Norwayne and Triway clinch football conference titles behind strong finishes

Cool as any, Norwayne junior Carter Miller calmly stepped into a 32-yard field goal to cement a win over Wayne County Athletic League rival Hillsdale. With his team up 21-17 at the time and with just 6:04 left in regulation, Miller’s kick gave the host some insurance.

“Being my second kick, there were a lot of nerves,” Miller said. “As long as the snap was good, I just had to kick it and get it through the uprights.”

As for the importance of the win.

“It’s really a pleasure to be on this team. We’ve done a lot over the season and worked to get to this point,” he said. “We have had them circled on the calendar since day one, and it’s a great win for us.”

In a game that saw the Bobcats dictate the pace and get contributions all around, it started with Carson Arnold and Chaz Maxwell combining for 171 yards rushing. Maxwell scored on a 44-yard run and finished with 82 yards on the ground, and Arnold peeled off 89 yards on 22 carries.

Jacob Bruner was steady with 135 yards through the air including a 2-yard scoring pass to Cade Leach to end the first half. Cameron Hackworth punched in from 1 yard out for Norwayne’s other trip to the end zone.

“It was a heck of a ride,” Norwayne coach Adam Indorf said. “Through the season it’s been about growing and taking it one day at a time. We fumbled it a little in the nonleague, but overall, our kids continued to get better and fight. This is a tribute to how they came and how they responded and the way they continued to fight week in and week out through adversity. I am just proud of the kids and how they fought and the way they got after it.”

The Falcons were led by Owen Sloan, who powered his way for 169 yards on the ground and lobbed up a miracle lob just before going out of bounds in the fourth quarter. Hayden McFadden was on the receiving end of the lob and snared it to cut Norwayne's lead to 24-17 from 3 yards out.

Titans and Red Riders duke it out

In a rivalry battle that had title implications, Triway went on the road and took care of business against Orrville 27-21. With the win and Northwest falling to Manchester, the Titans claimed the Principals Athletic Conference title outright.

"I am very proud of our team's effort,” Triway coach Cody Kelly said. “It’s always hard to go to Orrville and win. With what was at stake with the conference and playoff positioning, I’m proud of how they handled themselves early and how they fought to stay on top late.”

The Titans carried a 27-7 lead into the fourth quarter and had to hold on as the Red Riders struck for scores on back-to-back possessions. Mark Lorson found Tyson Woodruff for a 38-yard scoring strike, then Cameron Kraft connected with Case McDaniel on a 4-yard TD hookup.

“We just had to trust the defense late,” Kelly said. “We failed to convert inside the 15 twice in the first half, and that kept them in the game. We knew they could score quickly, and thankfully, we got enough stops late and were able to seal the win on the ground.”

Leading Triway was quarterback Luke Starr with a combined 266 yards, 142 through the air and 124 on the ground. Starr raced to the house three times and connected with Bruin Flinner for another touchdown. One of the area’s top receivers, Flinner finished with five catches for 91 yards for the Titans.

The Red Riders were paced by Breylon McDuffie with seven catches for 102 yards and a score while Parker Hostetler rumbled for a team-high 56 yards on the ground.

New leader

Smithville senior Mason Haines has rumbled for 1,150 yards on 169 carries and scored 13 times this year. His latest 63 yards on nine carries and two scores in just a half put him atop the program’s leaderboard for rushing yards in a career with a total of 3,857 yards. He bypassed 2021 graduate and former standout Chandler Keener, who held the mark with 3,841 yards. All-time, Haines moved to 14th, just behind Dalton's Larry Zuercher, who had 3,861 yards back in 1961. His 43 touchdowns put him 10th all-time behind Wooster’s Andrew DeLoach, who had 46 back in 1989.

“When you look at the history of running backs at Smithville and the pride that our program has taken in running the football over the last 50-some years, it really is an accomplishment,” Smithies coach Phil Olsen said. “Mason had the rare opportunity to see a lot of time as a freshman, and I think that speaks to his talent and his competitive maturity at a young age to be productive at that position. I think this is also a testament to all the offensive lines that have played the past four years.

“Mason has also had to play through some injuries, and the kid is just tough as nails. He's everything you would want in a football player: coachable, relentless and physical. He's the ultimate team player, and he's never been one to worry about his own accolades.”