COLDWATER – There aren’t many times left that a historically great program like Coldwater does something they haven’t done before, but Saturday night the Cavaliers joined nearly 40 other schools as programs who have reached 600 program wins with their 42-14 regional finals victory over Mechanicsburg.
Mechanicsburg got on the scoreboard first on their second drive of the contest behind a 10 yard pass from QB Aaron Conley to wideout Jake Hurst for a 7-0 lead with 7:35 left in the opening quarter but would only find themselves in the lead for moments before the Cavs struck to even up the score.
Working from their own 38 the Cavaliers picked up four plays of ten yards or more and utilized their running game to pull even with a one yard touchdown run, the 14th of the season from QB Myles Blasingame with 3:47 remaining.
Blasingame, the Midwest Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year struck again on the Cavaliers next drive early in the second quarter on a seven yard scamper that capped off a 70 yard drive over that spanned more than four minutes and gave the home squad a lead they would never relinquish.
Although their fourth drive of the first half started with a false start penalty, the Cavs again found themselves able to pick up multiple first downs and from one end of the field to the other when Blasingame rushed in for the third time in the half at 5:13 to run the lead to 21-7 Coldwater.
Visiting Mechanicsburg attempted a bit of trickery on their ensuing drive on a halfback pass but would the toss from Hurst down the field intercepted by Jay Muhlenkamp.
On their first drive of the second half the Cavaliers made a bit of history after being flagged for a pair of penalties when Tyler Schwieterman took a wide receiver reverse on his second carry of the season for an 89-yard touchdown run and a 28-7 lead. The gain by Schwieterman was the fourth longest run from scrimmage in Coldwater history.
Though the Burg was able to move the football on their first possession of the third quarter they were again forced to punt away the ball and pinned the Cavs back to their own 27 with 4:50 to go in the third.
14 plays and 73 yards for a Coldwater drive that covered nearly eight minutes of action ended at 8:49 in the last stanza when Luke Sudhoff bullied his way in for a one yard score and a 35-7 lead after a successful extra point kick from Brady Klingshirn.
Visiting Mechanicsburg, in their first ever visit to Coldwater used a 13 play, 78 yard drive that covered over six minutes for their final marker of the contest, a three yard run from QB Aaron Conley to get within 35-14.
With the win the Cavaliers (10-0) up the MAC’s all-time record against teams from the Ohio Heritage Conference to 40-1, and their own record against the OHC to 3-0 in this years postseason.
Mechanicsburg (9-1) was outgained in the middle two quarters by the Cavaliers 296-78 and finished with just 225 yards of offense to the Cavs 408.
Conley finished 5 of 11 through the air for 58 yards and one touchdown pass in the game while his counterpart Myles Blasingame ended 17/25 for 221 yards and an interception but with three rushing scores to lead the Cavs to victory.
Coldwater will be making their 16th all-time State Semifinal appearance on Saturday night as they will travel Sidney’s 30 & 0 Field to battle the NWC champion Columbus Grove Bulldogs who secured their first regional title since 2014 last weekend by defeating Sherwood Fairview 42-21.
Saturday night’s game can be heard live on WKKI with the pregame beginning at 6:30 P.M.