Bellevue stund after first defeat to Norwalk since 1980. October 12th 2002 By XBellevueplayar

  Norwalk, OH - Area Newspaper headlines may say it in a thousand different ways but all of them will have one thing in common come Saturday morning. The 22 year dominance the Bellevue Redmen have enjoyed over the Norwalk Trucker's came to an end Friday night at Whitney Field.

  The Redmen came into the game without the leagues scoring leader in Matt Lepley due to a concussion he suffered in last weeks Upper Sandusky game. The game matched up Norwalk's run defense that gave up an average of over 250 yards rushing per game and Bellevue's run offense which came in dead last in the league with 538 yards rushing through 7 games.

  Redmen fans had alot to cheer about early when Ben Snyder took a Jon Journay pass 69 yards for a Redmen touchdown on the second play from scrimmage. The extra point attempt was true and the Redmen went on top 7-0.

  Less than a minute later the Redmen would strike again when Snyder intercepted a Cornell Smith pass and returned it 46 yards for the score. The extra point attempt was good and the Redmen took an early 14-0 lead.

  Norwalk's second possession would prove no better. While facing a first and twenty on their own twenty yardline it was again Snyder who stepped in front of a Cornell Smith pass and returned it to the Trucker eighteen yardline. Bellevue failed to cash in on the drive when Jon Journay was intercepted by Cory Olaniyan who took it in for a Trucker touchdown. The play was brought all the way back to the Trucker thirty-one after a clipping call wiped out the score.

  After a series of carries by the Trucker running backs Senior Scott Gibson ran one in from three yards out to put Norwalk on the board. The extra point was good and the lead was cut in half at 14-7.

  The Redmen wasted little time as jordon Barbaric took over catching a key third and eight pass for a fourteen yard gain that set up his twenty-nine yard touchdown reception two plays later. The kick was good and the Redmen regained a fourteen point lead at 21-7.

  On Norwalk's next possession Paul Gardner took the handoff forty-eight yards for what appeared to be another Trucker touchdown. Once again the Trucker's were flagged on the play and the ball was brought back for offensive holding. Later on the drive Bellevue Senior Bill Evert recovered a Trucker fumble giving the Redmen great field position on Norwalk's forty yardline. Plays later the Redmen would face a fourth and six on Norwalk's twenty-five. Again it was Ben Snyder who came through in the clutch on a seventeen yard reception giving the Redmen a first and goal on Norwalk's eight yardline. Three plays later Jon Journay score on a quarterback keeper. The extra point attempt was blocked and the Bellevue lead grew to 27-7. That's the way the first half would end as it appeared to be just another year of Bellevue vs. Norwalk Football.

  The Redmen and their fans found out early and often in the second half that this was not the typical Norwalk team as the Trucker's never gave up and scored on the first three possessions of the second half. Norwalk's first score of the second half came on a Cornell Smith three yard TD run which inched the Trucker's closer after a failed extra point attempt at 27-13 Bellevue.

  Norwalk's second score had the Trucker fans on their feet and believing when Paul Gardner scampered seventeen yards for the score. A supprising move by Norwalk Headcoach Jordan Horowitz brought the Trucker's offense to the line of scrimmage in attempt to go for the two point conversion while only being down by eight points. The conversion was good and the Redmen lead was disappearing quickly with a score of 27-21.

  With 8:56 left in the fourth quarter it happen. Gardner took a thirty yard reception into the endzone to knot the score at 27-27 with the extra point yet to come. The extra point attempt was good and the Trucker's had their first lead of the night

  What was probably even more impressive than the three consecutive scores was that Norwalk had long drives of 51,77 and 72 yards to put up the points.

  The Redmen would move the ball into Trucker territory on their next two possessions only to be intercepted both times while only getting three first downs in the second half. The game ended with the Trucker's coming out on top 28-27 as Norwalk students stormed the field in celebration of the school's first victory in 22 years over long time league foe Bellevue.