Olentangy Orange junior quarterback Levi Davis runs for a touchdown during the first quarter of Friday night’s home game against Olentangy Berlin.
Joshua Keeran | The Gazette
LEWIS CENTER — After jumping out to a 3-0 record to begin the season, Olentangy Orange head coach Wes Schroeder felt his team got ahead of itself en route to dropping its first game a week ago in a loss to Gahanna.
There were no such issues on Friday as Orange rebounded to dominate all facets of the game and deliver an emphatic 35-7 win over district rival Olentangy Berlin to improve to 4-1.
Orange quarterback Levi Davis tossed three touchdown passes and ran for another, and the Pioneers’ defense forced five second-half turnovers in the rout. The win is the first for Orange over Berlin since Berlin opened in 2018.
“We were trying to cheat the process a little bit, and we saw a good team last week that took advantage of that,” Schroeder said following the game. “That staff (at Berlin) is one of the best at what they do, offensive, defensively, and special teams. They do things the right way, and we knew if we were going to win, we had to execute and make plays every chance we could. We were happy with the way our kids took that to heart and went out and did it.”
Ever the dynamic playmaker, Davis finished with 241 total yards, including 80 rushing yards. Two of his three touchdown passes were to receiver Terryn Thomas in what proved to be an unstoppable duo on the night. Thomas finished with seven catches for 117 yards along with the two touchdowns.
“Terryn and I, we’ve been together since we were 5 years old,” Davis said. “We’ve had that connection since we were that young, best friends on and off the field. It just carries onto the field, and we put so many hours in together off the field. That translates to the field.”
Davis got the scoring started late in the first quarter on an 11-yard touchdown run to give Orange a 7-0 lead.
Berlin (3-2) answered right back on the ensuing drive, marching 68 yards in 11 plays to even the score. Quarterback Aiden Eviston capped the drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Rode, and for a moment it appeared a shootout was on tap in Pioneers Stadium.
The Orange defense had other plans, however, and Berlin wouldn’t score again.
A 25-yard touchdown pass from Davis to Jake Luling quickly reclaimed a 14-7 lead for Orange early in the second quarter, and after the Pioneers defense forced a quick punt, Davis and the offense delivered the drive of the game.
Taking over at their own 23, the Pioneers engineered a 13-play touchdown drive that ate up nearly all of the final six minutes remaining on the clock. Facing a 4th and 2 at the Berlin 3, Davis and Thomas connected for their first of two touchdowns with just 36 seconds remaining in the half.
The PAT sent Orange into halftime with a 21-7 lead that proved to be more than enough as the ball-hawking Pioneers defense took over in the final two quarters.
Despite the lead, Schroeder said there was no chance his team was going to come out flat to begin the second half.
“These district games are different,” he said. “There have been so many times where there have been two-score leads and the other team came back and won. Just like last week when Berlin trailed (Liberty) 21-7. So we knew that no lead was safe, and we were very aware of that.”
Still in the game but desperate to find the end zone, Berlin turned the ball over on each of its opening two possessions of the second half. Both turnovers came deep in Orange territory, including Treyton Schroeder’s fumble recovery at the Orange 35 and Will Musgrove’s interception on a jump ball in the end zone late in the third quarter.
Cohen Weaver paid off the Musgrove interception with his lone touchdown of the night on the ensuing drive to give Orange a comfortable 28-7 lead a minute into the final quarter. Weaver finished with 92 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
Treyton Schroeder was just getting started with the turnover parade, and by the time the night was finished, he delivered a performance he won’t soon forget.
Trailing by three touchdowns following Weaver’s run, Treyton Schroeder stepped in front of Eviston’s pass for an interception to give the ball right back to the Orange offense, and Davis made the most of it.
A 57-yard touchdown pass from Davis to Thomas blew the game wide open, leaving no doubt about the final outcome while putting the finishing touches on a huge performance for Davis.
“We put a game plan together to try to make him more comfortable, and we felt like we did that. And then we knew we had some (deep shots),” Wes Schroeder said of Davis.
While the offense’s big plays were finished, Treyton Schroeder’s memorable night still wasn’t through.
Each of Berlin’s next two possessions ended with interceptions by Treyton Schroeder, giving him the hat trick to go along with a fumble recovery for a four-turnover night.
“I tell everybody all the time, those two cornerbacks are pretty dang good,” Schroder said of Musgrove and his nephew, Treyton. “When you can do that defensively, it really helps to take some pressure off the offense.”
Orange opens division play next week when it hosts Hilliard Davidson (4-1). Asked how he ensures his team doesn’t suffer another letdown following a big win, Wes Schroeder said it won’t be difficult after seeing what’s up next.
“We can see the film on Hilliard Davidson,” he said of keeping his team grounded. “We know what we’re going into league-wise.”
Berlin will look to get back on track while opening division play at winless Hilliard Darby (0-5).
Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on X @DillonDavis56.
