High school football: Time runs out for Wapakoneta

TROTWOOD — Wapakoneta needed one more chance on offense.

But over the final 6:17, the Redskins weren’t able to get the ball back.

Hamilton Badin drained the final six-plus minutes and held on to preserve a 16-9 victory against Wapakoneta in the Division III, Region 12, football playoff semifinals Friday at Trotwood-Madison High School.

“We just didn’t make enough plays tonight,” Wapak coach Travis Moyer said. “This team was special right from the get-go. There was something special about this group. They loved playing the game of football, played well together and played for one another. I’m really proud of our entire team tonight.’’

Wapak’s Kyle Beach kicked three goal goals (38, 35, 41) to supply all the Redskins’ offense.

After Beach’s 41-yard field goal, Wapak cut the Badin lead to 16-9 with 6:17 to play.

Badin picked up five first downs and reached the Wapak 7 before the clock ran out.

“That’s what you want to do in that situation,” Badin coach Nick Yordy said. “The line did a great job. The second half was a little slow for us, but when they had to step up, they did.’’

Helping drain the clock was Badin running back Carter Russo, who finished with 26 carries for 164 yards.

“He (Russo) did a great job,” Yordy said. “He’s a senior and we ride our senior running backs. He had a couple of big runs on that last drive.’’

“Give them credit,” Moyer said. “We couldn’t get them stopped.’’

Badin quarterback Alex Ritzie, who has thrown for over 2,000 yards, completed 11 of 15 for 100 yards.

University of Cincinnati commit Braeden Moore had four catches for 31 yards.

For Wapak, Jace Knous had 19 carries for 68 yards.

Caleb Moyer completed 11 of 17 for 105 yards. Moyer was picked off twice.

And the Redskins lost a fumble, to give them three turnovers.

“From the defensive standpoint, we weathered the storm early on and played well after early on,” Moyer said. “But we just made too many mistakes and turnovers. … We knew we had to score touchdowns in the red zone and we kicked field goals tonight.’’

Badin, 13-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state, advances to the regional finals against the Western Brown/Tip City Tippecanoe winner at 7 p.m. next Friday at a site to be named.

weak ends its season 11-2.

Badin led 7-0 after the first quarter and 13-3 at the half.

Badin scored the first time it touched the ball, grinding out an 11-play, 80-yard drive.

The drive went mostly on the ground behind Carter Russo, who had runs of 11 and 13 yards.

Zach Yordy bulled over from the 1 to give Badin a 7-0 lead with 7:25 left in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Badin went 95 yards in nine plays for its second score of the night.

Badin quarterback Alex Ritzie flipped a quick shovel pass to Carson Cheek. Cheek turned the right corner and went 31 yards for a TD.

That gave the Rams a 13-0 lead with 8:23 left before halftime.

Wapak moved the ball down the field on its next drive, but Caleb Moyer was picked off by Badin at the Rams’ 9-yard line.

Kyle Beach, who hit a school record 51-yard field goal last week, banged home a 38-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to get within 13-3.

Tom Usher wrote this story for LimaScores.com. Reach The Lima News sports department at 567-242-0451.