The new fall lineup is out and it looks like the “Taylor O’Brien
Show” is going to be a big hit.

O’Brien unofficially rushed 30 times for 216 yards and five
touchdowns as the Bradford Owls continued to roll like a boulder
off a cliff with a 45-21 stoning of Warren on Friday.

O’Brien, who is a 5-6, 195-pound junior, scored on runs of one,
two, 35, six and one yard as the Owls amassed 353 yards on the
ground.

“They (Dragons) took away E.J. (Moore) and Nick (Johnson) going
outside, and Taylor (O’Brien) stepped up,” said Steve Ackerman, BHS
head coach. “They (Dragons) did a nice job shutting down the
outside, so we ran traps, cross blocks and belly stuff all
night.”

Accolades must be sent out to O’Brien’s offensive line
consisting of left tackle Steven Reinhardt, left guards Alex
Faucher and Joe Hardy, center Josh Britton, right guard Mike
Johnston, right tackle Cody Godding, and tight ends Alex Goodman
and Tyler Hopkins.

“The offensive line did a great job,” Ackerman noted. “It’s
experience. They know what’s going on.”

Warren (2-2) started the non-league contest in the no-huddle
offense and took the first possession from its own 36 to the
Bradford 9. On a third-and-two, fullback Jon Zigler fumbled at the
3 and the Owls’ Tom Morris recovered in the end zone for the touch
back.

Bradford then used 14 running plays, including carries of 17
yards and 13 yards by Moore, to march 80 yards and take 6:44 off
the clock. The drive was capped by a one-yard plunge off left guard
by O’Brien and Steve Butler’s extra point for a 7-0 lead with 2:15
left in the quarter.

Two plays later, Moore stepped in front of a Jeff Eaton pass at
the Warren 25 and advanced it to the 12. Johnson toted the pigskin
to the 2 and then O’Brien scored his second TD of the evening on
the next snap.

Butler’s PAT sailed halfway to the Dragons’ hometown and it was
14-0 with 1:50 showing.

“The first two times they (Dragons) had the ball they turned it
over and we put 14 points on the board,” Ackerman recalled. “It
hurts and our kids remember how it hurts. Don’t forget – our kids
went through this stuff last year. It is unbelievable how much the
experience of last year has paid off this year.”

After Butler drilled the ensuing kickoff nine yards deep into
the end zone, Warren moved from its 20 to midfield on a 15-yard
scamper by Eaton and a 15-yard pass to Cole Boje.

On the next play Eaton rolled to his left and demonstrated a
big-time arm with a perfect strike to Ben Paul, who caught the ball
at the seven and crossed the goal line. Colter Johnson converted
the point after and the Owls’ lead was severed in half with still
1:06 remaining in the opening stanza.

The long-time rivals traded punts early in the second quarter
and the Owls gained possession at the Warren 38. O’Brien then took
a handoff from Ben Walter at the 35, and rumbled up the middle and
then down the right sideline for his third score. Butler’s boot was
true and it was 21-7 with 6:05 left in the half.

The Dragons answered at the 3:26 juncture with a 27-yard aerial
from Eaton to Christian Wood to cut their deficit to 21-14. The TD
was set up by a bizarre pass that was intended for Boje, but it
bounced off his body and into the hands of Wood for a 33-yard
advancement.

“We were concerned about the big play and their quick strike
capabilities,” Ackerman confessed. “They showed us a couple of
times.”

The Owls then crossed midfield on their initial pass play of the
night, which was an 11-yard hookup between Walter and Morris. Two
plays later from the 35, it was the same combo as Morris hauled in
a middle screen, and the senior split end danced and juked his way
through the entire population of Warren County for a 28-14 lead
with 1:14 left.

“That (TD play) was our ‘missile’ screen,” Ackerman revealed.
“If we run it right it’s ‘rocket’ and to the left it’s ‘missile.’
He (Morris) caught it, got some great blocks down field, found some
open grass and ran to it.”

Wood then fielded the ensuing kickoff at his own 1 and carried
it out to the 48. It was at that yard marker that Butler took the
kickoff return personally as the senior kicker laid some wood on
Wood and viciously drove him into his own bench area.

With less than a minute remaining in the half, the Dragons
gambled on a fourth-and-eight at midfield, but Eaton was sacked by
Rob Pire and friends as the Owls took over with 25 ticks
showing.

A 29-yard pass from Walter to Morris put the ball at the 18 with
six seconds left. Following a time out, Butler’s 35-yard field goal
would’ve been good from 55 as the Owls owned a 31-14 margin at the
intermission.

“He (Butler) got a big hit on that field goal,” Ackerman
declared. “We used the clock well and got ourselves into field goal
position with a big pass play.”

With a light sprinkle falling to commence the second half, the
Owls utilized a 33-yard run by Johnson to move into field goal
range, but this time Butler’s 32-yard attempt sailed wide
right.

Following a scoreless third quarter, O’Brien blasted 28 yards up
the gut for a first-and-goal at the 6. On the next play, it
appeared O’Brien was stopped in a huge rugby pile at the 3, but
somehow he escaped the logjam for his fourth TD of the affair.
Butler’s PAT was tipped at the line, but it still had enough juice
to knife through the uprights for a 38-14 bulge with 10:48
remaining.

“We thought if we could run the ball, we could eat up a lot of
clock in the second half and that’s what we did,” Ackerman stated.
“If we’re successful running the ball, it’s going to be a long
night for whomever on the other side.”

The Dragons then marched from their own 31 to the Bradford 5 and
then Tyson Himes made a leaping grab in the right corner of the end
zone for a 38-21 count with 8:01 left.

Walter then called O’Brien’s number seven straight times and No.
41 responded for 53 yards, including a 10-yard fake punt, another
25-yarder and a one-yard plunge for his fifth score of the
night.

“Taylor (O’Brien) was doing most of the work on that drive and
then he stuck it into the end zone,” Ackerman said.

The Owls are now 4-0 on the season and are looking forward to
the role of unwanted Homecoming guests in St. Marys on Friday.

“We are looking at the season as a puzzle and each week is just
another piece of the puzzle that we’re trying to put into place,”
Ackerman explained. “The biggest game is always next week.”