By ERIC FORTUNE

sports@vindy.com

MINERVA

For the Salem Quakers to move on to the next round of the high school football playoffs, they had to probably play their best game of the season and have the ball bounce their way more than once.

Instead, they struggled generating much in the way of offense and fell to Steubenville 46-7 in a Division IV regional semifinal.

“They were just relentless,” Salem quarterback Matt Weingart said. “That is by far the best team we’ve played all year. They never took a play off. They finished every play.”

The Quakers (9-2) had six possessions in the first half with four ending in three-and-outs, one in a fumble and the last one ending the half. The result was 29 total yards and one first down.

On the other end, Steubenville had it going with 150 yards rushing and 122 through the air with almost perfect symmetry between the pass and the run with 21 running plays and 22 passing plays.

The Big Red (11-0) scored on their first two drives of the game on 14- and 44-yard touchdown runs from tailback Johnny Blue.

Blue finished with 169 yards rushing on 17 carries.

Salem stepped up several times with Cooper Bezeredi intercepting Big Red quarterback Dimitri Collaros twice — both deep in the Salem territory — to keep the Quakers down just 20-0 at the half.

“We played our hearts out,” Bezeredi said. “We put it to them. We played hard. Everyone kept their chin up. It just felt like on defense they were relentless. They got to the ball quickly.”

After forcing an incomplete pass to end Steubenville’s opening drive of the second half, the Quakers seemed to have some early momentum as Weingart completed a couple of passes to the Big Red 40 before a holding penalty stalled the drive.

On the next possession, Blue scored his third touchdown of the game on a 7-yard run at the 3:17 mark of the third quarter extending the Big Red advantage to 27-0.

The Quakers’ next drive again stalled in Big Red territory at the 43.

Seven plays later, the Big Red scored again on a 4-yard run by Jacob Bernard to make it 33-0.

The Quakers got on the scoreboard when Kade Byland scored with two minutes left in the game.

“It was a great year, the way they embodied what we want to have here,” Salem coach Ron Johnson said. “They played hard. They cared about each other. They didn’t care who got the credit. I couldn’t be prouder of a bunch of guys.

“It was a physical football game and Reno [Saccoccia], his guys are going to feel Salem tomorrow.”

Just a year earlier, Salem was 3-7. To see the Quakers finish 9-2 shows how far Johnson has taken the program in three years.

“This is the best team I’ve been a part of,” Bezeredi said. “It’s just hard losing in the second round of the playoffs. Looking back at this season, though, it’s been amazing. It’s been better than I ever expected.”

Johnson added: “Hopefully this whetted the appetite and we are excited about getting back here again.”