Bexley football team battled for coach Mike Kerr until season’s final whistle
Robbie Messmer was confident he would make a play to give first-year Bexley football coach Mike Kerr his first victory and send the Lions into the offseason with momentum.
The junior backup quarterback — who stepped in when freshman Jackson Frey was injured on the final play of regulation Oct. 21 against Grandview — scored the decisive points on a 7-yard run in the Lions’ 19-13 overtime victory.
Bexley finished 1-8 overall and 1-4 in the MSL-Ohio Division.
“When I figured out I’d be put in at quarterback, I told coach Kerr that I’d take us down for a touchdown,” Messmer said. “That was important for the offseason.
“I learned a lot from coach Kerr about becoming a better football player and better on and off the field. He made me a better football player, and I want to work to get better for next year.”
The Lions battled injuries and inexperience throughout the season, canceling a game in Week 2 because of a depleted roster from positive COVID-19 tests. Despite the hardships, Kerr said his players never quit.
“We struggled to win games all year, but the kids kept working and continued to believe in themselves,” said Kerr, who was named MSL-Ohio Coach of the Year. “They could’ve quit on their teammates but they didn’t. They persevered until the end.”
Senior running back Cliff Padmore (second-team all-district, first-team all-league) rushed for 768 yards and three touchdowns on 167 carries. As a linebacker, he had 39 tackles, including nine for loss, and two sacks.
Senior linebacker Zeke Poulos (second-team all-district, first-team all-league) had a team-high 81.5 tackles with seven for loss.
Senior Dom Gutter (second-team all-league) caught 35 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns as a wide receiver and had two kick returns for touchdowns. He was first-team all-district as a punter with a 37.1-yard average, including eight placed inside the 20-yard line and a long of 68 yards.
Senior defensive backs Bennett Bloebaum (34 tackles, 2 interceptions) and Johnathan Grimm (24.5 tackles, 3 interceptions) were honorable mention all-league.
“I can’t say enough about the seniors,” Kerr said. “Coming in as a new coach you never know how the seniors will react. They were leaders for us through the end of the Grandview game.
“The influence they’ve had on the younger kids will be seen in the coming years. They set the tone of the program for a long time to come.”
Playing behind a young line that expects to return most of its pieces, Frey was 66-for-118 passing for 452 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions. Sophomore Alex Smith (second-team all-league) moved from tight end to center during the season. Other offensive linemen expected back are juniors Connor Eade, Asher Nathan, Marshall Newman (honorable mention all-league), Dylan Ryan and Chad Scott.
Juniors expected to return on the the defensive side include linebacker Henry Hondroulis, lineman Muhammad Jallaq and backs Gavin Benson and Messmer. Benson and Messmer each had two interceptions.
“I’m really excited about who’s coming back because we played a lot of kids this year,” Kerr said. “The way we ended the season really gives them momentum going into the offseason. They saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
“The first thing is we have to have a better offense, get in the weight room and be bigger, faster and stronger. We have to buy into our core values. This will be the first true offseason with them and I’m excited to have that.”
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BEXLEY FOOTBALL
•Record: 1-8 overall
•MSL-Ohio standings: Harvest Prep (5-0), Buckeye Valley (4-1), Columbus Academy (3-2), Whitehall (2-3), Bexley (1-4), Grandview (0-5)
•Seniors lost: Keir Armstrong, Bennett Bloebaum, Junior Ennin-Sampson, Johnathan Grimm, Dom Gutter, James McCann, Cliff Padmore, Zeke Poulous, Charlie Seck and Jamel Thomas-Joyce
•Key returnees: Gavin Benson, Connor Eade, Jackson Frey, Henry Hondroulis, Muhammad Jallaq, Robbie Messmer, Asher Nathan, Marshall Newman, Dylan Ryan, Chad Scott and Alex Smith
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Bexley football team battled until season’s final whistle
