West Holmes football falls in regional semis

The West Holmes football team’s season came to an end with a 38-21 loss to Perkins in a Division IV, Region 14 semifinal at Ohio Health Field at Harding Stadium in Marion on Nov. 10.

The Knights (10-3) trailed by three points at halftime but were held scoreless over the final 24 minutes.

Top-seeded Perkins (12-0), which used a balance of runs and quick passes throughout the game, took advantage of good field position to extend its lead to two possessions late in the third quarter.

After West Holmes’ first possession of the second half ended in a punt, the Pirates took over at the WH 35-yard line. Perkins quarterback Logan Lesch capped the nine-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kaiden Nixon, pushing their lead to 31-21 with under four minutes left in the third quarter.

West Holmes went three-and-out on its next drive. Perkins took over at its own 34-yard line and used a 10-play drive to put the game away for good. Isaac Bunts capped the drive with a 2-yard TD run, pushing the Pirates ahead 38-21 with just under nine minutes remaining in the game.

Bunts rushed for a game-high 153 yards and two scores on 40 carries.

“They controlled the ball (on offense),” West Holmes coach Zach Gardner said. “They’re well-coached, and they have athletes. They’re a fantastic football team.”

The Knights moved the ball deep into Perkins territory on their next possession, but their promising drive ended in a turnover on downs at the 10-yard line. West Holmes never threatened to score the rest of the game.

“We just didn’t make plays when we needed to, and they did,” Gardner said. “When you’re competing at this level, it comes down to making plays.”

The game couldn’t have started in a worse way for the Knights. Perkins recovered a squib kick to begin the game, then went right down the field and scored to take a 7-0 lead before most fans had a chance to settle into their seats.

West Holmes answered with a touchdown on its next possession, as quarterback Morgan Smith capped a four-play drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. Perkins regained the lead when Lesch hooked up with Nixon for a 10-yard touchdown pass.

The Knights punted on their next possession, giving the Pirates the ball back at the WH 35-yard line. Perkins took advantage of the good field position, as Noah Normington-Slay booted a 29-yard field goal to put his team ahead 17-7 early in the second quarter.

West Holmes responded with Smith hitting a wide-open Nate Fair for a 71-yard touchdown. But the Pirates answered right back with Lesch finding Braylon Collier for a 14-yard touchdown to make the score 24-14.

After the teams traded punts, West Holmes went on a 13-play, 69-yard scoring drive that was capped by Smith hitting Kyle Maltarich for a 20-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-10 with 33 seconds remaining until halftime. Alex Pringle’s third extra point of the half made the score 24-21.

Smith finished the game 11-of-18 passing for 143 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 57 yards and a score on 14 carries. Maltarich caught six passes for 38 yards, Fair hauled in three for 92 and Lynn Cline snagged three for 30.

Cline also had an interception in the end zone on defense.

Perkins advanced to play defending state champion Glenville (10-3) in the Region 14 championship game on Nov. 17.

“(Perkins) is a fantastic football team, state-championship caliber,” Gardner said. “Our kids came out and fought. I’m just so proud. It wouldn’t be a West Holmes football game if we didn’t face some adversity. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Darren (Gallion).”

Gallion, a junior offensive lineman, left the game with an injury toward the end of the second quarter.