Winless season

The Dragons finish 0-10 for the second straight year, while the Grapepickers end the season at 2-8.

On paper, with both Warren and North East losing close games to Girard earlier this season, this one was up for grabs.

Ethen Ringer, who played for the Dragons last year as a freshman, spun, twisted and sprinted his way to 202 yards on 25 carries, including runs of 14, 19, 17, 13, 13, 23, 48 and 21 yards. Ringer did get stripped for a fumble in the first half, but he also accounted for nine first downs for North East and two touchdowns.

Trailing 7-0, Warren took to the air more than any other game this season. Junior quarterback Brady Shene scrambled left and connected with Charlie Blum down the left sideline for a 25-yard pass play with 31 seconds left in the first half. On the very next play he hit Noah Bleech over the middle for a 4-yard score to help tie the game.

Warren’s Charlie Blum fights for extra yardage after a catch.
Photo by Mark Evans

Warren took the lead in the third quarter after stopping the Grapepickers. Shene’s 14-yard scramble followed freshman Ayden Corbett’s biggest rush of the night for 33 yards. The Dragons capped it off with the go-ahead score, but not without some pressure.

On fourth-and-goal, Shene again connected with Bleech inches over the goal line for a 5-yard score. Blum’s kick gave Warren a 14-7 lead at 3:01 in the third.

“They played their tails off,” said Warren coach Cody Bupp. “That was the best football game we’ve played all year. We threw some new things in, and the kids executed. There were a lot of new faces in there, kids that had opportunities that stepped up. We just ran out of gas in the end, and as I told them, a couple penalties in crucial situations either gets you behind the sticks or kills your momentum. … The kids just ran out of gas in the end.”

Ringer’s second short-yardage touchdown tied the game at 14-14, and North East quarterback Bryson Galloway took over after that.

Galloway ran for 104 yards in the second half, including two fourth-quarter touchdowns — from 3 and 25 yards, respectively. He also had a fourth-down touchdown pass from four yards out called back for crossing the line of scrimmage. Even with the turnover on downs, North East was comfortably ahead with 2:39 left in the game.

Warren’s Aiden Eger tries to bring in a catch in the Dragons’ 29-14 loss to North East on Friday at War Memorial Field.
Photo by Mark Evans

With only two seniors graduating from a roster of 54, Bupp said the Dragons have to use their consecutive winless seasons as fuel for next season.

“Your preparation can’t stop in the offseason,” said Bupp. “We’re truly learning the game of football. We have to continue to chip away … and continue to stay together.

“Those two seniors sticking with the program; there were six in that grade when we took them over in eighth grade,” added Bupp. “Dylan (Harkins) stuck with it, and Devin VanTassel, both those kids were role players and they earned everything they got in this program, and they were perfect role models for what every younger kid in this program should strive for.”

Corbett led Warren on the ground with 81 yards and Shene had 14 completions for 95 yards — seven passes to Blum for 55 yards.

North East 0 7 7 15 — 29

Warren 0 7 7 0 — 14

Second Quarter

NE–Ethen Ringer 1 run, 8:48 (Joel Morey kick)

War–Noah Bleech 4 pass from Brady Shene, 0:26.6 (Charlie Blum kick)

Third Quarter

War–Bleech 5 pass from Shene, 3:01 (Blum kick)

NE–Ringer 1 run, 0:34.1 (Morey kick)

Fourth Quarter

NE–Bryson Galloway 3 run, 9:09 (Morey kick)

NE–Galloway 25 run, 8:01 (Galloway pass to Morey)

Individual Stats

Rush: N–Ringer 25-202, 2TD, Galloway 13-106, 2TD, Pascal Laporte 5-12. W–Ayden Corbett 17-81, Aiden Eger 7-10, Shene 6-19, Blum 2-1.

Pass: N–Galloway 4 of 12 for 56 yards. W–Shene 14 of 25 for 95 yards, 2TD.

Receive: N–Logan Latimore 2-31, Colton Owens 2-25. W–Blum 7-55, Bleech 3-8, 2TD, Chris Orth 3-31, Corbett 1-1.