UNION CITY – The Ansonia Tigers invaded Misssissinawa Valley to close out the regular 2024 football season and came away with a 70-6 WOAC win to earn a conference championship for the third consecutive season under the direction of head coach Adam Hall.
“The guys played well tonight, they’ve played well all year,” said Hall. “This season could have gone either way a couple of times for us. Our seniors and our guys have put in the work, and I am happy they can experience this this year.”
Most preseason pics had the Preble Shawnee Arrows winning the conference along with Tri-Village and Ansonia in the hunt as well.
“We know every year and next year it will be the same thing,” Hall stated. “Preble Shawnee is going to be good, Tri-Village is going to be good, Arcanum is going to be good, and our guys know that and that it’s time to start working in January. They will be there. We have to go all the way through, and that is what we’ve done here to put ourselves in a position to have this season.”
“I was one of those guys,” MV coach Steven Trobridge said following the game. “Ansonia shows why. They won it last year, they proved this year they’re a good team. Credit Coach Hall. He set a standard, a program; they have done a heck of a job.”
The Tigers wasted little time getting on the board, with sophomore Jacob Schmitmeyer toting the ball three yards for the first TD of the night with 8:25 on the first-quarter scoreboard. Zane Henderson carried for the two-point conversion and an 8-0 Ansonia lead.
Mathew Middleton recovered a Hawks fumble at the 49-yard line, setting up the Tigers’ second score of the night. Henderson scored on a five-yard touchdown run and made good on the two-point conversion, upping the Ansonia lead to 16-0 at 4:09 in the first, which would stand after one period of play.
Ansonia made it a 22-0 score with a two-yard score on the ground at 9:51 in second quarter play with No. 62 Payton Kelch making good on the two-point conversion carry and a 24-0 Tigers lead.
The Tigers took advantage of a 23-yard Layne Bowman to Middleton touchdown pass for a 30-0 score at 7:17 on the second quarter board. No. 55 Asher Shives carried for the two-point conversion good for a 32-0 Ansonia lead.
Tigers’ quarterback Layne Bowman scampered for a 43-yard TD score at 3:01 in the second. A failed two-point conversion attempt had Ansonia up 38-0.
Ansonia blocked an MV punt by Jason Couch with 1:25 showing at the Blackhawks 21-yard line. What looked like a Tigers score through the air was ruled just out of bounds in the back of the end zone, and a penalty negated a Lander Shives 16-yard TD, turning the ball over to the Hawks with time winding down in the first half.
Mississinawa Valley got on the board with no time remaining on the first half clock with a Caleb Spradling (freshman) to Bryce Watson (junior) 64-yard touchdown strike, sending the teams to the break with Ansonia up 38-6.
“This year reminded me a lot of that 2018 team class we had when I first came in,” said Trobridge. “I am happy where we are going. I have to do all I can to keep this unit together and get ready for next year because I think next year can be a very special year for us.”
With a second-half running clock in play and Ansonia starters done for the night, the Tigers scored at 8:26 in the third on a Schmitmeyer 21-yard TD carry and No. 65 Bryson Robinson making good on the two-point conversion run for a 46-6 score.
Karsen Weiss intercepted an MV pass at the 40 and returned it to the Hawks 17-yard stripe, setting up a Cade Shellhaas 15-yard touchdown run at 3:10 in the third and Luke Ressler made good on the two-point conversion run for a 54-6 score.
The Blackhawks gave up a safety on the ensuing kickoff earning Ansonia a 56-6 lead with MV kicking to the Tigers at 0:54 on the third quarter clock.
Kameron Ingle carried for a ran for a 24-yard touchdown at 11:10 in the fourth, and freshman Graham Coppess made good on the two-point conversion run for a 64-6 score.
Caleb Eubank recovered an MV fumble at the Hawks 35-yard stripe, setting up the night’s final score. Ansonia freshman Carson Tobe carried on the first play from scrimmage for a 35-yard touchdown, giving the Tigers a 70-6 with five minutes remaining in the contest.
Ansonia’s Coppess intercepted a Hawks pass at the 35 and returned it to midfield with a minute to play, bringing the game to a close and an Ansonia firetruck waiting in the parking lot to lead the WOAC Championship Tigers back to Ansonia.
The Tigers rebounded from a season-opening loss at the hands of the Riverside Pirates, putting a string of nine consecutive wins to close out the season.
“What we learned as a team is that when we are playing the way that we should play we are pretty dang good, and when we don’t do it the way we are supposed to do it then we’re pretty dang bad,” Coach Hall said. We saw both of them that night, but there was much to be encouraged about. We almost pulled the comeback there. There’s a lot of ifs and buts there. We just weren’t ready to go that night, but since then, we have been, and that’s a credit to our guys.”
Coach Trobridge also gave his Hawks JV players much-needed playing time in the second half of play on Senior Night at Mississinawa Valley.
“That second half I played all my JVs,” Trobridge noted. “I didn’t care what the score was going to be. I want to get those guys playing time because we only had one JV game this year.”
“Hats off to Ansonia, they’re a good squad,” he added. “You want to build that culture to get there, and I believe we are. We got two wins this year. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is more than we’ve had combined in the last three years. We’re building a culture, we have a good staff, and hopefully, we will get to that level.”
Seniors No. 7 Trent Holdon, No. 10 Leland Kauffman, No. 16 Storm Mote, No. 21 Nick Ward, No. 50 Levi Staver, and No. 67 Seth Kiser played their final career football game for the Blackhawks.
