For Cincysportszone.com
Roger Bacon received the ball first and started with a fast drive that ended with a 45-yard TD pass from quarterback Tanner Sprong to wideout Mike Jackson. That, and a missed extra point, gave Bacon a 6-0 lead only 3 minutes into Saturday night’s first-round Division III, Region 12 Ohio High School Athletic Association playoff game.
Wyoming, the No. 6 seed, didn’t take long to strike back. The Cowboys used their ground attack and marched down the field to the 3-yard line, only to fumble into the hands of Bacon’s Devon Thomas. With 3:21 left in the first quarter, tailback Dalen Wess — who spelled starter Griffin Mouty, who was out with an injury — took a handoff from Sprong for a 20-yard gain.
In the second quarter, the Cowboys took to the air and used a 58-yard pass from quarterback Kyle Seyfried to receiver Jonathan Tighe to land them on the 2-yard line. A quick pitch to score and an extra point later put Wyoming up 7-6. Bacon went to its own air attack as Sprong connected with Brian Bien to score with 9:34 left in the half. That gave Bacon a 13-7 lead.
Both teams traded interceptions, but Wyoming was able to turn theirs into a touchdown to take a 14-13 lead to the locker room at halftime.
The start of the second half featured stout defensive play from both sides, as the Spartans (seeded No. 3 in the region by the OHSAA) and Cowboys traded several short offensive series of three-plays-and-out. Wyoming figured out how to break the three-and-out code first, hooking up on a 67-yard pass and then running a sweep around end for another touchdown with 9:53 left in the quarter. That gave the Cowboys a 21-13 advantage.
Roger Bacon refused to give in. The ensuing kick return gave the Spartans good field position at their own 46 yard line. The drive ended with Sprong hitting Will Farrell for a touchdown. Bacon's attempt for the two-point conversion, on a pass to Wess, failed. That left Wyoming a 21-19 lead with 7:07 to play in the game.
The Cowboys went to their ground attack in an attempt to drain the game clock. But the Spartans’ defense overwhelmed the Cowboys as combination of busted plays and penalties stalled Wyoming. A failed fourth-and-one from the Bacon 30 gave the Spartans the ball.
The winning play began with Sprong and Wess going left on a fake option. That led to a pitch from Sprong toBrian Bien, who pulled up and tossed a 70-yard bomb to Jackson. The touchdown and extra point kick fromNick Linder put Bacon ahead, 26-21.
Wyoming, seeded No. 6 in the region, ended its season with a 9-2 record. Bacon improved to 8-3 and will advance to the next round of the OHSAA playoffs.
About the writer: Dave Wess Sr., M.Ed., is CEO of the DNA Leadership Consulting Group, LLC. He also writes The WESS PRESS Blogspot and hosts The Dave Wess Blog Talk Radio Show. He is a motivational speaker on Stay A.L.E.R.T. & Keep it H.O.T.! 8 Principles for achieving MAXIMUM SUCCESS. For more, contact him atwww.DaveWessSr.com or http://davewesssr.blogspot.com/2010/09/8-principles-for-achieving-maximum.html
