DIVISION V Lisbon ousts top seed Gilmour

Josh Grafton scored touchdowns in the Blue Devils' upset.
By BOB ROTH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
GATES MILLS -- The Lisbon High football team used an old-fashioned running game to upset Gilmour Academy 21-12 in a Division V regional quarterfinal game Saturday afternoon.
The eighth-seeded Blue Devils (10-1) will play Dalton on Friday night in a Region 17 semifinal. The site and time will be announced today by the OHSAA.
Gilmour, the region's top seed, finished 10-1.
"This is truly a feather in our cap to beat the number one seed," said Lisbon coach Jim Tsilimos, "when nobody but our people believed we could.
"I am very proud of our guys, because not only did they win, but they did it following a game plan for that victory," Tsilimos said.
Lisbon took control with a pair of long scoring drives.
Already ahead 7-3, the Blue Devils drove 76 yards in 16 plays, using nearly eight minutes off the clock in the second quarter, with sophomore Josh Grafton scoring from 9 yards out.
Keying the drive was senior tailback Frank Gallo, who rushed six times for 33 yards. He finished the game with 81 yards on 17 carries.
"We came here believing that our line could fire off on their line and that we could play a ball control game," Gallo said.
Grafton scores twice
Grafton also scored Lisbon's first touchdown, returning an interception 44 yards in the first quarter. Jacob Wycoff added conversion kicks after each Blue Devils score.
Gilmour Academy's Dan Wellman kicked a pair of field goals in the first half. Eric Tupta picked up a Lisbon fumble and ran 20 yards for the Lancers' only touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt failed.
Lisbon answered with a 17-play, 99-yard drive without Gallo, who was injured. The drive, which consumed 7:54, ended with a 1-yard run by Corey Smith.
Senior quarterback Jay Yorty rushed six times for 51 yards on the drive and he finished with a team-high 90 yards on 24 attempts.
Linemen praised
"Our line deserves all the credit," said Yorty, who has more than 1,700 yards of total offense this season. "They opened holes and we followed.
On the 99-yard drive, Yorty added, "All we really wanted to do was get out of that terrible hole and eat up the clock."
Lisbon had 18 first downs to nine for the Lancers; the Blue Devils rushed for 235 yards to Gilmour's 30.
Bob Spicer is a former Cleveland St. Ignatius assistant who has been Gilmour's coach for the past two seasons and has taken them to the playoffs both seasons.
"I thought both teams played real well, but their stubborn defense and that 99-yard drive that was a backbreaker were very big differences," Spicer said.
"Offensively we went to some things we didn't want to and their offense just kept us off the field," Spicer said.
About Dalton, Tsilimos said, "They are a great football team who beat our conference champs [Columbiana] who gave us our only loss, so we will have to come ready to play."