the team’s disciplined play and confidence on the field.
“I have a great group of guys coaching with me,” said Schmitz. “They have embraced with how we want the program to go and which direction we want to go in. When the coaches show confidence the players show confidence and then great things can happen.”
Tippecanoe rushed for 105-yards on 33-carries. Greenville had 43-carries for a total of 94-yards.
Through the air Greenville passed for 127-yards with Beyke completing 9-17 with 2-interceptions. Subler was 6-18 for Tipp for 62-yards and 1-interception going for a pick six.
Beyke led the Wave with 45-rushing yards on 22-carries and 2-touchdowns. Mills 25-yards on 14-carries, Wood 15-yards on 3-carries and John Butsch 10-yards on 3-carries.
Wood accounted for 42-passing yards with 5-receptions, Butsch 66-yards on 3-catches and Alec Fletcher 1-catch for 19 yards.
Mills paced Greenville with 9-tackles while Brennen Siefring, Haydn Sharp and Tytan Grote each contributed 5-tackles.
The Red Devils had two fumbles, losing both to the Wave. Greenville recovered its one fumble on the night.
Greenville was flagged for 6-penalties for a total of 34-yards. Tipp had 12-penalties totaling 101-yards.
Greenville will host the West Carrollton Pirates on Homecoming Night at Harman Field, Friday, October 11 with a 7 p.m. start time. The Pirates are coming off a 39-34 win over the Piqua Indians.
