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| Friday September 03, 2010 | Sidney Daily News Online - 937-498-5939 |
| 11/14/2009 7:02:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| ANNA WIDE receiver Derek Billing shakes off a tackle by a Coldwater defender in action at Wapakoneta Friday night in Division V football playoff action. Anna took Coldwater into overtime, but came up short in a 28-21 thriller.
SDN Photo/Luke Gronneberg |
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Anna falls 28-21 in OT
By Tony Arnold
Sports Writer
WAPAKONETA - In a game too good to be decided in regulation, Anna lost a 28-21 overtime heartbreaker to Midwest Athletic Conference rival Coldwater Friday night at jam packed Harmon Field in Wapakoneta in DivisionVplayoff action.
The term heartbreaker is tossed around way too frequently but no word describes more accurately the final verdict in the D-V regional semifinal game.
"I'm very proud of our kids and coaches and the effort was great. I'm never going to be happy about losing. People who say you learn stuff when you lose never lost a game like this," said Anna coach Bryan Rioch.
The Rockets displayed all the elements that typically produce a winning result. The offense was crisply efficient, the defense was swarming, and for most of the night the mistakes were minimal.
Quite honestly, the Rockets had momentum by the buckets in the second half. If ESPN would have been on hand they would have seen plenty of plays that would have rivaled any highlight you will see today on College Game Day.
However, it was Coldwater using a trick play in the first overtime to score a touchdown and essentially steal the game that seemed destined to belong to Anna.
Overtime was a tough pill for Anna to swallow to begin with as the Rockets appeared poised to take the lead for good halfway through the fourth before they fumbled on the five-yard line.
"We deserved to win that game but so did they and it's a shame somebody had to lose. I just wish it would have been them but what are you going to do," said Rioch.
Both teams tallied a touchdown in the opening quarter. The Cavaliers found the scoreboard first on an eight-yard touchdown run by Keith Wenning. Anna wasted little time countering with a scoring drive of their own. The Rockets drew up a dandy when Wes Hunsucker sold a great fake handoff and delivered a nifty 4-yard touchdown pass to Derek Billing.
Coldwater regained the advantage when Wenning rushed for another TD score, this time from 5-yards out. However, the Rockets came back once again, this time on a 13-play, 66-yard scoring drive.
Hunsucker, who displayed good vision all night at quarterback also benefited from some athletic receivers. In the second quarter drive for the Rockets Derek Billing hauled in a pair of athletic grabs good for 22 and 15 yards.
The big plays helped set-up a nice slant-and-run five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Alex Fogt. After the extra point, the Rockets tied things back up at 14.
"He's a big body and has good hands and he's a pretty good athlete," said Rioch of Fogt, who also had a nice shoe-string catch to extend the drive.
Coldwater wasted little time regaining the lead and what appeared to be the momentum just before half.
On the kickoff following the Anna TD, Coldwater's Aaron Rammel rumbled for a 94-yard touchdown and the Cavaliers held a 21-14 lead heading into the half.
While, the Cavaliers had the momentum going into the locker-room it was the Rockets who regained it coming out.
On the first play from the line of scrimmage, Hunsucker, playing defense, recorded a big interception on the 18-yard line. On offense he immediately engineered an eight-play, 82-yard touchdown scoring drive. Again, benefitting from an excellent offensive line and some sure-handed receivers the Rockets marched down the field. Hunsucker capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown rush and things were tied back up at 21.
Coldwater appeared to be back-pedaling as they were whistled for three penalties within a couple minutes. Early in the fourth quarter Anna began to march down the field and a couple of big catches by Billing and another by Kameron Knight had the Rockets knocking on the door step.
However, following a costly fumble, the Cavs started to put together a drive that stretched across midfield and down to the 28 before the Rocket defense came up with a big stop to force overtime.
Anna won the coin toss and sent the defense out firs. The Rocket defense had a couple of big stops before the Cavs pulled out the trick play, resulting in running back Drew Klosterman delivering a touchdown pass to quarterback Keith Wenning.
The Rockets, saddled by a couple of negative-yardage plays, failed to score during their overtime possession and the Cavs celebrated the victory.
"All you can ask for is an opportunity to win the game and we had that tonight. The ball just didn't bounce our way," concluded Rioch.
Hunsucker had a spectacular night throwing the ball, outshining Wenning. He was 21 for 29 for 300 yards and two touchdowns for the Rockets.
The Rockets finished the season with a final 9-3 record, two of those losses coming to Coldwater.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are 11-1 and play St. Henry Friday in the regional championship game.
coldwater 28, anna 21, OT
(At Wapakoneta)
Yardstick
C A
First downs 21 19
Total yards 323 384
By rushing 139 84
By passing 184 300
Passes attempted 28 29
Comp/Int. 18/1 21/0
Penalties/yards 6/43 6/56
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 1/1
Punts/Average 2/33 2/48
Score by quarters:
Coldwater 7 14 0 0 7---28
Anna 7 7 7 0 0---21
Scoring summary:
C - Wenning, 8-yard run (Ottenkick)
A - Billing, 4-yard pass from Hunsucker (Terwilliger kick)
C - Wenning, 5-yard run (Otten kick)
A - Fogt, 22-yard pass from Hunsucker (Terwilliger kick)
C - Rammel, 94-yard kickoff return (Otten kick)
A - Hunsucker, 1-yard run (Terwilliger kick)
C - Wenning, 23-yard pass from Klosterman (Otten kick)
Records: Anna 9-3, Coldwater 11-1
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