ASHLAND — Ashland and Lexington clawed to a frantic finish on Friday night, with the Arrows finding an improbable victory at the end of a 2nd-and-41 scenario.
Coach Scott Valentine’s team earned a 24-21 victory, but there were no losers. According to Joe Eitel’s historically accurate high school football analysis, both teams will enjoy a Week 11 in the Ohio High School Football Playoffs.
“The big thing for us was the OCC championship. That was the first thing,” Valentine said as his team sang the alma mater after a thrilling victory. “We tell our kids before the season every year, you have to earn your way into the playoffs.”
It appears the Arrows and Minutemen (both 7-3 overall, 5-1 in the OCC) have done exactly that in Division III, Region 10.
According to Eitel, Lexington finished sixth in the region and would play next week at third-seed Bowling Green (7-3). Eitel has Ashland seventh in the region, which would send the Arrows to Sandusky (9-1) to tangle with the Northern Ohio League champions.
“We need to hold our heads up,” Lexington coach Taylor Gerhardt said. “We have a great group of kids.”
The cream of the OCC crop this year waged a spirited contest that was well played for the most part, but a couple of key Lexington mistakes loomed large in the end.
Ashland’s Bryce Stormer started the scoring with a 37-yard field goal with 7:02 showing in the first quarter. But Lexington sophomore Cade Stove got loose for a 40-yard TD catch from Logan Pfizenmayer on a third-and-nine play during the final snap of the initial period.
Arrows’ quarterback Keagan Armitage tossed a pretty, 15-yard TD pass to Kamrin Knowlton-Goings in the corner of the end zone for a 10-7 halftime margin.
When senior John Wolfe intercepted a Lex pass and rolled 31 yards for a pick-six, Ashland seemed in command with a 17-7 bulge at the 5:35 mark of the third quarter.
But Lexington’s ground game then took charge. The Minutemen put together a pair of methodical marches, of 81 and 67 yards, with Pfizenmayer capping both on 1- and 4-yard dashes, respectively. The latter score, on a third-and-goal situation, gave Gerhardt’s squad a 21-17 advantage with 7:40 to play.
Now it seemed Lex was in the driver’s seat. When a couple of penalties were marched off on the ensuing drive, Ashland faced a second-and-41 with less than five minutes showing. But Wolfe sandwiched a pair of receptions around an enormous Lexington unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and the Arrows cashed a 4th-and-11 to sustain the uncertain march.
“Those aren’t great situations to put yourself in and that’s what happened. We put ourselves in that situation,” Valentine said. “But John made that play, broke a tackle to get a first down.
“He’s one of those kids that’s not going to let you lose. That interception for a touchdown, that key play was huge.”
Wolfe’s conversion triggered the final salvo. Armitage dialed up Knowlton-Goings once again for a 14-yard TD pass with 3:04 showing for the game-winner.
“We blew it,” Gerhardt said simply.
Armitage finished 16 of 28 passing for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
Lexington countered with 325 yards rushing, as Pfizenmayer and Hunter Biddle rolled behind an imposing offensive line surge.
Both teams should begin a new season next weekend when the playoffs open on the road.
