COVINGTON — Lehman pulled off an upset Friday night in Division 7 football playoff action, with a 20-16 victory over Covington in first-round action.
Covington was the No. 2 seed and Lehman No. 7.
The Cavaliers did it with a potent ground game, rushing for 261 yards. The Cavs completed only one pass in the game, a 32-yarder to Dylan Arnold.
Owen Smith rushed for 110 yards on 13 carries, and quarterback Stephen Monnin had 96 yards on 11 carries. Jake Earhart added 54 yards.
After Friday’s win, Lehman now has two 1,000-yard rushers. Earhart is at 1,027 for the season and Monnin at 1,011.
The Cavaliers advance to the regional semifinals Friday against third-seeded Fort Recovery. The two teams met in the season opener at Fort Recovery, and the Cavs were shut out 36-0. They will meet again Friday at 7:30 at Lima.
Minster-Loramie
MINSTER — Minster and Fort Loramie were in a battle at the half Friday, with top-seeded Minster leading just 13-7.
But the Wildcats dominated the final two periods and won 37-7 to advance at 9-2 to a regional semifinal game against 10-1 Riverside Friday night at 7:30 at Sidney Memorial Stadium.
Minster quarterback Josh Nixon and running back Evan Huelsman were the difference-makers. Nixon passed for 203 yards and three touchdowns, and Huelsman carried 29 times for 156 yards.
Jacob Dues caught six Nixon aerials for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
Fort Loramie got a good effort from freshman running back Carter Mescher, who carried 21 times for 96 yards.
The Redskins finish the season 6-5, the loss snapping a six-game winning streak to end the regular season.
Riverside-Ada
DEGRAFF — It was a history-making night in DeGraff Friday night when the Riverside Pirates whipped visiting Ada 32-7 in a first-round D-7 playoff game.
It was the first postseason victory in school history, and it put the now 10-1 Pirates into the regional semifinals Friday night at Sidney Memorial Stadium against top-seeded Minster. Riverside had lost five previous playoff games.
The Pirates manhandled the Bulldogs, rolling up 418 total yards and holding Ada to just 169.
Connor Cotterman, the player of the year on both sides of the ball in the Northwest Central Conference, rushed for 212 yards on 31 carries for the Pirates, and teammate Hayden Robinson added 83 yards on just seven carries,
Robinson scored on a 59-yard run and a 68-yard pass reception. Cotterman, meanwhile, scored on a 15-yard run and booted field goals of 22 and 27 yards. Quarterback Trey Helmlinger added a one-yard TD run.
