MORROW — Coming in to Friday’s Region 16 semifinal game, Wyoming’s CJ Hester had posted Superman-like numbers.
A total of 2,690 all-purpose yards in 12 games and 40 touchdowns.
Against the Falcons defense, Hester was a mere mortal. He finished with 62 rushing yards on 18 attempts. He had a long touchdown run wiped out by penalty.
“Our defensive ends played a heck of a game, holding outside contain,” Massie’s Kody Zantene said. “Our linebackers and safeties came up and filled.”
Hester had no place to run on this night. When he may have seen a small crack in the Massie defense, it didn’t last long. When he was able to slip one tackle, there was another defender right there to bring him down.
“We run drills like that all the time,” Zantene said. “Flying to the ball.”
Said head coach Dan McSurley, “Probably the best we’ve played defensively.”
• Wyoming came in to the game as the Division IV No. 1 ranked team with a 12-0 record. The most points they’d surrendered all season in a game was 21, to Harrison and Deer Park.
Clinton-Massie had 21 points at halftime.
• The win for the Falcons means Kenton is the only team to post back-to-back wins over Clinton-Massie in the playoffs. Wyoming defeated Clinton-Massie 28-9 last season. Kenton defeated Massie in 2010 and 2011.
• Assistant coach Jeskee Zantene threatened to remove his socks to wipe down a window in the visitor’s pressbox at Little Miami. With the rain and a small, crowded space, the windows fogged easily. Fortunately, Zantene kept his shoes on and was given a towel to wipe the window.
• During a play in the first half, a couple players from each team ran into McSurley on the sideline, sending the head coach sprawling on to the turf.
“At the time it actually felt good; I felt like a kid again,” he said. “Come Monday I might be in a neck brace and a back brace. It happened so fast
• The Clinton-Massie gameplan, as always, is to run the football. More often than not, it works. On Friday against Wyoming, it “worked to a T,” said running back Carson Vanhoose.
“Ground and pound,” he said.
Vanhoose, who had 157 of Massie’s 442 yards on the ground, admitted he doesn’t always do what he’s supposed to do during a play.
Colton Trampler, the fullback thunder to Vanhoose’s lightning, had 119 yards and 2 TDs on 16 attempts. Vanhoose said when Trampler runs the ball, it’s fun to watch even if he shouldn’t be.
“I’m supposed to carry out my fake but when he get’s going it’s hard to not watch him,” Vanhoose said.
The massive run totals were a product of four backs running behind five offensive linemen who were simply road graders against an overmatched Cowboys defense.
“I’ve been on the other end of it,” McSurley said. “When you get whipped up front, and we’re a wishboen team, you’re not going to win the game.”