Rockets rout Willard for Bay title share

WILLARD— Every high school football team in the state begins with an eye on a conference championship. But the Oak Harbor football team started the 2022 season with the added incentive of being its last in the Sandusky Bay Conference. Jaqui Hayward made sure it happened, scoring a school record six time and leading the Rockets to a 63-7 romp Friday over Willard to clinch at least a share of the SBC Bay Division title. Hayward finished the night with touchdowns runs of 84, 38, 11, 2 and 36 yards. He carried the ball 10 times for 213 yards, plus caught Oak Harbor's only completed pass of the night, a 29-yard scoring strike from Michale Lalonde. Hayden Buhro added a 79-yard touchdown run and opened the second half with a 75-yard kickoff return that set up Hayward's two-yard scoring run on the first play from scrimmage of the second half. It's the eighth league title since rejoining the SBC in 1986. Oak Harbor was an inaugural member of the SBC when it formed in 1948 and won two league titles before leaving in 1972 for the Suburban Lakes League. The Rockets (8-1, 4-0) can lock up their first outright championship since claiming back-to-back crowns in 2018 and 2019 with a win next week at home against Ottawa County rivals Port Clinton. Willard's passing game made things interesting early. Junior quarterback Isaac Robinson, who already set the Willard single-season passing yards and touchdowns this season, completed six of his first 10 passes for 100 yards, leading the Crimson Flashes to the Oak Harbor 10 on the game's opening drive and to the nine on their second possession. The first scoring threat ended with a 27-yard field goal attempt by Luis Antonio sailed wide right, while a Robinson fourth-down pass fell incomplete on the second. The Rockets wasted little time scoring on their next possession on Hayward's 84-yard jaunt, with Hayward scoring again midway through the second quarter from the 38. Two minutes later, Buhro took off on his long touchdown run, then Hayward added his third score of the half from the 11 after the Rockets nearly scored a safety on a sack from Zach Clune and the Flashes shanked the punt. Willard (4-5, 0-4) answered 72 seconds later as Robinson engineered a 77-yard scoring drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown strike to Carson Cinninger with six seconds left. The Rockets left no doubt about the outcome with 28 points in the first seven minutes of the third quarter. Hayward scored on runs of two and 36 yards, then hauled in a 29-yard scoring strike to push the Oak Harbor lead to 49-7 with 6:35 left in the quarter. Three plays later, Jaxson Overmyer picked off a Robinson pass and returned it 51 yards The Rockets tacked a 19-yard run from freshman Blake Nickel in the fourth quarter, with Colton Krupp hitting all nine of his extra point attempts to complete the scoring. Oak Harbor 7 21 28 7 — 63 Willard 0 7 0 0 — 7 OAK — Jaqui Hayward 84 run (Colton Krupp kick) OAK — Hayward 38 run (Krupp kick) OAK — Hayden Buhro 79 run (Krupp kick) OAK — Hayward 11 run (Krupp kick) WIL — Carson Cinniger 5 pass from Isaac Robinson (Luis Antonio kick) OAK — Hayward 2 run (Krupp run) OAK — Hayward 36 run (Krupp kick) OAK — Hayward 29 pass from Michael Lalonde (Krupp kick) OAK — Jaxson Overmyer 51 INT return (Krupp kick) OAK — Blake Nickel 19 run (Krupp kick)