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WELLSBURG — Earlier this season, Ripley held a reunion for its wildly successful 1989 team that ultimately saw its season end against Brooke. When current head coach Jimmy Frashier watched a highlight tape of that season and that game, one thing stood out: Former Brooke coach Paul ‘‘Bud’’ Billiard’s toboggan. In preparing for Saturday’s rematch, Frashier, then a volunteer assistant at Ripley, watched the tape of Brooke’s game against Princeton last week and saw something familiar. ‘‘There he was on the sideline,’’ Frashier said of Billiard. ‘‘I think it was the same hat.’’ Same result, too. With Billiard acting mainly as a consultant to head coach Tom Bruney these days, the Bruins (12-0) scored the game’s first five touchdowns and cruised to a 34-14 victory against the Vikings (9-3) on Saturday afternoon at Brooke Memorial Stadium, setting up a rematch with University this weekend in the Class AAA semifinals. It marked the fourth time in the last 23 years that Ripley has been eliminated by Brooke. A lot of the talk centered on the Vikings being 9-0 when they score first, while the Bruins had fallen behind in 9 of 11 games. Ian Morris laughed in the face of that trend, as he returned the opening kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown. ‘‘That Morris kid, what an unbelievable guy he his,’’ Frashier said. ‘‘They ought to call him slash.’’ The kickoff return was just the beginning for Morris, who has taken on a bigger role in the offense during the last month because of Ryan Lazear’s gimpy ankle. Morris later scored on a 41-yard run. He also added a 35-yard touchdown reception. Then he took a break because it was halftime. Morris’ TD catch came one play after Ripley fumbled a punt. ‘‘We made some mistakes,’’ Frashier said, ‘‘and Brooke did what Brooke does.’’ Five minutes earlier, Brooke’s Gianni Fuscardo picked off a Scott Ullom pass at the Vikings 26. Two plays — and 74 yards later — the Bruins were in the end zone celebrating after quarterback Cotey Wallace completed a 69-yard pass to Joe DiNardo that set up a 5-yard touchdown toss to Shane Paesano. Two turnovers for the Vikings, 13 points for the Bruins. And Ripley was plus-18 on the season in turnover margin coming in. Meanwhile the Brooke defense, which welcomed back two starters from 2-week suspensions, was giving up nothing. With seven minutes remaining in the first half, Ripley had only 12 yards before running back David Hicks doubled his team’s total with a 24-yard run. ‘‘We didn’t play 100-percent perfect,’’ Bruney said. ‘‘But I thought we totally dominated. Our defense always seems to rise to the occasion. The Vikings did score twice, both inside the last 4 minutes. The first one came via a 19-yard pass from Ullom to Josh Donohew, the other on Hicks’ 53-yard interception return. That pass was thrown by Alex Buchmelter, the first freshman in Brooke history to ever take a snap. Notes Wallace completed 9 of 13 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns, while running for 98 yards on 16 carries. He’s now been in on 35 touchdowns this season. .. Brooke wound up with 339 total yards; Ripley had 195. ... Lazear had 10 carries, the most he’s had since Week 9. Brooke 34, Ripley 14 Ripley 0 0 0 14 — 14 Brooke 14 13 0 7 — 34 B:?Morris 82 kickoff return (Kocher kick), 11:42 B:?Morris 41 run (Kocher kick), 2:45 B:? Paesano 5 pass from Wallace (Kocher kick), 7:15 B:?Morris 35 pass from Wallace (kick failed), 2:03 B :?Wallace 27 run (Kocher kick), 11:51 R — Donohew 19 pass from Ullom (Sorrell kick), 3:57 R — Hicks 53 INT return (Sorrell kick), 2:07 Rushing: Ripley 34-94 (Hamric 11-30, Taylor 2-5, Mullins 8-41, Harpold 1-1, Ullom 8-(minus 6), Rutter 2-1, Milhoan 1-19, Hicks 1-3). Brooke 37-171-td (Lazear 10-6, Wallace 16-98-td, Morris 5-48-td, Faulkner 2-7; Buchmelter 3-8, Sims 1-4). Passing: Ripley 11-24-101-td-x (all by Ullom); Brooke 9-14-168-2td-x (Wallace 9-13-168-2td, Buchmelter 0-1-x). Receiving: 11-101-td (Rutter 4-31, Gobble 2-23, Donohew 4-40-td, Matheny 1-7); Brooke DiNardo 2-77, Morris 6-86-td, Paesano 1-5-td). First Downs: Ripley 9; Brooke 9 Penalties: Ripley 8-90; Brooke 5-50 Fumbles: Ripley 1-1; Brooke 0-0

 

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