NEW MADISON – The Tri-Village football team spotted Coldwater 19 points, that slow start, along with a couple missed scoring opportunities and a powerful run game by the Cavaliers would end their season 48-29 in their OHSAA DVI regional semifinal game.
The Patriots received the ball to start the game and were forced to punt on a three-and-out.
Coldwater wasted little time striking first in the game on a 64-yard pass from Karsyn Homan to Cadin Obringer, jumping on top 7-0 at 9:09 in the opening frame.
Tri-Village’s second possession took them into Cavalier territory, but they couldn’t pick up a first down on a 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1, with Coldwater taking over on downs.
Coldwater’s Karsyn Homan scored on an 8-yard run; they missed the extra point, but led 13-0.
The Patriots punted on their third possession, and Coldwater would score again on a Homan keeper going 10 yards up the middle, and the Cavs went up 19-0 at 9:09 of the second quarter.
“Tonight, we dug ourselves a hole to start the game, and by the time we figure out we can play with these guys, it’s almost a little too late,” Tri-Village coach Matt Hopkins would say after the game.
The Patriots would figure it out just before the end of the first half with senior quarterback Trey Sagester going to work in the two-minute drill. He would cap 98-yard drive on a one-yard sneak, and an Owen Ridout extra point gave the Patriots a boost, trailing 19-7 with 23 seconds left in the first half.
Coldwater crossed midfield just short of the range of their field goal kicker, who was booming them from 50 yards in pre-game, and then threw a Hail Mary pass to the endzone with Carson Bedinghaus intercepting the ball to end the first half.
It was no secret going into this one that the Patriots would need to play nearly perfect, but the slow start dug them a hole, and now they would have to get a stop on the Cavaliers, who got the ball to start the second half, then put up a score to make it a ballgame.
Coldwater, though, had its own plans to score and take away the spirit of Tri-Village.
They indeed did score a 21-yard Derek Dues TD that took six plays, going 63 yards. Homan to Obringer pass for a two-point conversion pushed the margin to 27-7.
But they weren’t able to take the Patriots’ spirit with Noah Finkbine returning the ensuing kickoff out to the 50-yard line and four plays later Staley Colston plunged in from one-yard to close the gap 27-13 at 7:31 of the third quarter.
Coldwater, though, would score on their next two possessions, grind it out in your face running, with Tri-Village unable to get off the field, and found themselves down 41-13.
The Cavs scores came on a five-yard Homan run and then a 96-yard drive after holding the Patriots out of the endzone on fourth down and one at the 4-yard line.
“We knew what we had to do, but our defense couldn’t stop them, that’s MAC football, right? They’re going to line up double tights, line up in the eye, and run it down your throat, and they just physically wore us down up front,” Hopkins described.
Tri-Village, having been able to score all year, needed one and got another nice kick-off return, then took just 34 seconds to score on a 10-yard Sagester pass to Teddy Miller for the TD and a two-point conversion pass from Sagester to Richards to close the gap to 41-21.
But the ground game of Coldwater continued to wear down the PATS, and Derek Dues rumbled 44 yards to push their lead to 48-21 in the fourth quarter.
The Patriots offense went 67 yards in 8 plays in just 1:27 with Sagester throwing a 20-yard pass to Richards for the TD and a two-point conversion pass to Teddy Miller in what would end up being the final score for the game, 48-29.
“After digging such a big hole, we finally believed we could play at the end of the first half. That has got to come earlier, we’ve got to start believing on the kick-off and not be timid, trying to feel things out … but go pedal to metal and play as hard as we possibly can,” Hopkins said after the game.
“We can’t worry about the name on their Jersey, right? And understand they’re the same 15- to 18-year-old knuckleheads we got, but just live a little further north, and we’re going to play football and make some mistakes, but let’s just go play,” Hopkins added.
And it is easy to understand why some would have that feeling of awe when playing Coldwater, who are the defending State Champions and have won 8 state titles since 2005.
It’s the type of game the Patriots need to play in just their 8th year of varsity football who continues to make strides in their own program with their first undefeated regular season and a WOAC football championship.
Regardless of what you heard about Coldwater being down this year they are a team who got better and better by being battle tested week by week and the Patriots have to learn how to compete against the Coldwater’s to reach their ultimate post season goal of making it to state.
“This game is a benchmark we got to know where we’re with this being year 11 for us as a program. Where are we at and how are we moving forward,” Tri-Village coach Matt Hopkins said after the game.
“We’ve played two really tough MAC schools in back-to-back years in the playoffs, and we’re putting up points,” Hopkins said.
Tri-Village scored 51 points against Anna in 2023, 13 points versus Marion Local last year, and 29 against Coldwater this year. But the MAC is always going to be the juggernaught standing in the way to reach the goal.
“Last year against Local we scored the most points they had against them all year. This year, we’re putting up 30 points against a really good Coldwater team, and they’ve been playing football since Moses walked the Earth. We’re just a baby compared to that. So, let’s be upset about it, sad that it’s over, that we don’t get to hang out every single day. But let’s also understand that we’re making leaps and bounds improvement, we’re light years ahead of where we should be with such a young program,” Hopkins explained.
We didn’t quit, kept scoring, we just needed to string a couple stops but couldn’t do it but I’m extremely proud of this team, what a great group of kids, especially this senior group my first freshman to seniors group and I couldn’t be more grateful and blessed to have such a great group of kids. from top to bottom just great leaders, workers, they’re going to be great men. I’m sad for them. I know that they didn’t want it to end this way, but they gave us everything we got. We got guys that are banged up, and they just kept playing, as hard as they possibly could. And sometimes, you know, your best isn’t good enough and that’s okay, the sun will still come up, and these kids will still be winners,” Hopkins concluded.
The Patriots will say goodbye to twelve seniors who have been in some big games over their four-year careers, which include a record of 42 wins, 8 losses, 3 regional semi-final appearances, and 2 WOAC Championships.
Congratulations on a fine season.
