ADAMS TOWNSHIP — Clinton-Massie impeached the Cincinnati Taft Senators 26-12 Friday night at Frank Irelan Field to advance to the Div. IV Region 16 semifinal against old nemesis Kettering Archbishop Alter.
It’s the second straight year Massie has sent Taft packing from the playoffs, but it certainly wasn’t anything like last year’s 70-14 pasting at Frank Irelan Field.
Taft (8-3) scored on the first drive of the game and then had a 4-yard scoop-and-score in the first minute of the second quarter to build a 12-3 advantage. The Senators held that margin until right before halftime when the Falcons (10-1) punched it in the end zone from a yard out to pull within 12-9.
“You just can’t panic,” is what CM head coach Dan McSurley said he told his team when it was down 12-3. “We thought with our numbers they’d wear down. Towards the end of the second quarter is where you could really see it.”
Massie ended up scoring the game’s final 23 points, taking the lead for good on a Jaycob Wolf 6-yard run early in the third quarter, extending it to 19-12 a drive later on a Chris Demler 35-yard field goal and to 26-12 a drive (91 yards) after that on a Brad Hunt 1-yard plunge.
Taft had the ball once in the final period and nearly cut Massie’s lead in half, but a fourth-down pass into the end zone was bobbled and dropped among three Falcons.
The Senators never saw the ball again as CM bled the final 7:00 off the clock to advance to Week 12.
“We are just one of those teams that hangs in there and plays pretty solid defense,” McSurley said. “And grinds out ugly wins.”
SUMMARY
November 4, 2016
@Frank Irelan Field
Clinton-Massie 26 Cincinnati Taft 12
T 06.06.00.00…..12
C 03.06.10.07…..26
First quarter
T-Ormani Zanders 7 yard run (Lawrence run) 8:09
CM-Chris Demler 18 yard field goal 3:01
Second quarter
T-Keith Turner Jr fumble recovery return (Run failed) 11:24
CM-Luke Richardson 13 yard pass from Devon O’Bryon (Chris Demler PAT) 0:21
Third quarter
CM-Jaycob Wolf 6 yard run (Chris Demler PAT) 9:00
CM-Chris Demler 35 yard field goal 6:16
Fourth quarter
CM-Brad Hunt 1 yard run (Chris Demler PAT) 11:57
Team Statistics
Taft: 174 yards total, 53 rushing, 121 passing. Penalties 8-50. Fumbles/lost 2-1. First downs 10
Massie: 328 yards total, 257 rushing, 71 passing. Penalties 5-60. Fumbles/lost 1-1. First downs 17
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Taft-Lawrence 9-21, Zanders 7-14, Turner 4-14, Stringer 1-9, McNally 1-0, Bradley 1-(-5); CM-Poynter 21-134, Wolf 21-106, Hunt 7-22, D. O’Bryon 5-6, Richardson 1-(-11)
PASSING: Taft-Lawrence 8-15-0, 121 yards; CM-D. O’Bryon 3-4-0, 71 yards
RECEIVING: Taft-Bradley 3-43, Stringer 1-41, Jones 2-25, Hall 2-12; CM-Richardson 2-55, C. O’Bryon 1-16
TACKLES: Taft-Stringer 16, Pryor 6.5; CM-C. O’Bryon 3.5, Beam 3, Wolf 3, Trampler 3, Uetrecht 2, Harris 1.5, Hill 1, D. O’Bryon 1, Laake 0.5
