LIVONIA — Ryan Hierlwimmer and Kevin Walther were both ready to make the big play when Livonia needed it most.
With their team clinging to a 7-6 lead late in the game, both middle linebackers, Hierlwimmer, a junior, and Walther, a senior, came up with a huge tackle on Way-Co’s P.J. Sulli on what would have been the go-ahead two point PAT run as the host Bulldogs held on for the 14-6 victory in Livingston Conference D-I action Saturday at Saunders Field in Livonia.
After Livonia had scored a touchdown to open the third quarter, Way-Co battled back as Sulli, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior running back, broke free on a 35-yard TD run that made it 7-6 with 3:37 left.
Way-Co coach Jim Brownell decided to roll the dice and go for the win on the PAT as he ran the exact same play as the touchdown, but this time Hierlwimmer was there to jam up Sulli behind the line keeping the Bulldogs up by one.
On the ensuing onsides kick attempt, the ball only traveled a few yards giving Livonia a first and 10 at Way-Co’s 40.
Less than two minutes and four plays later junior running back Steven Diener scored on a 9-yard TD run to make it 14-6 following Jeff Wester’s PAT kick with 1:44 remaining. The drive was set up by Diener’s 21 yard run that put the ball just outside the 10.
Livonia struggled offensively in the first half as the Bulldogs only mustered 61 yards of offense.
The good thing, however, was Livonia’s defense held Way-Co to just 49 yards in the first two quarters.
Ironically, on Livonia’s first play from scrimmage, senior running back Jeff Wester ran for 43 yards.
The Bulldogs would muster just 18 yards the rest of the first half.
Way-Co even tried to hand it to Livonia in the first 24 minutes as they fumbled two punts with Livonia recovering both of them in Golden Eagles’ territory.
Livonia, however, could not take advantage of either miscue as the game was scoreless at the half.
But the Bulldogs would come out of the gates quickly after the intermission as they put together a Livonia-like 9-play, 57 yard scoring drive that finished with a Bobby Schuster 26 yard TD run on a wishbone option left run by the 6-foot-4 senior quarterback. On the drive, Wester carried five times for 21 yards keeping the chains moving.
Wester finished with 112 yards on 19 carries while Diener added 40 yards on 13 carries and one TD. Schuster went for 31 yards on five carries. He was held to 1-of-4 passing for just three yards.
Sulli led Way-Co with 112 yards on 12 touches and one score.
“Give Way-Co a tremendous amount of credit — their kids played unbelievable today,” said Livonia coach Steve Girolmo. “They made our game so difficult. They had a lot of kids step up for them. That was a great effort.”
Livonia is 2-0 while Way-Co dropped to 0-2.
