Akron Hoban left little doubt as to which was the better team. The Knights won their second consecutive title in Division III, decisively, over Trotwood-Madison.
Columbus – Akron Hoban became the third team in the 2016 state football tournament, joining Hartley and LaSalle to win consecutive state titles. Saturday afternoon the Knights did the trick with a 30-0 win over Trotwood Madison to take the Division III crown.
In a championship weekend marked by close, hotly-contest games, it was the first true blowout of the tournament!
Hoban’s Todd Sibley ran 17 times for 151 yards and a touchdown.
Trotwood, a team with size and rare athletic talent in the likes of running back Raveion Hargrove, never got untracked and cost themselves severely in the early going with a rash of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. That seemed to set a tone of frustration as the Rams simply could not get out of their own way for the next three quarters.
In the meantime Hoban quarterback Danny Clark was having a field day, passing for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
He wasn’t alone. Running back Todd Sibley ran for 17 times for 151 yards and a touchdown to match Hargrove, statistically, but there was no comparison on the scoreboard.
Leading 20-0 at the half, Hoban came out to put 10 quick points on the board in the third quarter and send the game into “running clock” (30-point deficit, the equivalent of a run rule in baseball) for the remainder of the game.
Hoban, who finished with a 14-1 record, totaled 359 yards for the game, while Trotwood, who finished 12-3, combined Hargrove’s 130 yards rushing and with seven completions through the air for 200 total yards for the game.
The tournament concludes later tonight when four-time defending champion Coldwater meets Canton Central Catholic for the Division V championship at 8 pm.
“The Spot” is proud to sponsor coverage of the 2016 OHSAA State Tournaments on Pros Magazine.com.
Trotwood's Raveion Hargrove (#6) had a good day statistically, but penalties and turnovers helped keep the Rams off the scoreboard. (Press Pros Photography by Julie McMaken Wright)