Coldwater’s Karsyn Homan turned what was supposed to be a pass play into a run…and used a block by teammate Braxton Taylor to score the winning touchdown as time ran out in the second quarter. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Sonny Fulks)
Coldwater showed its toughness with its run game, and rode the toughness of quarterback Karsyn Homan to a 16-6 win Friday over Versailles to stay in the hunt for the MAC title.
Versailles, OH – On a night when Minster lost to Anna in the fourth quarter, Chip Otten’s Coldwater Cavaliers had to scrap to ensure that the same fate didn’t fall upon them against an equally tough-minded Versailles Tigers team.
The Mr. Shoppe is a proud sponsor of area sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.
Coldwater rode 97 yards rushing from quarterback Karsyn Homan, and 206 overall, to outlast stubborn Versailles, 16-6, a win that kept the Cavaliers tied for second place with Minster now (both 6-1 in MAC play).
And both Coldwater and Minster still have a chance to share the title with Marion Local, who they play over the final three weeks of the season. Marion Local improved to 7-0 Friday with a win over Fort Recovery.
Publisher Sonny Fulks writes OHSAA and Ohio State sports for Press Pros Magazine.com.
It was homecoming night for Versailles (3-4), and welcome back for running back Landyn Knapke, who played for the first time since the opening moments of the season when he sustained a leg injury. Just as important, it was a win that Versailles badly needed for the sake of esprit de corps over their final three weeks. But for a team that has been through its shares of bumps and bruises over the first six weeks, week seven turned out to be no different.
The Tigers had numerous gains and momentum killers negated by penalties, as the officials fell in love with the technical interpretation of the holding call. Versailles was flagged six times for 67 yards…Coldwater seven times for 60 yards.
Coldwater’s Braxton Taylor opened the scoring with this 8-yard scoring run in the first quarter.
The Tigers came up empty on a sure-looking touchdown toss to Damien Barga in the fourth quarter when the ball hit him right in the hands in the end zone…only to ultimately hit the ground.
And, what could have been a relevant field goal in the fourth quarter by Kade Schwartz somehow slid wide of the right upright by no more than a couple of inches, the living example of the old Hee Haw comedy lyrics…gloom, despair, and agony on me. Only no one in Versailles was laughing.
Afterwards first-year Versailles coach Scott Broerman chose to take the high road, despite being visibly unhappy with the reality of that route.
“We can’t blame a loss on the penalties,” said Broerman, tersely. “We have to clean some things up. We have to execute better. And we have to [learn] to close things out. Blake Monnin had a good night for us, and we’ve been riding him because he’s played well. But we have to be better. You can’t beat a good football team like Coldwater if you don’t execute.”
Kremer Roofing supports the best in Midwest Athletic Conference sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.
But Coldwater did plenty on its own to earn the win, accumulating 299 total yards on 49 plays, compared to 242 for Versailles on 42 plays. The difference was the running game, with Coldwater racking up 206 yards to Versailles 102…and like Versailles, they road quarterback Karsyn Homan because they could, and they needed to. Homan carried the ball 16 times for 97 yards and a touchdown.
Kade Schwartz scored the Tigers only touchdown with this scoring strike from Blake Monnin in the second quarter.
“He had a good night,” Coldwater coach Chip Otten said of his quarterback. “He’s tough when we need him to be, but overall we ran the ball pretty good. And the field goal by Andrew Myers turned out to be big points. I don’t know if he got it all or not, but he got enough of it to be good.
“And credit to Versailles because they played hard and their quarterback was really good (Blake Monnin). It was a good win for us. It was a tough win.”
He could have said more about his defense, which held a determined Versailles effort to 242 yards, blocked a punt in the first half, forced a turnover on downs, and played steady football throughout.
VPP, in Versailles, proudly sponsors MAC football on Press Pros Magazine.com.
And he could have smiled over the dual contribution of running backs Braxton Taylor (59 yards and a TD) and Derek Dues (48 yards on seven carries)…a luxury that Broerman and the Tigers didn’t have, despite Landyn Knapke getting back into action for the first time. He carried the ball twice for 4 yards.
Braxton Taylor got Coldwater on the board first at 3:22 with an 8 yard touchdown run in the first quarter – a score set up by a tipped Versailles punt that gave Coldwater great field position near the fifty yard line. Andrew Myers’ extra point effort was no good, and Coldwater lead 6-0.
Versailles tied the game with 2:14 left in the second quarter on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Kade Schwartz from Monnin. and likewise, Scwartz missed the extra point attempt to tie the game at 6-6.
Coldwater would get the ball back with 2:40 remaining and march 81 yards before Karsyn Homan scored on run play that was supposed to be a skinny post across the middle. It never materialized, so Homan improvised, dodging tacklers and lunging across the goal line. Myers’ extra point made it 13-6 going to halftime.
Opportunity missed…with this would-be touchdown pass to Damien Barga in the third quarter.
The second half would turn out to be an exercise in frustration, penalties, and missed opportunities, particularly by Versailles.
For Coldwater’s part, they moved the ball enough on their final drive of the third quarter to get first and goal, only to be moved back by a series of penalties. Andrew Myers bailed them out, however, with the aforementioned field goal from 35 yards out.
For Versailles, Blake Monnin hooked up in the fourth quarter with a beautiful pass to Kade Schwartz to put the Tigers into scoring range; and then hit Damian Barga right in the numbers over two Coldwater defenders in the end zone…only to have Barga lose control of the ball, incomplete.
And on an ensuing field goal attempt by Schwartz, he just missed outside the right upright…ten points lost that would have figured ultimately on the final score.
Toughness…Versailles’. Blake Monnin takes a shot on this quarterback sack in the opening moments of the third quarter.
“The touchdown before halftime by Karsyn (Homan) was a turning point in the game,” said Otten. “That was supposed to be a slant and he turned it into a score, anyway.”
Blake Monnin ended up with 48 yards rushing, 140 yards passing with the one touchdown for Versailles, and no doubt his share of bumps and bruises come morning. Teammate Damien Barga would rush 6 times for 29 yards. But both turned out to be secondary to the reality of failed execution and missed opportunities.
And it doesn’t get any easier. Versailles does have St. John next week before playing Parkway and Anna.
Coldwater finishes out with Anna…St. Henry…and Marion Local.
Getting Knapke back and into game shape should be a plus for Versailles, despite his time missed.
But Coldwater faces the gauntlet, with less margin for error while motivated for a share of the conference crown.
It’s that time when every game is relevant – a time for scoreboard watching, and reflection.
When the unthinkable becomes the inevitable.
Great sports, great food, and a great place to meet with friends. Come to McSobers after the game.