ADAMS TOWNSHIP — Clinton-Massie guaranteed itself a share of the South Central Ohio League championship with a 23-21 victory over county rival Wilmington Friday.
The Falcons (9-1, 6-0), ranked 11th in the latest Associated Press Division IV poll, look to secure another gold football for an undefeated SCOL season when they bring down the curtain on SCOL football next week against East Clinton.
The league’s Fayette, Highland and Ross county schools are leaving the league at the end of the 2016-17 school year.
Massie now has won 58 straight SCOL games, a streak that has spanned nine years and nine days, and its last 39 at home.
The win for the Falcons was the second straight down-to-the-wire SCOL contest. Last week, Clinton-Massie stopped Chillicothe on a two-point conversion for a 14-13 win.
The Falcons had to recover an onside kick with 21 seconds left to secure the victory Friday night at a jam-packed Frank Irelan Field. That came after a Brady Evans to Matt Smith touchdown pass helped pull Wilmington to within 23-21.
Massie appeared to have put the nail in the coffin of the pesky Hurricane (7-2, 5-1) with a Christian Poyner 60-yard run to the Wilmington 3 and his touchdown from there seconds later for a 23-14 lead.
It was all part of a crazy second half that started with a 14-0 Massie advantage.
Wilmington scored on the third play of the half, a 78-yard run by Adam Phelps, to cut Massie’s margin in half.
The Hurricane stopped Massie on its subsequent drive and forced a Massie punt that the Falcons downed inside the Wilmington 1. CM forced a three-and-out and blocked a punt for a safety.
After Wilmington stopped Massie again in the fourth quarter, it cashed in with a Phelps TD with 5:53 left in the game to draw the Hurricane within 16-14.
The scored didn’t come without some controversy, though. Wilmington had lined up for a 29-yard field goal attempt. Massie blocked it, but officials ruled Wilmington called timeout before the snap.
Wilmington will close out the season next week looking for much-needed playoff points against Chillicothe.
SUMMARY
October 21, 2016
@Frank Irelan Field
Clinton-Massie 23 Wilmington 21
W 00.00.07.14…..21
C 07.07.02.07…..23
First quarter
CM-Cole O’Bryon 59 yard pass from Devon O’Bryon (Chris Demler kick good) 1:02
Second quarter
CM-Devon O’Bryon 1 yard run (Chris Demler kick good) 3:00
Third quarter
W-Adam Phelps 79 yard run (Brady Henry kick good) 11:13
CM-Safety, blocked punt out of end zone 6:58
Fourth quarter
W-Adam Phelps 5 yard run (Brady Henry kick good) 5:53
CM-Christian Poynter 1 yard run (Chris Demler kick good) 2:45
W-Matt Smith 5 yard pass from Brady Evans (Brady Henry kick good) 0:21
Team statistics
Wilmington 296 total yards, 154 rushing, 142 passing. Penalties 3-20. Fumbles 1-0
Clinton-Massie, 306 total yards, 247 rushing, 59 passing. Penalties 8-70. Fumbles 1-1
Individual statistics
RUSHING: WHS-Phelps 17-119, Evans 6-15, Beaugard 4-20; CM-Poynter 20-146, Wolf 19-65, Hunt 6-19, D. O’Bryon 7-10, Richardson 2-7
PASSING: WHS-Evans 10-25 for 142, 1 TD, 0 INT. CM-D. O’Bryon 1-1 for 59 yards, 1 TD
RECEIVING: WHS-Beaugard 4-70, Smith 2-44, Merritt 3-24, Phelps 1-4; CM- C. O’Bryon 1-59
TACKLES: WHS-Reed 12, Kessler 9, Muslar 7.5, B. Bell 6, Hickey 5.5, Marsh 5, Beaugard 3, Mayne 1, Pagett 1, Ames 1, Cherisca 1; CM-Beam 5.5, Wolf 4, D. O’Bryon 4, Richardson 3, Harris 3, Collingham 2.5, Uetrecht 2, Trampler 2, Zantene 1, James 1, C. O’Bryon 1, Carter 1