TIFFIN — Austin May torched Hillsdale with his arm and his legs Friday at Frost-Kalnow Stadium.
Liberty-Benton’s senior quarterback ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more as the Eagles grounded the Falcons 37-17 in the Division VI, Region 22 championship game.
The shifty 6-foot-3 May rushed for 107 yards and completed 9-of-17 passes for 152 yards.
“He’s a great athlete,” Hillsdale coach Tom Williams said of May, an All-Northwest District first-team pick. “He’s a running back who happens to be 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds. He can throw it really well and he can run it really well.”
The Falcons (9-4) trailed 3-0 after the first quarter but came unglued in the second. May busted loose for a 46-yard touchdown early in the period and, after a Hillsdale turnover, added a 7-yard run with 3:34 remaining in the half.
Hillsdale turned the ball over on downs at the Liberty-Benton 44-yard line with 1:22 to play and the Eagles (12-1) struck again. Three plays later when May hooked up with Justin Risner for a 35-yard touchdown with just 41 seconds remaining in the half for a 23-0 advantage.
“We had a couple turnovers, but you’ve got to give them a lot of credit. They are a great football team,” Williams said. “They are good at just about every position.”
Liberty-Benton extended its lead to 30-0 midway through the third on May’s 21-yard run. The Falcons got on the board on Josh Vinsack’s 28-yard field goal, but May hooked up again with Risner on a 25 yard scoring strike.
The Falcons responded with a pair of fourth-quarter scores. Alex Becker hauled in a screen pass from quarterback Trey Williams and rumbled 20 yards for a score. Garrett Smith added a 17-yard run.
A senior, Trey Williams completed 15-of-25 passes for 115 yards in his final game. Becker had 83 receiving yards and picked off a pass in the first half. Smith rushed for a team-best 84 yards.
“We battled and that’s all we could really do,” Trey Williams said. “I’m so proud of our team and so proud of the seniors.
“In junior high we weren’t very good. We only won one game in seventh and eighth grade. We worked so hard to get to this moment.”
Liberty-Benton will play in the state semifinals for the first time since 2012. The Eagles lost to Coldwater in the regional championship game in 2014 and missed the playoffs the past two years.
“It’s great to be back,” Liberty-Benton coach Tim Nichols said. “I’m extremely proud of them and we’ll get ready to go play again.”
