FINDLAY — Fairview’s fairytale run through the postseason will last at least another week.
Cade Polter threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns and Luke Timbrook scored the game-winning TD with 1:17 remaining as the seventh-seeded Apaches upset No. 3 Hillsdale 32-26 at snowy Donnell Stadium on Friday.
Fairview (9-3) will play top-seeded Seneca East for the Region 22 championship next Friday at a site to be determined. Seneca East knocked off No. 4 Columbus Grove 27-20 in double overtime.
Hillsdale (9-3) took a 26-24 lead on Alex Becker’s 8 yard run with 3:33 remaining in the fourth quarter, which turned out the be plenty of time for Polter and the high-flying Fairview offense. The junior quarterback marched the Apaches 67 yards before giving way to Timbrook, who took the direct snap in the wildcat formation and scored from 1 yard out. The two-point conversion pass from Polter to Caleb Frank gave Fairview a 32-26 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, the ball was jarred loose from the Hillsdale return man and Fairview’s Jace Chapman recovered. The Falcons had just one timeout and the Apaches were able to take a knee and run out the clock.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these kids,” Fairview coach Doug Rakes said. “It was just a tremendous game and a tremendous win
“They showed a lot of guts and they showed a lot of heart.”
As did the Falcons, who overcame a 24-14 fourth quarter deficit. Hillsdale quarterback Alex Becker ignited the rally with a 4 yard touchdown run with 8:47 remaining to cut the Fairview lead to 24-20. The Falcons forced a punt and Becker rumbled in from 8 yards out to give Hillsdale its first lead of the night at 26-24 with 3:33 remaining.
“It’s just a testament to this team. They have a lot of heart,” first-year Hillsdale coach Trevor Cline said. “Throughout the year they’ve dealt with a lot of adversity and they just kept bouncing back. That says a lot about the player as people, too.
“Not everything went our way, but they just kept battling. They put themselves in a situation to be right in it right until the end of the game.”
Fairview led 14-0 in the second quarter before Hillsale’s punishing ground game began to wear down the Apaches. Garrett Smith got the Falcons on the board with a 7 yard run with 2:33 remaining in the second quarter and a Becker two-point conversion run made it 14-8.
The Apaches put together one final drive and took a 17-8 lead when Frank booted a 28 yard field goal on the final play of the first half.
The Falcons cut the deficit to 17-14 on Smith’s 36 yard touchdown run with 6:34 remaining in the third quarter, but Fairview parlayed a Frank interception into a 46 yard touchdown on a screen pass from Polter to Riley Lucas and the Apaches had a 24-14 lead with 1:36 remaining in the third.
Hillsdale piled up 326 yards on the ground. Becker led the way with 168 yards, while Smith added 123.
“Becker is probably the healthiest he has been since Week 5,” Cline said. “He had a heck of a game and he’s had a heck of a season and career, along with a lot of other seniors.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys. This isn’t how we wanted the season to end, but I’m proud of what they accomplished this year.”
