DaQuan Grobsmith scores three touchdowns in the first half to help John Carroll keep the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy.
Norm Weber / Special to The Plain DealerUNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — DaQuan Grobsmith scored three touchdowns in the first half to help John Carroll keep the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy with a 31-28 win over Baldwin-Wallace in the season finale for both Division III football teams Saturday at Don Shula Stadium.
The Blue Streaks improved to 5-5. The Yellow Jackets fell to 7-3.
Frank Ross caught a 47-yard pass from Devin O'Brien on the first play from scrimmage for John Carroll. Two plays later, Grobsmith ran 9 yards for a TD.
Baldwin-Wallace's Ryan O'Rourke (Avon) threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Hurd halfway through first quarter to tie it, 7-7.
An interception by D.J. Debick (Gilmour Academy) set up Grobsmith's 3-yard TD run, and Grobsmith scored from 8 yards at the start of the second quarter for a 21-7 JCU lead.
With three of its runners getting knocked out of the game with injuries -- Andrew Dziak (Padua), John McGraw (North Ridgeville) and Tim Miker (Parma) -- B-W opted for some razzle-dazzle.
O'Rourke threw an overhand lateral to Anthony Fairhurst near the sideline. Fairhurst then whipped a forward pass downfield to Kyrell Crook for a 41-yard TD to make it 24-14 at the half.
Kevin Johnson (St. Ignatius) returned the second-half kickoff 62 yards for B-W. Seven plays later, a 6-yard bootleg by O'Rourke made it 24-21.
Ross scored his first rushing TD of the season from 5 yards out with three minutes to go in the third quarter to give the Blue Streaks a 10-point lead again.
In the fourth quarter, B-W used another trick play. Danny Reineck threw downfield on the flanker option, connecting with Aaron Manders for 42 yards to give the Jackets a first-and-goal on the 9. However, a 37-yard field goal missed wide left.
Crook had a 1-yard TD run for the Yellow Jackets with 1:05 left.
Norm Weber is a freelance writer in Lakewood.