Should never have come to this…Coldwater kicker Bryce Couchot and his linemen watched as his fourth quarter field goal attempt sailed wide in Friday’s state semi-final loss to Hopewell-Loudon. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Leading by twelve points midway through the third quarter, a key turnover proved costly and helped power Hopewell-Loudon past Coldwater and into the Canton Division VI finals next weekend.
Wapakoneta, OH – Minutes following what could have been, and in past years would have been, a tidy state semi-final win for the Coldwater…Cavaliers coach Chip Otten could only shake his head and describe his team’s 20-18 loss Friday night as, “frustrating.”
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Frustrating because for years Otten and the Cavs had cashed in on opportunities to score and close out games, and big wins in big moments like Friday. But not this time.
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Too many missed opportunities, and a pair of critical turnovers…one in each half…proved to be too costly to overcome as the #2 seed in Region 22, Hopewell-Loudon (13-1), stormed back from an 18-6 second half deficit to win 20-18, snapping Coldwater’s storybook comeback attempt to defend their Division VI state title of a year ago. The Cavaliers saw their season come to an end with a 10-5 record.
And still, with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Coldwater had their opportunity in the palm of their hand, only to see it go for naught as a 23-yard field goal attempt by kicker Bryce Couchot sailed wide left, a chip shot for the MAC Conference’s most reliable kicker…the potential game-winner.
“We had our chances,” said Otten, who’s wrested more such moments from fate than he’s lost over the years. “We just couldn’t get the ball in the end zone tonight.”
On a cold night with temps in the mid-twenties, it started out on a hopeful note for Coldwater, taking the opening drive and driving 59 yards in eight plays…but couldn’t put the ball the end zone…before Couchot put them on the board with a 24-yard field goal to lead 3-0.
Coldwater’s Derek Dues charges through the line to score in the first quarter, putting the Cavaliers up 10-0.
After forcing Hopewell-Loudon to punt on the ensuing possession, Coldwater again drove 73 yards on nine plays to score on a Derek Dues four-yard run, extending their lead to 10-0 with two minutes left in the first quarter.
But again driving with less than two minutes left in the second quarter, Coldwater turned the ball over on a muffed catch and lateral connection for a drive-extending first down. The ball on the ground, the fumble was recovered by the Chieftains, who four plays later turned that turnover into a touchdown throw from quarterback Jacoby Ellis to wide receiver Jack Colatruglio as time ran out before halftime, trimming Coldwater’s lead to 10-6.
Hopewell-Loudon received the second half kickoff, but Coldwater forced them to punt after a quick three-and-out, then scored on an eight-play drive at 6:38 when Karsyn Homan ran it in from three yards out. Looking for an ‘extra’ extra point, Homan attempted the two-point conversion and was successful, extending the Cavalier lead to 18-6.
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And after forcing another Hopewell punt, Coldwater suffered a dagger turnover for the second time in the game when Karsyn Homan was intercepted on a simple pass in the flat by the Chieftains Kellen Frankart, who returned the ball to the Coldwater eight yard line. Moments later, Frankart ran the ball in from eight yards out, the Chieftains converted a two-point conversion, and suddenly trailed 18-14 with 3:25 left in the third quarter.
Coldwater’s Karsyn Homan ran for 172 yards and a touchdown in the Cavalier’s state semi-final loss to Hopewell-Loudon.
The third quarter ended with Coldwater forced to punt, and on their first possession of the fourth quarter Hopewell-Loudon put together their most efficient drive of the game…four plays covering 45 yards, culminating with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Brody Brickman from Jacoby Ellis. The two-point conversion was missed, but the Chieftains had the lead for the first time in the game, 20-18.
But Coldwater had plenty of time to come back, and Karsyn Homan started them on their way with a clutch third down reception to Cadin Obringer, of thirty yards, to set the Cavaliers up on Hopewell-Loudon’s thirty yard line. From there, Homan and Derek Dues ran the ball inside the ten for first and goal with 4:28 left in the game.
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Three running plays with Homan and Dues got the ball as close as the five yard line with 3:06 left to play. And on fourth and goal Otten sent Couchot out to attempt the 23-yard kick that would again give Coldwater the lead and a chance to close the game out on defense.
Hopewell-Loudon’s Brody Brickman scores the winning touchdown in the opening moments of the fourth quarter.
Kicking with a severe angle from the right hash mark, and a tough kick with the wide high school hash marks, Couchot hit it well, but pulled it left of the uprights, setting off a thunderous response from the Hopewell crowd. With three minutes left, all the Chieftains needed was a first down to run out the clock against a dejected Coldwater defense. They did that, forcing the Cavaliers to use up their timeouts, and clinched their state final trip to Canton next week with a 20-18 win.
Frustrating? Coldwater outgained Hopewell-Loudon by 160 yards…352 to 192. Karsyn Homan led all players with 172 yards rushing on 26 carries, and Derek Dues added another 54 yards on 10 carries…but three times within the shadow of the goal line the Cavaliers failed to score a touchdown, including the final drive that ended with the missed field goal attempt.
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“If you were a spectator I guess you would call it a great football game,” Otten reasoned, afterwards. “But if you were the Cavaliers tonight was just really frustrating. We kept getting down in there close and couldn’t come away with touchdowns. And obviously the field goal…our kicker’s been great for us for three years. But unfortunately tonight he missed that one by just a little bit.”
Cadin Obringer’s first down reception gave the Cavaliers a chance to punch in a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter.
And as is the case with games of such magnitude, there was some second-guessing.
“Probably at the end of the first half I should have just run the clock out,” said Otten. “And they get a score on the last play. It’s just frustrating that we didn’t get a couple more touchdowns and not put ourselves in the position we were in at the end. We just need to make a few more plays.”
The interception in the third quarter, as it turned out, robbed Coldwater of not only a chance for points but the chance to take time off the clock – shorten the game – a requisite move when you’re trying to get to Canton.
“The interception happened on one of our most basic plays,” Otten added. “I don’t know if the guy baited him (Homan), but he jumped in there and did a good job of making a play. They came up against some short yardage things we like to do. They were stout and got us stopped…obviously on the last drive when we ended up attempting the field goal. Hats off to them, dang it. They just made a couple more plays. It was the same scenario as last week (against Anna), but tonight things were reversed.”
“Our defense played pretty good. We just couldn’t come away with touchdowns when we got down there close.” – Chip Otten
The irony was undeniable. On a year when Coldwater beat both Valley View on opening night, then fought through inexperience and injuries for the next month – losing starting tailback Braxton Taylor for the season – they would come back to win eight of their final ten games to put themselves in position to do what no one believed they could. True to their legacy, they were competitive to the end.
“We were feeling pretty good their in the third quarter when we went up 18-6,” Otten concluded. “And then we got the ball right back.
“Like I said, it’s just frustrating when you think you can win the game…and you don’t. But that happens.”
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