By Eric Clutter
Record-Courier correspondent
MAYFIELD " It took Kent Roosevelt just three plays to score more points against Mayfield than the Wildcats' previous seven opponents combined.
Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly enough as the Rough Riders' turnaround season came to an end with Friday's 27-7 loss to host and No. 1 seed Mayfield in a Division II, Region 5 quarterfinal contest.
When Roosevelt junior wideout Denerio Bryant hauled in a 69-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Evan Shimensky on a post route on the Rough Riders' third offensive snap, the score " coupled with Chris Mohler's PAT " gave Roosevelt (8-3) a 7-0 lead with 8:14 to go in the first quarter.
That represented one more point than the Wildcats' final seven opponents had mustered, and marked the first time Mayfield had trailed in a game since its Week 3 loss to Olmsted Falls " its lone setback on the season.
Whether that served as a wake-up call or not, the Wildcats, who lost to Louisville in the Division II state semifinals a season ago, went on to dominate the game in every category.
Mayfield, now 10-1 and winners of eight straight, ran 31 more plays from scrimmage (68-37) and outgained the Rough Riders 373-171. The Wildcats also had 24 first downs to Roosevelt's six and possessed the ball for over 32 minutes.
"I thought our kids came out and played pretty well," said Mayfield head coach Larry Pinto. "They gave up two plays defensively and after that, they settled down. They have been playing outstanding defense all year long.
"I thought, offensively, the line played outstanding. We came right at them and knocked people off the ball."
Despite the one-sided stats, and Mayfield's ability to convert 9-of-15 third and fourth downs compared to Roosevelt's 1-of-12 effort in similar situations, the Rough Riders trailed by only 10 points at the half (17-7). The final three points came courtesy of a Carey Spear 42-yard field goal with two seconds left in the opening half.
Following Bryant's score, Gianni Ferritto took the ensuing kickoff 52 yards to initiate Mayfield's second offensive series in Roosevelt territory.
A steady diet of Tim Wetzel (35 carries, 171 yards) moved the Wildcats inside the red zone, but the drive got bogged down by a negative running play, setting up Spear for a 30-yard attempt.
The junior easily nailed the kick, but was roughed on the play. Pinto elected to take the points off the board, and the drive continued at the Roosevelt 6-yard line.
On the very next snap, Mayfield quarterback Lee Longo found Ferritto slipping out of the backfield for a 6-yard score that evened the game.
A 41-yard pass play to Tyler Lohr on Roosevelt's following possession fueled another promising drive for the Riders.
However, a Shimensky pass into the corner of the end zone was incomplete. Then on fourth-and-12 from the 19, the Roosevelt signal-caller was sacked by Brian Gehrisch.
"The next drive was key," said Roosevelt head coach John Nemec. "If we would have put it in there, we're back in the ballgame, or we're really in the lead and we're making it a better game. We sputtered, and I don't know what happened down there. I don't know if I made a bad call. I'm not sure."
The Wildcats assumed possession and marched 73 yards for the tiebreaking score in the final minute of the first quarter, with Wetzel going in from 14 yards out while also eclipsing 100 yards on the same play.
Mayfield threatened to double its lead late in the second quarter, but Bryant intercepted Longo in the end zone. It was the cornerback's school-record seventh pick of the season.
Nothing came of the turnover, though, and Mayfield got one last possession with 2:29 left in the half.
The Rider defense forced the Wildcats into a third-and-22 from near midfield, but Longo found Ferritto all alone on the left side for a 27-yard gain that set up Spear's three-pointer.
The Rough Riders went three-and-out to start the second half, and from that point on Mayfield dominated the ball and the clock.
"Our defense was on the field a long time," said Nemec. "But I want to tell you, I couldn't be more proud of a group of kids. Our kids fought. That was a good football team we played. We knew it. And I think they earned some respect for us over the evening, too."
Wetzel added a 2-yard TD run on the Wildcats' first drive of the second half, and Spear tacked on another field goal midway through the fourth period for the game's final points.