Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

FRANKLIN FURNACE — A little extra work never hurt anyone. In fact, it felt good to the Green Bobcats.
Needing a win to stay alive in the Southern Ohio Conference race, the Bobcats had to go to overtime as they beat the Portsmouth Notre Dame Titans 28-22 on Friday.
Notre Dame (0-7, 0-2) took a 7-0 lead as Jake McGuire hit Caleb Nichols with a 27-yard touchdown pass with 3:10 left in the first quarter. Tanner Richards kicked the extra point.
The Bobcats came with their own scoring drive.
Green got to the Titans’ 19-yard line and were facing a fourth-and-goal. The senior tandem of quarterback Trevor Darnell and Alec Smith teamed up for a touchdown pass that cut the deficit to 7-6 just 14 seconds into the second quarter.
The score remained that way until the third quarter when Green took a 14-7 lead as Ethan Huffman got loose on a 66-yard touchdown run with 6:47 on the clock. Darnell and Smith hooked up for the conversion.
The Titans answered with a 60-yard, seven-play drive that ended abruptly as Logan Emnett broke free from a group of tacklers and went 35 yards for the touchdown. Richards kicked the conversion to tie the game at the four-minute mark.
Darnell then put the Bobcats back in front with a 22-yard scoring run with only 59 seconds left in the quarter. He also ran for the conversion and it was 22-14.
Notre Dame was at its own 28 and needing a scoring drive to tie the game.
The Titans did just that and capped the march on a first down at the 10-yard line as running back Beau Hobbs hits Austin Vaughters with a halfback touchdown pass.
On the crucial extra point, McGuire scrambled from the Green rush and found Hobbs wide open in the left side of the end zone and it was 22-all with only 31 seconds left to play in regulation.
Notre Dame got the ball first in overtime and got a first down at the 8-yard line only to turn the ball over.
On the Bobcats’ first play from the 20-yard line, Smith got the ball and ran to the outside where he used his speed to outrun the Titans’ defense into the end zone.
Huffman had 92 yards on just five carries and Smith got 76 yards on nine attempts as Green rushed for 307 yards. Lonnie Smith added 65 yards on 16 tries.
Darnell ran 16 times for 74 yards and a touchdown while hitting 5-of-15 passing for 58 yards and a score.
The Titans had 310 total yards with 251 on the ground. Emnett had 137 yards on 25 carries while McGuire added 75 on 12 attempts.
McGuire was 3-of-4 passing for 39 yards and a score.
This Friday, Green host Northwest in a pivotal SOC game.
Notre Dame 7 0 7 8 0 = 22
Green 0 6 16 0 6 = 28
First Quarter
ND — Caleb Nichols 27 pass from Jake McGuire (Tanner Richards kick) 3:10
Second Quarter
Gr — Alec Smith 19 pass from Trevor Darnell (pass failed) 11:46
Third Quarter
Gr — Ethan Huffman 66 run (Alec Smith pass from Trevor Darnell) 6:47
ND — Logan Emnett 35 run (Tanner Richards kick) 4:00
Gr — Trevor Darnell 22 run (Darnell run) 0:59
Fourth Quarter
ND — Austin Vaughters 10 pass from Beau Hobbs (Beau Hobbs pass from Jake McGuire) 0:31
Overtime
Gr — Alec Smith 20 run (no attempt)
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ND Gr
First downs 12 15
Rushes-yards 251 307
Passing yards 59 48
Total yards 310 365
Cmp-Att-Int 4-5-0 5-15-0
Fumbles-lost 2 4
Penalties-yards 8-69 8-97
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Individual Leaders
RUSHING — Notre Dame: Logan Emnett 25-137 TD, Jake McGuire 12-75 TD, Beau Hobbs 6-29, Austin Vaughters 2-10; Green: Ethan Huffman 5-92 TD, Alec Smith 9-76 TD, Trevor Darnell 16-74 TD, Lonnie Smith 16-65.
PASSING — Notre Dame: Jake McGuire 3/4 49 yards TD, Beau Hobbs 1/1 10 yards TD; Green: Trevor Darnell 5/15 58 yards TD.
RECEIVING — Notre Dame: Caleb Nichols 1-27 TD, Logan Emnett 1-13, Austin Vaughters 1-10 TD, Ethan Kammer 1-9; Green: Alec Smith 3-45 TD, Ethan Huffman 2-15.