Allen and Osmond hooked up to play a football game here in Osmond Friday night, after missing the chance to compete last year - and what a game they played.
COVID-19 wiped out last year’s contest between the Eagles and the Tigers, but the teams certainly made up for the void by playing a game for the ages this season.
It took an impromptu punt return from Noah Genesksi on a high, short punt that Genesksi returned for 43 yards after scooping the ball up behind the first wave of Eagle defenders to give Osmond a 24-21 lead with just over seven minutes left in the game, but the game and the scoring was far from over.
“This was a great step for us as a team,” Osmond coach Wyatt Schuettler said. “We didn’t get to play them last year because of COVID and they are great team-we were really ready to go tonight and show what we could do against a team like this.”
Allen would answer with a 37-yard sprint to paydirt from Gabe Reinert to put the Eagles back on top 27-24 after an attempted conversion pass failed with 5:39 left in the contest.
“This game came down to a couple of plays for a couple of great teams,” long-time Allen coach Dave Uldrich said. “In the end, they made a couple more than we did and they won - but what a great game of football.”
Osmond then went on a drive from the Allen 25-yard line and actually scored twice on the ensuing drive.
The Tigers scored on a pass play that was erased by a block in the back but eventually got back in the red zone and eventually scored on a two-yard blast from quarterback, Patrick Vinson.
“We just kept competing and found a way,” Schuettler said. “This was a great game and great for our team - 1-0 is a lot different than 0-1.”
Allen scored first on a three-yard plunge by Gabe Reinert with under four minutes gone in the game.
Osmond quarterback, Patrick Vinson found Ryan Schmit behind the Eagle secondary to even the score.
Vinson and Schmit would hook up again later in the game and the duo accounted for over 130 yards through the air and a pair of scores.
“We had our best cover guy on Schmit,” Uldrich said. “We just couldn’t stay with him - hats off to them, they made the plays.”
Allen got back on top with a 23-yard run from Reinert with just over five minutes left in the opening frame and ended the first half with a 21-12 lead.
Reinert scored three times on the night.
"Hey, we did everything we could to win this game," Uldrich said. "I am so proud of our guys - it came down to a couple of plays and they made them - that (Osmond) is a quality team.
“They (Allen) had a great team last year and we didn’t get to play them due to a COVID outbreak,” Schuettler said. “We wanted a chance to get on the field with them and show them we could compete - we did and it was just a great game.”
After the punt return by Genesksi, Reinerts scored on the 37-yard race to the endzone, then Patrick Vinson put the game away with just over three minutes left and the Tiger defense finished the contest from there.
“This was just a great high school football game,” Uldrich said. “Both teams played some great football here tonight and both played their hearts out - Osmond played a little better.”
ALLEN (0-1): 14 7 0 6 - 27
OSMOND (1-0) 6 6 6 14 - 32
SCORING SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
A: Gabe Reinert 3 run, kick failed, 8:33.
O: Ryan Schmit 39 pass from Patrick Vinson, run failed, 7:59.
A: Reinert 23 run, Nathan Oswald run, 5:09.
SECOND QUARTER
A: Oswald 3 run, Santiago Tinajero-Rodriguez kick, 5:05.
O: Schmit 25 pass from P. Vinson, pass failed, 1:17.
THIRD QUARTER
O: Alex Vinson 20 pass from P. Vinson, run failed, 2:28.
FOURTH QUARTER
O: A. Vinson 43 punt return, run failed, 7:15.
A: Reinert 37 run, pass failed, 5:39.
O: P. Vinson 2 run, P. Vinson run, 3:03.