Much like their gritty 3-0 playoff escape against Struthers a year ago, Perry found itself once again leaning on its identity—defense, discipline, and a refusal to break under pressure.
And under the bright lights of a Division IV Region 13 semifinal Friday night, the top-seeded Pirates showed the region why they’re feared in November. Perry slammed the door on visiting West Branch, 21-0, earning its return ticket to the Elite Eight.
“They’re so well-coached and disciplined, and they play so hard snap-to-snap,” said Perry head coach Bob Gecewich. “You’d see them give up a big play, they don’t care, they line up and play the next play. That rolled over to both sides of the ball tonight. We didn’t get too high or too low, and they just kept playing. The defense did an amazing job.”
Both teams spent the first quarter locked in a punt-heavy stalemate, trading stops, sacks, and turnover-on-downs. West Branch probed, Perry pushed back, and neither offense found much daylight—until the final moments of the half.
With just over 30 seconds left before the break, Nate Trefzger finally cracked the scoreboard, slipping a nine-yard touchdown pass to Justin Costello for a 6-0 lead.
“In a defensive battle like this, any points you can get matter,” Gecewich said. “Kudos to the whole offense, and Nate for standing in there when it wasn’t going our way, despite being under duress all night. And how much do you love it being Justin Costello who catches that ball? That’s a kid who’s committed four years to the program, a first-year starter, and he just works into the tough part of the defense and makes that catch. It’s awesome.”
The Warriors threatened early in the third after Grady Hirst hit JT Thomas for a 46-yard strike, putting the ball at the Perry 22. But in moments that defined the night, the Pirates’ pass rush made a statement. Two plays later, West Branch faced third-and-33 after a sack and a chaotic snap, the latest example of a defensive front that set the tone from kickoff.
“Talent matters, but doing everything right, enough, eventually it’s going to pay off,” Gecewich said. “That’s what our guys do. They pay attention to the details and do the basics.”
And those basics turned into knockout blows in the fourth quarter.
The first came when Chase Sivon jumped a route for a momentum-shifting interception, giving Perry the ball deep in the red zone. A few plays later, Trefzger surged up the middle on a six-yard QB sneak—longer than designed—and Costello hauled in the two-point conversion to make it 14-0.
“We had to fight really hard to get that first down inside the 10, and then we ran a QB sneak for the touchdown. We were hoping just to get three (yards),” Gecewich said with a laugh.
From there, it was all finish.
Carter Hopkins exploded into the backfield for a sack at the West Branch six, then on the very next series powered in from six yards out to seal the 21-0 victory.
Perry’s offense had its ups and downs, but when paired with a defense this smothering, it was more than enough.
“It’s round three, and West Branch was excellent. I thought their defensive front was extremely good,” Gecewich said. “You’re going to lose some battles upfront, and then hopefully win a couple. We won a few and our backs ran hard, knowing that not every play is going to bust open and that they’re going to have to fight for yards.”
Hopkins led the ground attack with 109 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown, while Trefzger finished 9-of-19 passing for 113 yards and a score, adding 32 more yards and another touchdown with his legs. Traxton Richards hauled in two passes for 62 yards, and Sivon added three catches for 31.
Now, a familiar obstacle stands between Perry and a trip to the Final Four. The Pirates meet Glenville next Friday in the Region 13 final at Ravenna High School, a year after the Tarblooders ended Perry’s title hopes with a 12-6 overtime heartbreaker.
“What I’m excited about is that we got another week together,” Gecewich said. “We’ve got another week of practice, and we’re playing the best team in the state. It’s an awesome opportunity to get one more week with this great group of guys. We’re going to battle, and we’ll see what happens.”
