WAPAKONETA – For the first time in school history the New Bremen Cardinals are headed to the Division 7 state finals after defeating Lima Central Catholic Friday night 28-26 in Wapakoneta.
Leading 28-26 with just :31 remaining in the ballgame the Cardinals defense turned away LCC rusher Rossy Moore at the goal line to secure their first ever state semifinals playoff victory.
Both offenses started slow in the first half as only the T-Birds were able to dent the scoreboard as they utilized a two play drive covering 58 yards on a 15 yard slant pass from Evan Unruh to Bryan Hines for a 7-0 lead with 2:52 to go in the opening stanza.
Lima Central Catholic’s two other chances for scores in the first half ended with a missed field goal from 36 yards and an interception by David Homan to end the first half near the goal line after a long drive that covered nearly all of the final seven minutes of the quarter.
The second half opened with the T-Birds moving the wrong way via penalties and faced with a 3rd down and 29 play that resulted in a quick screen to Hines that turned into an 89-yard touchdown pass to up the lead to 13-0 with 10:53 to go in the third. As they have have done all season long the Cardinals blocked the ensuing extra point attempt.
Starting from their own 21-yard line the New Bremen offense picked up four first downs and their first score with 8:25 on the board to cut the lead to 13-7 on a four yard scamper from Mitchell Hays.
Nearly as quickly as they scored their last touchdown the T-Birds flew into the endzone once again, this time with a 57 yard catch and run by Hines through the New Bremen secondary to run the lead to 20-7 with 6:33 in the third.
Despite missing starting tailback Zach Bertke who was injured and never returned in the first quarter, the Cardinals again faced no problem rushing the football on their next drive as Hays raced 50 yards to the opposite end of Harmon Field to bring his squad back with a touchdown at 20-14.
After forcing LCC to turnover the ball on downs when stopped short on fourth and nine, the Cardinals tied the game at 20-20 with 11:01 to go in the contest on a 28-yard run by Hunter Schaefer and took the lead on a successful 35-yard extra point attempt by Owen Gable that came after a penalty pushed the try back.
Mitchell Hays scored his 14th rushing touchdown of the season with 4:21 to go to push his team ahead 28-20 and push the T-Birds into a spot where they would be forced to score and to convert a two-point conversion to tie the game and send it into a possible overtime.
Lima Central Catholic bows out at 8-2 on the season while the Cardinals improve to 9-2 and will play Warren JFK in next Friday afternoon’s Division 7 state finals at 2:00 P.M. at Fortress Obetz just outside of Columbus.