Woody Hayes would be proud.

Following the legendary Ohio State coach’s philosophy of “three yards and a cloud of dust,” the Oak Harbor High School football team used a clock-eroding, will-bending drive at the end of the game to defeat Ferndale 28-13 Friday, Sept. 28, at Wildcat Memorial Stadium.

The game featured teams going in the opposite direction. Earlier in the week, the unbeaten and unheralded Wildcats appeared in the Associated Press 3A state poll for the first time this season, sitting at No. 9. Ferndale, which the Seattle Times ranked fourth in the state in its preseason poll, has won just one of five games. To be fair, the Golden Eagles have played a brutal schedule, with three of their losses coming to ranked teams.

Oak Harbor is now 3-0 in Western Conference play, 5-0 overall and the only undefeated Wesco North team.

The Wildcats face a stern test at Arlington (2-2, 3-2) next Friday. The Eagles were the preseason favorites but have been crippled by injuries. If healthy, and especially if strong-armed quarterback Anthony Whitis plays, Arlington could pose a serious threat to Oak Harbor’s clean record.

Oak Harbor 28, Ferndale 13

Back to Hayes and the drive.

As the game progressed, Ferndale’s offensive efficiency improved. The Golden Eagles scored on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter to get within 8, 21-13. The second TD came with 19 seconds remaining in the period.

With the momentum and its confidence building, Ferndale had an entire quarter to march in for the tying points.

First, however, the Golden Eagles had to get the ball back.

Oak Harbor didn’t co-operate.

The Wildcats tortured Ferndale with a 19-play, 73-yard drive that consumed more than nine-and-a-half minutes. No play in the drive covered more than six yards, and the parade ended when Caden Leckelt punched the ball in from the half-yard line with only 2:46 left on the clock. Jake Mitten’s PAT kick made it 28-13 and all but sealed the game.

The drive featured three fourth-down conversions. The first came during the first set of downs when coach Jay Turner decided to go for it on a fourth-and-one at Oak Harbor’s 36-yard line. Leckelt ran for 6 yards.

The Wildcats had a fourth-and-five at the Ferndale 39, and Aaron Martinez bulled for 5.1 yards to keep the drive alive.

Oak Harbor converted on a fourth-and-one on the play before the final touchdown.

The long drive put an exclamation point on a night of possession, Woody Hayes football. In all, Oak Harbor ran 76 plays to Ferndale’s 34 and held the ball for 36 of the game’s 48 minutes.

“We told the guys we were going to pound the rock,” Turner said. “We said if we get four yards, we would be happy.

“The kids stepped up and did what we needed to do to win.”

Oak Harbor also swiped a Golden Eagle offensive opportunities when Cody Fenton recovered Mitten’s pooch kick after a Wildcat score.

Ferndale finished with 222 yards, 127 coming on the ground.

The Wildcats defense was led by the effort of linebacker Martinez.

“He is our heart and soul; he is pretty special,” Turner said.

Oak Harbor ran for 258 yards, and Caleb Fitzgerald completed three of eight passes for 79 yards.

Lecklet carried the ball a whopping 35 times for 142 yards. Martinez had 63 yards on 17 rushes and Dorian Hardin added 57 on 12 runs.

Oak Harbor opened the scoring with Leckelt rammed in from the 1-yard line with 7:26 left in the second quarter.

On its next possession, Oak Harbor went up 14-0 when Martinez scored from the 3.

Ferndale started the second half with a 68-yard scoring drive, cutting the gap to 14-7, and the Wildcats quickly responded with the offensive play of the night.

Fitzgerald threw a quick-out to Hardin, who darted through the defense for a 63-yard score. During his run to the end zone, Hardin made an inertia-defying two-foot stop in front of the Ferndale bench that send several Golden Eagles sprawling, then he sprinted diagonally against the grain for the final 50 yards.

Oak Harbor’s Dorian Hardin puts on the brakes to change direction in Friday’s win. (Photo by John Fisken)

Aaron Martinez receives a handoff from QB Caleb Fitzgerald. (Photo by John Fisken)

Oak Harbor’s Calvin Whelpley (21) hits Ferndale quarterback Sequoyah Julius. (Photo by John Fisken)

A plaque has been placed at Wildcat Memorial Stadium reserving the seats of longtime fans Bernie and Mary Lange. The Langes have attended nearly 700 Oak Harbor football games since the 1940s.

Oak Harbor’s Brandon McCollough (58) blocks for Dorian Hardin as Ferndale’s Gader Fox (29) and Brett Westford (52) try to defend the play. (Photo by John Fisken)