After starting the season 3-5, the Wildcats (10-5) will play Lakewood St. Edward (14-1) in the title game for the third straight season at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
“These guys are resilient,” Springfield coach Maurice Douglass said. “The senior class has been through a lot. They’re overcomers. They’ve been able to handle any adversity they’ve been through. I told the guys at halftime that these last 24 minutes are going to be our best 24 minutes. We went past the 24 (minutes) and had to go into overtime. They continued to battle. There’s not another group I’d rather go to battle with.”
At the start of overtime, Moeller won the toss and elected to start on defense. Springfield took a 26-19 lead when senior Aaron Scott hit senior Jayvin Norman on a four-yard touchdown pass. Scott took the snap and ran to the right, but when the play was stuffed, he cut back to the left and found Norman alone in the end zone.
“I saw that the run wasn’t there, so I went back just like middle school days and I saw Jayvin Norman,” Scott said. “It was just like we used to do in middle school. He was wide open, and I made sure I put some air under it so he could catch it and finish the game off.”
On the ensuing possession, Moeller drove to Springfield’s 1-yard line. The Wildcats held on back-to-back runs by Moeller senior Kyler Paul, forcing a 4th-and-goal from the 4. Moeller sophomore Matt Ponatoski completed a pass to senior Preston Smith, but he was stopped short of the goal line by Wildcat seniors Ty Myers and Ross Sherrock — sending Springfield back to Canton.
“I feel like we’ve got the No. 1 defense in the state and I feel like it shows we can come up big in those clutch moments,” Scott said.
Springfield drove deep into Moeller territory on its first possession, but Scott’s run fell short on fourth-and-goal from Moeller’s 2.
The Crusaders drove into Springfield territory on their first drive, settling for a 44-yard field goal by senior Devin Orr. After a Springfield three-and-out, Orr hit another field goal from 42 yards out to give Moeller a 6-0 lead.
With 1:16 remaining in the first half, Moeller senior Jordan Marshall, a Michigan commit and a finalist for Mr. Football, scored on a 2-yard run to make it 12-0. The Wildcats responded with a 32-yard TD pass from junior Brent Upshaw to Norman to cut the lead at 12-7 at the half. Marshall left the game in the third quarter with an injury and did not return.
Springfield wins 26-19 pic.twitter.com/sEWahAMD42
— Michael Cooper (@ByMichaelCooper) November 25, 2023
Midway through the third quarter, Springfield capped an 11-play, 99-yard drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Upshaw to senior Dave Williams to make it 13-12.
With three minutes remaining, Moeller drove to Springfield’s 48-yard line, but Ponatoski’s pass was intercepted by Wildcats junior Quenta Wafer, Jr.
Moeller got the ball back with 2:34 remaining, but Springfield senior Bryce Washington forced Ponatoski to fumble and junior Jackson Heims recovered on the Moeller 6. On the next play, Norman scored to give Springfield a 19-12 lead. The Wildcats opted to go for the two-point conversion, but Upshaw’s pass missed Williams.
The Crusaders got the ball back with about two minutes remaining and scored a 1-yard run by Paul with three seconds left to send the game to overtime.
Two-time defending state champion Lakewood St. Edward (14-1) beat Hilliard Bradley 26-3 in the other state semifinal. St. Edward has beaten Springfield in the state championship game in back-to-back seasons — 23-13 in 2021 and 28-14 last year.
“We’ve got to finish it this time,” Scott said.
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