ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (Nov. 2, 2024) -- Rocky River won its opening-round game of the DIII Buckeye State playoffs Friday, as the Pirates rode a solid defensive performance to a 34-14 triumph over Holy Name.

The Double-R was outstanding in pressuring the Green Wave on key third- and fourth-down plays throughout. The visitors would find some garbage-time success late, but through three quarters a ball-hawking Buccaneer defense held Holy Name (3-7), the No. 13 seed in DIII Region 10, to just 198 total yards and a 2-for-10 mark on third downs. Linebacker Ben Bogre time and again broke through the Green Wave to create havoc plays along the line of scrimmage. The senior captain also provided the only points of the contest until the 2:31-mark of the second quarter when he returned a first-quarter interception to the house.

Bogre, sophomore cornerback Michael Bebie, senior cornerback Cam Bulkowski, junior linebacker Jeff Maslar, and junior safety Michael Worgull were all in on numerous key plays for a River defense that had allowed 90 points over its previous two games. Bottling up Green Wave ball carriers and breaking up Holy Name pass attempts, No. 4 Rocky River (8-3) forced a trio of three-and-outs and two four-and-outs on what was a chilled, cloudy evening at Rocky River Stadium. River would allow just three drives of 40 yards or longer; one of those was a 70-yard touchdown march against Pirate reserves in the waning minutes of the contest.

The Maroon & White opened a 7-0 lead on Bogre's pick-6, which was on a 23-yard return at the 8:26-mark of the first frame. The Pirates then tacked on three more on a 31-yard Stephen Cain field goal at 2:31 of the second. River would go into halftime with a 17-0 lead after forcing a late-half three-and-out and then putting together a quick-strike, seven-play, 71-yard drive capped off by a 15-yard Ryan Taylor-to-Cam Bulkowski TD pass.

The Green Wave responded with a mid-third TD set up by good field position. The answer by the Sons of Blackbeard came on both side of the football and was emphatic. Taylor scored on a 5-yard run at 3:03 of the third. That dash to paydirt was the culmination of a well-rounded (and well-blocked at the line and in the open field) 13-play drive. And the River Raiders went into the fourth quarter leading 24-7.

The fourth frame saw a second field goal from Cain -- a 27-yarder set up by a Green Wave turnover, a Taylor-to-Daoud Asley touchdown pass, and a final-score-of-the-game TD by the visitors.

For the game, Holy Name logged a significant edge in time of possession (26:55 to 21:05), and the Green Wave outgained the Pirates 277 yards to 218. Late-down conversions were hard to come by on both sides. Holy Name finished the game 4-of-14 on third downs (it went 1-of-4 on fourth downs); the Buccaneers went 2-of-10 on third downs. [Full game stats unavailable at time of publication.]

With their conquest in the first Rocky River-Holy Name meeting since 2020, the Maroon & White now advance to a DIII Region 10 quarterfinal. The Pirates will host No. 12 Lexington on Friday, Nov. 8. The Minutemen -- who River last played in 2020 (29-7 victory on Oct. 9, 2020) -- upset No. Maumee 28-14 on Friday.

SERIES: Friday's battle at the Gridiron in the Heart of River marked the 10th all-time meeting in a River-Holy Name series that dates back to 1922. With the win, the Pirates are 6-4 against the Green Wave.

BRACKET BUCS: The win over Holy Name marked Rocky River's seventh all-time playoff win. River is now 7-9 across 16 postseason games played across 11 all-time appearances (2006-07, 2009, 2014-15, 2018, 2020-24) in the Buckeye State's late-autumn brackets. The 2024 season marks a record fifth straight appearance for River in the playoffs. ... Friday’s gridiron action across the state marked the launch of a six-week march to the State Championship games which will be contested at Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton from Dec. 5-7. 

by Skip Snow

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