MILAN, Ohio – Despite a valiant effort, Galion’s season came to a close Friday night.
A strong third quarter and mighty ground game propelled Edison past the Tigers 49-28 in Division V regional quarterfinal play.
It was Galion’s fourth consecutive trip to the postseason.
Tigers’ coach Chris Hawkins said he knew the Chargers were fast, adding that he previously spoke with someone who watched them play live.
“They told me they look fast on film, but they’re faster in real life,’” Hawkins said. “That’s true, but we have some speed also, and the biggest factor of the speed is up front – our skill guys were as fast as their skill guys.”
Edison (10-1) finished with 576 yards of total offense – 490 on the ground.
Keegan Hall, Dan Stoll, and Sam Stoll all rushed for more than 100 yards apiece for the Chargers.
“We had to make some adjustments late in the year to get some things ironed out,” Edison coach Jim Hall said of his offense, which typically runs a triple-option. “To be honest with you, I don’t know how much option we really ran tonight – we tried to run a mixture of plays.”
Pivotal Moment: Edison led 21-14 at halftime but saw that margin evaporate after the break.
Marching down the field on the first drive of the second half, Galion quarterback Chase Cooke found Jacob Fryer for a 44-yard catch and run to tie the game at 21.
The Chargers responded on the ensuing drive as Hall dropped a pass into Owen Moyer’s lap for a 38-yard score.
The game turned on the next possession, however, when the Tigers, after calling a timeout, elected to attempt a fake punt on 4th and 1 from their own 22.
The play was stuffed for no gain and gave Edison a prime opportunity to take a two-score lead.
“The seniors came out and said, ‘coach, we can get this,’” Hawkins said of the crucial call. “And it goes to show you how much respect I have for those kids, but I told the kids it’s still on me because that’s my call.”
Keegan Hall mashed the ball in from a yard out just two plays later, giving the Chargers a 35-21 lead.
The dagger fell on the next possession when Sam Stoll intercepted a Galion pass and returned it 23 yards to paydirt.
In all, Edison scored four times in the third quarter.
Stats: Dan Stoll racked up 122 yards, followed by Sam Stoll, who had 102.
Quarterback Keegan Hall chipped in 101 yards to round out the Chargers’ rushing attack.
“We’re fortunate to have a few different backs who have the ability to make cuts in space and when they get into space make big plays,” coach Hall said.
The longest of Edison’s many big plays was an 83-yard dash in the third quarter from Keegan Hall.
For Galion (8-3), senior running back Drake Barnett ran for 142 yards and a TD.
Cooke tallied two scores on the ground and one through the air. He completed 11 of 23 passes for 157 yards.
Fryer, a senior, also ended his career in style, tallying 44 yards on four carries and 122 on seven catches to go with his touchdown.
“It was tough sledding running the ball,” Hawkins said. “I mean, Drake’s a phenomenal back, but they were doing some things to take away some of our stuff, so we had to go to the passing game.
“I thought our passing game stepped up and did a good job. I felt pretty comfortable when it was 21-21.”
Leaving a Legacy: Though it wasn’t the outcome his team would have wished for, Hawkins said when the pain of the finale is gone, his seniors will be able to reflect on the season and their careers.
“That senior class left quite a legacy, making the playoffs all four years – that’s quite a legacy,” he said.
“I told them I don’t care if it’s a recommendation for a scholarship in a couple months or 10 years from now a recommendation for a job, I’m your man, because I love those guys,” he said.
