Green Locks In Another Shutout: Bulldogs Dominate Louisville Behind Defensive Masterclass and Explosive Second Half
Back-to-back shutouts and a relentless defense keep Green rolling toward the playoffs.
FINAL - Green (6-2, 3-1) 28, Louisville (3-5) 0
Green’s defense put on a show Friday night, and the scoreline wasn’t far off from what folks expected—but the game was more than just the Bulldogs' second shutout of the season.
Fresh off a dominant win over GlenOak in Week seven, Green carried that momentum right into their matchup against Louisville. Back-to-back shutouts are now in the books for the Bulldogs.
Here’s how the action unfolded, and why Green’s defense is the talk of the town.
The game didn’t see much action in the first half; senior All-Ohioan Antonio Martin snagged a pass and took it to the house in the first three minutes, giving Green a 7-0 lead. That was the last scoring play of the first half.
Louisville’s starting quarterback, senior Tate Aljancic, was injured late in the second. Junior Gabe Stoffer—who has over 200 receiving yards in 2024—took over for Aljancic. Stoffer also played double duty on special teams, punting and punt returning for the Leopards.
The second half of play, however, was where things got a bit more exciting.
Junior Evan Reed, who’s second overall for total touchdowns in the Federal League, had two more tonight. Both of which came in the second half; both of which also came together in very different ways.
His first touchdown came right out of the gate, where he took the second half kickoff all the way. His second came late in the fourth quarter, following strong field positioning by junior Anthony McMichael III, allowing him to punch through the middle for a three-yard score.
The final score was 28-0, though. The fourth and final touchdown for the Bulldogs wasn’t thanks to their offense; rather, it was thanks to a fumble recovery in the endzone by junior lineman Dario Lombardi. His first touchdown of the season came after stellar play on both sides of the ball.
Green’s defense, as it has been in the last eight weeks of play, was what won them the game. Four sacks and an interception allowed the Bulldogs to keep building their lead on offense.
The lone interception from the Green defense was from Martin, who snagged a jump ball around the 50-yard line.
Sophomore Kameron Worner, who saw some some reps at running back against GlenOak, made his presence felt for Green on defense. He had four unassisted tackles against Louisville, tying him for second in the stat behind senior AJ Fortunato. Worner also had a sack.
“I got my chance to play and showed out. And then—I guess—we’ve just moved some people around and I got the spot.” Worner said.
Speaking of AJ Fortunato, he had arguably his best game this season in terms of solo tackling; nine total solo tackles were claimed by the All-Leaguer. Fortunato also had a sack.
There were five sacks last night for Green, though. Junior Josh Taylor and Lombardi were credited for one sack each, with senior Aiden Clark having the fifth.
On the Louisville side, their method of advancing the ball proved effective. While the approach may not have been immediately clear, it still got the job done. Junior Owen Dimarzio did it all for the Leopards against Green, having 46 total yards of offense for himself.
Looking Ahead
The Bulldogs have risen to 6-2 on the season, and the Leopards fall to 3-5.
Green has officially clinched a top 16 playoff spot in the Division II Region 5 standings. Louisville currently controls their own destiny with two weeks left. They are currently in second place in the entire region.
In week nine, Louisville will stay at home to play the undefeated South Range Raiders of Division V; South Range fell to Green last season 21-7. Green will play at home against Perry, which could have a large effect on the Federal League standings if a McKinley loss to Jackson next week falls into place.
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