By RYAN WALKER
The No. 5 team in 4A gave Norwell all it could handle in The Courtyard.
Columbia City’s (8-1, 6-1 NE8) 49-7 halftime score held to the final whistle in the Eagles’ rout over the Knights (2-7, 2-5 NE8) in the regular season finale.
The first quarter checked off a lot of boxes for the Eagles and was mostly trouble for the Knights.
Columbia City scored three touchdowns during the first 12 minutes and got help from both sides of the ball.
Eagles’ quarterback Grayson Bradberry tossed to Gavin Smith and let his receiver do the rest, taking a few Knight defenders into the endzone for a 25-yard score.
Norwell’s top player, Drew Graft, went down with a lower-body injury attempting to make a play on a pass in the endzone. He was helped off the field and returned to the sideline in street clothes and crutches. His absence hurt as a weapon in the offensive game, an anchor on defense and his kickoff and extra point responsibilities.
The next drive, Smith scored again — but on defense. Knights’ quarterback Cayden Cassel pitched backward on an option play that hit the turf. Smith scooped and scored for 18 yards and got the Knights on their heels early.
The Eagles had the Knights right where they wanted them, up two scores midway through the first quarter and forcing another third down and long scenario.
This time, Cassel dropped back and looked for receiver Brady Smith on the far left sideline, coming back on a curl route. He snatched the ball, made his defender miss and took off down the Knights’ home sideline. He outran a couple of Eagles and rushed his way through another for the Knights’ only score of the game for 68 yards. He completed the drive with an extra point in for Graft.
“Cassel made a nice throw, Brody made a nice catch and then a great move,” Norwell head coach Josh Gerber said. “Just to go down the sideline and finish in the endzone. It was a really nice play by him.”
It was perhaps the only true shining moment for Norwell, who then allowed 35 unanswered points the rest of the half.
On two more option plays, Cassel and his tailbacks dropped two more balls on the turf, losing one of them. Columbia City’s Smith, who scored on a rushing and fumble recovery touchdown earlier, picked off a Cassel pass one-handed just moments after his eight-yard rushing touchdown.
On the night, the Eagles outdueled the Knights in total yardage 371-131. Norwell knew the task at had in hand Friday night. A top-five school in the class above them, but losing Graft, one of their senior leaders, seemed to be the biggest blow. It is unsure whether Graft will be able to go next week at this time.
“I think the big thing is that belief is a huge thing with high school athletes, and anytime that doubt can creep in, it’s tough,” Gerber said. “It’s hard to win when you doubt yourself and you doubt what’s going on and then all of a sudden, you lose probably your best athlete. And like, ‘Can we really do this?’”
Norwell will travel to Bishop Luers in the opening round of the sectional at 7 p.m. next Friday.
ryan@news-banner.com
COLUMBIA CITY 49, NORWELL 7
At Norwell High School
Score By Quarters
Col. City 21 28 0 0 — 49
Norwell 7 0 0 0 — 7
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
CC—Grayson Bradberry 25-yard pass to Gavin Smith (Jaxson Johnson kick), 8:21.
CC—Smith 18-yard fumble recovery (Jaxson Johnson kick), 7:25.
N—Cayden Cassel 68-yard pass to Brady Smith (Smith kick), 5:50.
CC—Corbin McIntosh 7-yard run (Jaxson Johnson kick),1:51.
Second Quarter
CC—Bradberry 2-yard run (Jaxson Johnson kick), 7:50.
CC—Bradberry 22-yard pass to Bradyn Elkins (Jaxson Johnson kick), 7:25.
CC—Smith 8-yard run (Jaxson Johnson kick), 3:29.
CC—Zack Berry 21-yard run (Jaxson Johnson kick), 2:21.
Third Quarter
No scoring.
Fourth Quarter
No scoring.
Team Statistics
NOR CC
First Downs 7 19
Rushes-Yards 28-51 40-221 Yards Passing 80 150 Passing (C-A-I) 5-16-2 8-12-0
Penalties-Yards 1-5 7-65
Fumbles-Lost 4-2 2-0
Punts-Average 3-32 0-0
Time of Possession 17:33 32:22
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Columbia City: Landon Fazio 5-51, R.J. Farris 5-40, Gavin Smith 5-35, Corbin McIntosh 5-22, Zack Berry 1-21, Ethan McIntosh 3-18, Stratton Fuller 3-17, Ian Berry 2-10, Grayson Bradberry 3-9, Davon Suel 2-3, Devin Meinika 3-3, R.J. Getts 1-3, Gabe McDevitt 2-(-11). Norwell: Adam Mehnensmith 9-25, E.J. Morgan 3-18, Cayden Cassel 7-13, Kaidyn Inostroza 1-5.
Passing: Columbia City: Grayson Bradbeerry 8-12-0 150. Norwell: Cayden Cassel 5-16-2 80.
Receiving: Columbia City: Tyler Faust 4-63, Gavin Smith 1-25, Bradyn Elkins 1-22, Stratton Fuller 1-21, Landon Fazio 1-19. Norwell: Brady Smith 1-68, Drew Jolley 1-8, Garry Riley 2-4, Adam Mahnensmih 1-0.
