Cavaliers roll past Redskins

LEWIS CENTER - Coldwater did what it needed to do to punch its ticket for Ohio Stadium.

Dylan Thobe threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more in the Cavaliers' 33-14 win over Coshocton in the Division V state semifinals on Saturday at Braves Field at Olentangy Stadium.

"It's another great win," said senior tight end/linebacker Zach Klosterman, who had catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. "We had a couple guys get hurt, but hopefully we'll heal and get ready for next week. We're just doing what we have to do to get back to the 'Shoe."

The win sets up a third straight meeting with Canton Central Catholic in the championship game Saturday night at 8 p.m. at Ohio Stadium. The Crusaders beat Milan Edison 24-14 in Strongsville to advance. Coldwater beat CCC in the previous two meetings in Columbus.

"It'll be a good battle. I know they beat a (Massillon) Perry team that made the Division II state final," Coldwater coach Chip Otten said. "It'll be a good challenge."

The hard-hitting Redskins (12-1) played a physical game out of the Wing-T. Fullback Jake Fortney, who tips the scales at 215 pounds, was able to move the ball well on the ground and gain yardage early in the game before the Cavaliers adjusted and slowed down the Redskins.

"They were really tough. Gotta give it to them," Klosterman said.

"It's like playing Delphos Jefferson," said Otten, referring to another 2016 foe that runs the Wing-T. "They just keep coming at you. Our one linebacker is 170 pounds and Brad (Giere) is 180. Those backs were all 200 pounds. It was a hard-thumping game, but speed and quickness in the long run usually win out."

After Thobe was picked off to end the Cavaliers' first possession, Coldwater shut down a Coshocton drive at the Cavalier 24 and then went 76 yards on five plays. Thobe ran for 17 yards for one first down, hit Louis Barry for a 28-yard reception to move into Redskin territory and after a Brad Giere 10-yard run, Thobe found his favorite target Neal Muhlenkamp for a 19-yard touchdown strike to put the Cavaliers into business.

Coshocton punted on its next possession, and Coldwater put together its longest drive of the night. Thobe mixed up passes with several big running plays to keep the drive going before Giere ended the 11-play, 71-yard drive with a two-yard punch-in with 7:08 left in the first half to make it 14-0.

"That was good to grind it out a bit and run that clock, especially (later) in the second half," Otten said.

The Redskins were in no mood to concede, scoring with 2:13 left in the half on Andrew Mason's 2-yard pass to tight end Jordan Carkin. Coldwater, however, ran its two-minute drill to perfection by going 70 yards on seven plays. Thobe ran in from three yards out with 28 seconds left to make the score 21-7 at the half.

Coldwater kept the ball moving on the opening drive of the second half but stalled out when Thobe was sacked for a 10-yard loss to and was forced a punt at the Redskin 46. Coldwater's defense then picked up the pace by forcing a punt to give Coldwater the ball at the Cavalier 34. After a run by Giere and a short pass from Thobe to Muhlenkamp, who limped off the field after the play and did not return, Thobe ran 13 yards for the first down to the Redskin 44 and then ran the final 44 yards to make it 27-14 after Thobe, Muhlenkamp's backup at placekicker, hit the crossbar on the PAT try.

Coshocton scored to start the fourth quarter on Dallas Griffiths' 21-yard scamper, but Coldwater applied the coup de grâce with an 11-play drive that took over eight minutes off the clock and ended on Klosterman snagging Thobe's pass for a one-yard score with 2:44 left. After Coshocton turned the ball over on downs on its final possession, Thobe kneeled in victory formation three times to close out the game.

Thobe was 17-of-21 passing for 206 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Muhlenkamp also had five catches for 57 yards and a score. Thobe added 115 yards rushing.

The Redskins rushed for 138 yards on 34 carries, well below the 292 yards per game the team had averaged in the regular season. Griffiths had 61 yards and Fortney finished with 60.

Even though it's the Cavaliers eighth-straight trip to the championship game, and Otten's seventh as head coach, the feeling of going to the title game never gets old.

"It's always new kids for us," Otten said, a reference to the team's losing 22 seniors and 19 starters from last year's title team. "Especially with this group. Neal and Dyl played a little big last year. For the most part, it's guys that have waited their turn and were program guys to help (the starters) last year. Now, the young guys are feeling the same way to help the seniors."