Carroll takes down Boro
By
Ron Jackson
Dayton Daily News
MIDDLETOWN | Carroll bounced Springboro from the state-title picture and thrust itself into the Final Four for the second year in a row.
It all happened Friday night in the Division II, Region 8 championship game. The determined Patriots smudged Boro's 12-0 slate, ripping them 20-7 in front of 5,500 fans at chilly Barnitz Stadium. They will play in the state semifinals next Friday. The site and opponent will be determined Sunday by the OHSAA.
While the Panthers played like they had frostbite, the opportunistic Patriots capitalized on a costly Boro pass interference and two Boro interceptions in the first half to open up a stunning 20-0 lead at the break.
The decision turned the tables on top-seed and the state's No. 5 Boro who blanked Carroll 23-0 Sept.16.
Known mostly for its ground-bound split veer attack, sixth-seeded Carroll came out and threw three times in its first possession. A 37-yard hookup from Blake Horvath to Clint Bartlett put the Patriots on the board. An interference call on a third-and-five kept the drive alive for Carroll.
"We thought we could catch 'em off guard a little bit with the pass," Clint Bartlett said. "We practiced it all week. Blake did a nice job with the read route and hit me when I made the cut."
The Carroll defense, the Mid-Miami League's stingiest against the rush, stuffed Boro's high-octane wing-T. Josh King produced two crucial sacks early and Jason Riggs was his usual self, creating havoc sideline to sideline. Mike Kinstedt, a 240-pound lineman, and linebacker Tony Chitwood made some critical stops as well.
Playmaker Matt Garrison intercepted a pass on Boro's 48 with 10:35 to go in the second quarter. The ball went in and out of receiver Ryan Kern's hands.
"I was tailing Kerns (6-foot-4) by a yard and fortunately the ball went right through his hands and I was right there to pick it," the 5-9 Garrison said.
Five plays later Carroll capitalized on a Eric McComas' 2-yard run.
McComas delivered with a career game, rushing for 101 yards in 19 carries, a breakthrough performance.
In what coach Steve Bartlett called "a huge, crucial play, Garrison intercepted another Clay Coomer pass with 1:11 left, setting his team up at the Panthers' 21-yard line. The pass deflected off of Carroll end Mitch Coleman and the instinctive Garrison snapped it up.
"Matthew sometimes is puzzling and drives you nuts in practice, but under the lights he is a gamer and he once again proved that," said coach Steve Bartlett. "He's an extremely smart player and put himself in position to make game-turning plays."
Horvath connected with tight end Scott Shear over the middle for a 7-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left in the first half. Horvath went 2-for-7 in the passing department, but he made his completions count. They were both touchdowns.
"Our offense put our defense in bad position in the first half and it killed us," said Springboro coach Rodney Roberts, whose team's historic season ends at 12-1. "We have to catch that pass (Garrison's first interception) and we didn't execute. The bottom line is we got outhustled and outplayed upfront. Give Carroll all the credit. If we had to lose to anybody, I was glad it was Carroll. They have a class coach and program."
It was the second year in a row that Carroll terminated Boro's season. Last year Carroll won in a come-from-behind thriller at Welcome Stadium.
The Patriots, 11-2, held its opponent to 101 yards rushing. Coomer was 13 of 30 for 126 yards and three interceptions.
"We felt that we had to pressure Coomer and let him be the one to make the plays and he came up short," Riggs said. "This is a very satisfying win.
They embarrassed us in September and we were confident coming in that we could make amends."
Contact Ron Jackson at (513) 696-4543 or
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