ASHLAND ā Trailing by 20 points in the fourth quarter is rarely a recipe for success in a high school football playoff game. But it didn’t seem to bother the Ashland Arrows.
Coach Scott Valentine’s team scored 20 unanswered points to force overtime, and then pulled out a 48-47 victory at Columbus Mifflin.
āIām just so happy for our kids. They believed in us and they kept battling,ā Valentine said.
The Arrows will face Massilon Washington (8-3) in a regional semifinal next Friday at a site to be announced on Sunday. The Tigers beat Boardman 28-23 in another Division II, Region 7 opener.
The Punchers scored on the first play of overtime when quarterback Daveonn Logan hit Jeremiah Jackson down the left sideline. But Ashlandās Ross Garrison blocked the extra point to leave Mifflin with a 47-41 advantage.
The Arrows faced a fourth-and-11 on its overtime possession when quarterback Keagan Armitage connected with Manny Langston for an 11-yard gain to keep the game alive. Owen Reef carried the ball twice for five and four yards to move Ashland to the Punchersā 1. Armitage then pushed into the end zone to tie the game at 47. Carson Hublerās extra point gave Ashland the win.
The first quarter was an offensive showcase, with both teams scoring on all of their possessions. Ashland opened with a nine-play, 60-yard drive that featured Armitage and Reef keeping the ball on the ground, ending with Armitage scoring from 2 yards. Hubler’s PAT put Ashland up 7-0.
Mifflin answered when Logan dashed 45 yards down the right sideline for a Puncher touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good, leaving the Arrows on top 7-6.
Armitage tossed a 27-yard strike to Bryke Williams on the next drive and the extra point made it 14-6.
On the next Puncher drive, Logan hit Aman Thornton for a 30-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion knotted the game at 14.
The Arrows struck again with 1:16 left in the first quarter when Armitage found Langston for a 28-yard touchdown.
Jackson tied the game on the second play of the second quarter when he burst into the end zone from six yards out, tying the game at 21.
Miffin added another score at the 5:14 mark of the second quarter when Logan hit James Watkins for a 55-yard touchdown, giving the Punchers a 28-21 halftime advantage.
Mifflin struck quickly after halftime when Jackson raced 45 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown on the third play of the half, putting the Punchers on top 35-21.
Mifflin added another score with 1:37 left in the third when Logan scored from four yards. The extra point was blocked, leaving the Punchers ahead 41-21.
That was when Ashland took over the game, starting with a 22-yard run by Reef. The extra point was blocked, making it 41-27 with 11:54 left in the game.
After forcing a three-and-out on Mifflinās next drive, Ashland struck again when Armitage drilled a 33-yard TD pass to Williams with 7:42 remaining.
The Punchers missed a 28-yard field goal on their next drive with 5:37 showing, leaving the Arrows to start on their own 20. Then Armitage got hot, completing eight straight passes on the drive before carrying the ball in from 3 yards out. Armitage then found Kamrin Knowlton Goings in the corner of the end zone for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 41 with 2:52 left.
Armitage threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for another 126 yards and three scores.
Williams caught 10 balls for 150 yards and two touchdowns and Langston caught eight passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Reef ran 18 times for 100 yards and a score.
