Welce leads Columbiana to 21-7 victory

He accounted for over 200 yards and a touchdown against Mineral Ridge.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
MINERAL RIDGE -- Columbiana High's Mike Welce probably slept very well Friday night.
The senior quarterback put on an exhibition, leading the Clippers (2-0) to a 21-7 victory over Mineral Ridge.
The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder passed for 118 yards on 9-of-15, rushed for 90 yards on 17 carries and put the Rams away with a 20-yard touchdown run in the final three minutes of the contest.
He also kicked three extra points, returned one kickoff for 15 yards and also had an interception, one of five by the Clippers.
Still the win didn't come easy and the way it started was even more of a problem for the Clippers.
Rams score early
Mineral Ridge (1-1) took the opening kickoff, which senior John Hack hauled it in at his own 20-yard line, broke several tackles and returned it 79 yards to the Columbiana 1.
On the first play from scrimmage Hack slashed over from the 1 to put the Rams up 7-0.
But fortunately for the Clippers the Rams didn't do much offensively after that.
Senior quarterback Vance Keirsey completed 12-of-25 passes for 189 yards, but was intercepted five times, once in the Clippers end zone and another at the Columbiana 5-yard line.
Win didn't come easy
Despite the five takeways the Clippers did not have an easy time.
"Not when you're playing Mineral Ridge," said Clippers coach Bob Spaite.
"That's a good football team and they came in pretty banged up," he added. "You put Micah Hall in the lineup and it would have probably been a different ball game."
The Rams' standout tailback and defensive back did not play because of a thigh injury. He started the game dressed, but came out in street clothes in the second half.
But that left more room for Welce.
"Mike Welce is just a warrior," said Spaite. "Nobody's looking at him because they think he's too small, but if you went by the size of his heart he's be 6-foot-8."
Trailing 7-0 late in the first half the Clippers finally got the offense rolling.
Clippers tie game
They drove 65 yards in 10 plays, 53 of them accounted for by Welce, including a 17-yard scamper down to the Rams' 6-yard line. Two plays later Joe Winters scored the first of his two touchdowns from 4 yards out with 46 seconds remaining in the half.
The score remained tied until the fourth quarter when the Clippers drove again, this time it was Winters carrying the load, although Welce did have a 13-yard pass to put the ball at the Rams' 12 yard line.
Winters then carried two straight times, the final from 3 yards out for the score.
Costly interception
On the first play after the score Keirsey was intercepted for the fifth time, this one by Cory Guy, his second of the game at the Mineral Ridge 46-yard line.
Welce got the Clippers down to the 20, twice going for it on forth down and converting. The second time he rolled out on a fourth-and-4 situation, tucked the ball away and scampered down the sidelines for the clinching touchdown.
Columbiana's Cody McMillan also had a pair of interceptions . There were also 19 penalties in the contest, 10 against Columbiana and nine against the Rams.
"I'm so glad Mineral Ridge will be in our league next season, we've had some great games with them," Spaite said. "They kicked our butts a couple of times, but it's always a pleasure to come here and play."
mollica@vindy.com