By Mark Hazelwood

ASHLAND- There was only one option, only one thing to accomplish for St. Paul senior Brian Griffin.

Holding onto a slim 22-21 lead to start the fourth quarter in its Division VI region 21 championship game vs. Bucyrus Wynford at Ashland Community Stadium, the Flyers were faced with a third-and-goal at the Wynford 4-yard line, Griffin slashed through the middle of the Wynford (12-1) defense for a touchdown that proved to stand up in a 28-21 win.

“We knew we had to get in and we knew how big of a play it was,” Griffin said of his touchdown. “We were pretty pumped up and the line stepped up and there was a hole there and I just hit it.”

The win advances St. Paul (13-0) to the state semifinals for a sixth time and snaps a two-game losing streak in the regional finals. St. Paul will play Grove City Christian (12-1) back at Ashland for the right to advance to the state championship game the following week.

St. Paul will be the home team vs. Grove City Christian next week, a relief to the Flyer faithful that overflowed the visiting section at Ashland last night while watching St. Paul improve to 6-3 in regional championship games.

The 13 wins also ties a season record for St. Paul, equaling the 1997 and 1999 teams - who each advanced to the state championship game.

“It’s just a credit to the senior class and all the kids,” St. Paul coach John Livengood said. “They played their hearts out against a great football team. You have to give Wynford a lot of credit. I’m glad we got the gold trophy instead of silver this time.”

St. Paul turned it over on downs at the Wynford 13 to open the game, and while also still holding that 22-21 lead did it again as Griffin was stuffed for no gain on a fourth-and-2 from the Wynford 3-yard line with 2:31 left in the third quarter.

But the St. Paul defense held tight, and with Wynford forced to punt from it's own end zone, the Flyers took over at the Wynford 33 to set up Griffin's final score that sealed the margin of victory.

After forcing a three-and-out on Wynford’s following possession, the Flyers drove quickly downfield to the Royals 20. However, on a third-and-9 Flyer quarterback Eric Schwieterman tried finding Dan Tracht in the end zone, but the pass was intercepted by Nate Glowaski to keep Wynford alive.

The Royals found nothing going though, as the Flyers snuffed out a screen pass for a 9-yard loss to allow St. Paul to take over at the Wynford 49 with 3:21 left.

After an 11-yard run by Justin Wilde, three running plays led to just three yards and St. Paul’s Jim Roth pinned the Royals at their own 9 off of a punt with 1:49 left.

Faced with no timeouts, the Royals completed three passes to their 47 before an incomplete pass as time expired sealed the win.

After marching 69 yards in nine plays to open the second half that culminated with a 20-yard touchdown run by quarterback Tyler Brause, the Royals gained just 48 yards on 18 plays the rest of the game.

“Their offensive line is what makes them go,” Livengood said of Wynford. “We started off in man coverage but Brause burnt us a few times, so we started mixing our zone coverages and pressure on blitzes. But it came down to the kids executing.”

Wynford took a 6-0 lead to open the game as Brause — who will play at the University of Kentucky as a tight end next season — scored on an 8-yard touchdown run with 3:45 left in the opening quarter.

The Royals had a 17-yard field to work with after a Schwieterman pass was intercepted and returned 19 yards by Chris Brown. It was the first time St. Paul trailed since a 3-0 deficit in the second quarter against Huron in Week 3.

Schwieterman got redemption, however, as the Flyers were faced with a 3rd-and-13 at the Wynford 42 and the senior quarterback fired a perfect spiral to hit Dan Tracht in stride at the Wynford 10, and Tracht covered the distance for the 42-yard pass and catch score with 55 seconds left in the opening quarter.

Roth’s extra point gave the Flyers a short-lived 7-6 lead, as Wynford took the lead right back on a third-and 10 with Brause finding a wide open Teven Eatman for a 73-yard touchdown pass.

The try for two failed, leaving Wynford up 12-7, but the Flyers struck back with a 15-yard touchdown pass over the middle from Schwieterman to tight end Daren Smith with 8:40 left in the half for a 14-12 lead.

Justin Wilde set up the score with a 35-yard interception return to the Wynford 15.

“Without a doubt they were the toughest team we’ve played,” Wilde said of Wynford. “But we know it’s just going to get tougher and tougher with each passing week.”

Wynford took it’s last lead on a 27-yard field goal by Eatman to make it 15-14 with 3:45 left in the first half, but the Flyers covered 77 yards in nine plays that took just 2:59 off the clock with Griffin capping it with a 6-yard scoring run with 39 seconds left in the half.

Schwieterman was 6 of 6 for 51 yards on the drive, and he added a 2-point conversion run for a 22-15 halftime lead.
Brause’s touchdown run with 7:29 left in the third quarter ended the Wynford scoring and the extra point appeared to be blocked by Griffin to keep the Flyers up 22-21.
 
“I might have got a piece of it, but I don’t know,” Griffin said. “I’m not going to take all the credit for it. Every play is big at this point, and that one definitely was.”

For St. Paul, Schwieterman finished 12 of 15 for 181 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while running 13 times for 63 yards and Griffin added 20 attempts for 54 yards and two touchdowns.

Wilde put together perhaps his finest performance to date, running 12 times for 93 yards while catching three passes for 29 yards along with the 35-yard interception return. Receiving, Tracht caught five passes for 97 yards and Brian Roberts added two catches for 22 yards.

For Wynford, Brause carried the Royals as he ran 17 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns while completing 8 of 20 passes for 127 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Brause accounted for 231 of Wynford's 289 total yards of offense and all three touchdowns.