Campbell Rushes for 213 Yards, 2 TD’s but can’t Stop Mason Ground Attack.

SPRINGBORO — With a bevy of starters returning on the line and in the backfield from a 7-3 squad, Springboro football coach Ryan Wilhite had few worries about scoring points as his team kicked off the season Friday against Mason. His concern, rather, was that many of his linemen would play both ways, and the rest of the defense is a tad undersized.

That combination, Wilhite was afraid, could make the Panthers susceptible to the run. That was their undoing in the opener, as Mason used a dominant ground game to claim a 38-28 win.

Mason junior Darryl Johnson rushed 29 times for 240 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Comets, putting a damper on a similarly sensational night by Springboro senior Jalen Campbell (17 carries, 213 yards, two touchdowns).

“We only got a couple stops on defense the entire night,” Wilhite said.

Mason had little trouble moving the ball, chewing up 68 yards on a 10-play, game-opening drive that culminated in a 16-yard touchdown pass from J.D. Sprague to Kevin Niehoff. Springboro’s ensuing possession stalled on a bad snap and Mason capitalized quickly, scoring on Johnson’s 5-yard run.

“They established the run on the first drive,” Wilhite said. “They controlled the ball for most of the night.”

Mason created big holes and churned for 299 yards rushing.

Still, Springboro fought back. Senior Josh Little hit junior Jake Johnson in stride for a 34-yard score early in the second. After another score by Darryl Johnson, Campbell pulled Springboro back in striking range early in the third with a 58-yard touchdown run.

Minutes later, Darryl Johnson powered into the end zone from 3 yards out for his third touchdown of the game, but Springboro pulled back within a touchdown, 28-21, when Little hit sophomore Jack Schaaf for a 31-yard score. Johnson, though, answered with a 26-yard sprint to the end zone midway through the fourth.

Campbell galloped up the left sideline for a 47-yard score barely a minute later to keep hope alive, but the Panthers couldn’t get a much-needed stop.