ONTARIO — Zane Curry wasn’t about to let Ontario’s football season end Friday night.
With his Warriors trailing Tiffin Columbian late in the third quarter of their Division III, Region 10 playoff matchup, the junior saw an opportunity to change the game.
He didn’t miss it.
Curry intercepted a Logan Gooding pass and returned it for a 27-yard touchdown, giving Ontario its first lead since the opening quarter and providing the decisive points in a 22-19 comeback victory over the Tornadoes.
“I saw the quarterback looking at the running back, so I knew it was my chance to shine,” Curry said. “I wasn’t going to let us lose this, especially now with my seniors. I grew up with them. Couldn’t let it happen.”
The victory sends No. 2 Ontario (10-1) into the regional semifinals, where it will host St. Marys Memorial. The No. 6-seed Roughriders upset third-seeded Cloverleaf 42-21 on Friday night.
For much of this game, though, the Warriors’ postseason future looked uncertain.
Ontario’s offense sputtered through the first half, and Tiffin Columbian (8-4) built a 19-7 lead midway through the third quarter.
But the Warriors, who entered the game leading the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference with 21 takeaways and a plus-14 turnover margin, turned to the strength that had carried them throughout the season.
Their defense.
“Defense won that game for us,” Ontario coach Aaron Eckert said. “You win by one, win by 100. Just playoff football, just survive and advance.”
📷: Ontario’s second half defense | Credit: Zac Hiser
A fast start, then a long drought
Ontario couldn’t have scripted a much better opening.
On the Warriors’ second play from scrimmage, junior receiver Trindon Flenoury took the ball and launched a pass downfield to fellow junior Cardae Brown, who hauled it in for a 71-yard touchdown.
The trick play gave Ontario a 7-0 lead and sent the home crowd into an early frenzy.
“We haven’t been a team that’s thrown a lot of trick plays this year, and we just felt like the moment was right,” Eckert said. “We got a good look, and so we decided to let it fly and see what happens. Fortunately for us, it worked out.”
But that early offensive explosion was about all the Warriors could muster for the next two quarters.
Tiffin Columbian finished a lengthy drive with a touchdown pass early in the second quarter, although a missed extra point left Ontario ahead 7-6.
Columbian struck again when senior Blake Miller broke free on a play-action pass for a touchdown, giving the Tornadoes a 12-7 advantage with 8:51 remaining in the half. A two-point conversion attempt failed.
Brown and Miller provide the spark
Eckert turned to junior quarterback Gavin Miller to start the second half, replacing Sean Tanner in Ontario’s two-quarterback rotation.
But the third quarter initially brought more frustration.
Columbian extended its lead with another long touchdown pass from Gooding, making it 19-7 with just over five minutes remaining in the quarter.
Ontario needed a response, and it found one through Cardae Brown.
The junior receiver, who entered Friday with 728 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, came up with several critical catches as the Warriors finally found some offensive rhythm.
Brown made a difficult catch to set up first-and-goal, and Miller finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run.
Columbian’s lead was cut to 19-14 with 2:42 remaining in the third quarter.
📷: Miller (#22) and Brown (#3) lead the offense | Credit: Zac Hiser
Curry delivers the knockout blow
Ontario’s defense didn’t wait long to seize the momentum.
With Columbian facing third-and-5 on its ensuing possession, Curry recognized a familiar look from the Tornadoes’ offense.
Ontario’s coaches had prepared the Warriors for Columbian’s tendency to throw screen passes to its running backs.
On this particular play, Curry knew exactly what to do.
“Our coaches, they game plan for that a lot,” Curry said. “They were watching film. They seen that they like a lot of screens to the running backs.
“So for the play, they call it Superman. That’s where I go out, take up the running back.”
When Gooding looked toward his running back, Curry broke on the football.
He intercepted the pass and raced into the end zone, giving Ontario a 20-19 lead with 1:15 remaining in the third quarter.
Ontario converted the two-point attempt to stretch its lead to 22-19.
📷: The pick-6 | Credit: Zac Hiser
Defense finishes the job
Ontario still had an entire fourth quarter to protect its narrow lead.
But the Warriors’ defense was up to the challenge.
Columbian, which found success moving the football earlier in the game, struggled to sustain drives as Ontario tightened its coverage and pressured Gooding.
Miller and junior running back Max Ciroli, who entered the night with 1,027 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, helped the Warriors move the chains and drain the remaining clock.
Ontario eventually lined up in victory formation, completing a comeback that had seemed unlikely midway through the third quarter.
“I think it’s just one of those things you just got to keep playing,” Eckert said. “If you’re good enough, you’ll find a way.”
“Good teams find a way to win and we found one tonight.”
📷: The rest of the photos | Credit: Zac Hiser
