The QBs – Myle Blasingame and Beau Brungard
(11-15-20) Last season (New Middletown) Springfield had high hopes going into the D VI State Football Championship game against the Midwest Athletic Conference’s Anna…but that ended with a running clock when the Rockets handled them 48-14.
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Do the Tigers remember that game?
Tigers’ Clay Medvec (WR/PK) remembers it and he told vindy.com after their win over Fort Frye in the State Semifinal game –
“Last year, we had the sourness in our mouths on the bus ride after losing 48-14.We just knew right then and there we wanted to come back to this spot. We’re here now, but we don’t want to just come back and play in it. We want to win it and get the trophy and get our ring.”
They will do that next Sunday at 5 p.m at Fortress Obetz in Columbus against another Midwest Athletic Conference powerhouse Coldwater…the #1 D VI ranked team in Ohio.
State Semifinal Games
It was in no means an easy win for the Tigers as they hung on late to beat Fort Frye 16-13 in the D VI state semifinal victory at Zaneville’s John D. Sulsberger Memorial Stadium.
The winning points would come from a 4th quarter (5:08) 24 yard field goal by Medvac.
But Fort Frye wasn’t done yet and that is when the Tigers’ defense needed to step up.
Known as one of the Top QBs in D VI Beau Brungard can also play a solid defense…and he understands what is needed on a big play.
On fourth-and-goal from the 6 yard line and time running down… Brungard would tackle Fort Frye’s Maeson Long at the 1-yard line in the final seconds, Bo Snyder (LB) would help finish off Long. who had caught the ball at the 3 yard line.
Brungard told vindy.com after the game –
“I just saw they ran in motion, and he went right into the flats. I knew the corner had deep, and I had to fill underneath of him. Once I saw him go in the flats, I knew they were going to throw it to him. I just came up on it and made a play. That’s just from mentally preparing all week and knowing the kind of stuff they run.”
Coldwater handled a short-handed Columbus Grove team in Sidney when they beat the Bulldogs 41-27 to advance to the State Final.
Columbus Grove lost one of their top ‘do everything’ players Gabe Clement to an injury in the 1st Quarter.
Columbus Grove Coach Andy Schafer told limaohio.com –
“That hurt. We talked about it the whole season and we never knew if we were going to lose somebody and it was next man up. Ill be honest I don’t know if it really affected our kids. I didn’t see it in our players but as a play caller all of sudden my play sheet got cut in half because there was some things I wanted to do with him.”
But Coldwater is no stranger to playoff football.
Appearances in the past…
Coldwater – 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 (2nd), 2015 (1st), 2014 (1st), 2013 (1st), 2012 (1st), 2011 (2nd), 2010 (2nd), 2009 (2nd), 2008, 2007 (1st), 2006, 2005 (1st), 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000 (2nd), 1999, 1998 (2nd), 1997, 1995, 1986
The Cavaliers have six state championship and six six state runner-up trophies in their trophy case. Their conference, the MAC, has won 35 overall state championships. Joining Coldwater in a first-time visit to the state finals is New Bremen playing for a state title in D VII next weekend.
Running the show for Coldwater is MAC Player of the Year Myles Blasingame (QB)…he went 9 of 13 passing for 122 yards and 2 TDs to Tyler Schwiterman (34 and 30 Yards). Add to his offensive total of 2 TDs oln the ground and 100 yards rushing on 16 carries.
Cavalier running back Zack McKibben had one of his biggest games of the season, he had 185 yards on 14 carries and 2 TDs with runs of 79 and 37 yards.
Coldwater Head Coach Chip Otten told limaohio.com after the game –
“We have a lot of good skilled guys and you can’t just focus on one guy. We talked about it last night. We have five, six, seven guys that we are not afraid to give the ball.”
Two undefeated teams will battle it out for the 2020 D VI State Football Championship…both think they can win it.
Springfield and Coldwater – How They Arrived at the FINAL
| Coldwater (11-0) | ||||
| 21 | St. Henry | 0 | W | |
| 49 | Minster | 14 | W | |
| 51 | Ft. Recovery | 37 | W | |
| 24 | New Bremen | 7 | W | |
| 57 | Delphos St.John’s 13 | 13 | W | |
| 40 | Anna | 0 | W | |
| PLAYOFFS | ||||
| 37 | Triad | 6 | W | |
| 28 | Ft. Recovery | 26 | W | |
| 42 | West Jefferson | 7 | W | |
| 35 | Mechanicsburg | 14 | W | |
| 41 | Columbus Grove | 27 | W | |
| Springfield (11-0) | ||||
| 45 | Mineral Ridge | 6 | W | |
| 31 | Western Reserve | 0 | W | |
| 49 | McDonald | 13 | W | |
| 62 | Lowellville | 18 | W | |
| 44 | Waterloo | 18 | W | |
| 44 | Jackson-Milton | 8 | W | |
| PLAYOFFS | ||||
| 35 | Western Reserve | 7 | W | |
| 44 | Aquinas | 8 | W | |
| 21 | Mogadore | 0 | W | |
| 52 | Norwayne | 48 | W | |
| 16 | Ft. Frye | 13 | W |
D VI AP Rankings – Coldwater #1, Springfield #4
Region Seeding – Coldwater #1 seed (Region 24) Springfield #1 seed (Region 21)
State Semifinal Stories –
limaohio.com – Coldwater’s big plays doom Columbus Grove
Vindy.com – Springfield gets another chance at state title after photo finish
Stateline Sports Network 