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Anderson falls 32 seconds short in bid for state title

Saturday, 29 November 2008

MASSILLON, Ohio (AP) — Alex Pidcock passed 16 yards to Paul Murphey with 32 seconds left to give Sylvania Southview its first Division II championship with a 29-25 win over Cincinnati Anderson on Friday night.

Pidcock completed 23 of 30 passes for 333 yards and three TDs as Southview (15-0) prevailed in a wild back-and-forth contest at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

Kyle Slater rushed for 180 yards and three scores for Anderson (12-3), including a 20-yard ramble off left tackle with 2:33 to play that put the defending champion Redskins ahead 25-22.

Pidcock passed 38 yards to Shaun Joplin with 9:22 left to snap a 16-16 tie — but it was far from over.

Mo May intercepted a long pass by Anderson’s Daniel Rod at the Cougars’ 1 to stop the Redskins with 6:20 left, but Sylvania couldn’t move the ball. Rather than risk a blocked punt, Sylvania took a safety when Pidcock stepped out of the end zone on fourth down. That got the Redskins within 22-18 with 4:44 to play.

Anderson returned the short kickoff to the Sylvania 45 and scored in six plays as Slater danced his way into the end zone for the third time.

Three lead changes in the last 3:26 of the first half put Southview ahead 16-13.

Tim Hausfeld’s 32-yard field goal gave Southview a 9-7 lead.

The Redskins then went 67 yards in four plays — two of them long gains by Slater. The All-Ohio first team tailback took a short pass, broke a tackle and turned it into a 30-yard gain. Two plays later, he went 31 yards around left end to score with 1:31 left in the half. The 2-point conversion run failed and Anderson led 13-9.

Pidcock quickly drove the Cougars into — and out of — field-goal position as he was sacked by Aaron Debner for a 13-yard loss back to the Anderson 38 with one second left in the half.

After a timeout, Pidcock passed into the end zone for Jimmy Hall. Four players leaped for the desperation pass, which bounced off Hall, was tipped by Anderson defensive back Bryan Schlosser and ended in the grasp of Allen Gant for the improbable go-ahead touchdown.

The lead didn’t last long. Kevin Cripe intercepted Pidcock early in the second half and returned to the Southview 33. That set up John Howard’s 33-yard field goal that tied it at 16.

Southview was ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press final regular-season poll. Unranked Anderson scored 50 or more points four times during an eight-game winning streak entering the final and started quickly again as Slater ran 31 yards for a 7-0 lead eight minutes into the game.

Pidcock dove 1 yard on a quarterback keeper on the first play of the second quarter. His leap into the end zone capped a 65-yard drive, but a low snap on the extra-point attempt left the Cougars trailing 7-6.