Xenia surprises Trotwood in double overtime
TROTWOOD — Xenia coach Trace Smitherman blinked back tears as he explained what the program-defining moment meant.
“Anybody who plays this game knows what Trotwood means and what they’re about and what they’ve done in the past,” Smitherman said after a 29-28, double-overtime defeat of Trotwood-Madison in a Week 9 game Friday night.
“All the work (the Buccaneers) put in, it’s amazing when they finally put it together and it’s a night like this that we actually get it done, finally. It’s fantastic.”
Xenia converted a twopoint pass to end the thriller. The rainy night that was full of Greater Western Ohio Conference surprises. Springfield beat Wayne 33-26, also in OT, and Centerville earned its first win with an equally stunning 17-0 shutout at Fairmont. Trotwood had never lost in 11 previous GWOC American South games since the 20-team, mega-conference was realigned in 2016. It also was the first time Xenia (6-3, 3-0) had beaten Trotwood (6-3, 3-1) since anyone could remember. However, the Buccaneers likely were eliminated from Division II, Region 8 playoff contention.
Trotwood, the D-III defending state champion, had a five-game win streak snapped and dropped to No. 7 in the D-III, Region 12 computer rankings. The Rams will clinch a playoff spot should they win at Wayne in Week 10.
Trotwood appeared to be in control when Dae’Vontay Latimer’s 21-yard touchdown run put the Rams up 21-14 with 1:44 left.
But Xenia quarterback Christian Severt hit Johnzel Gray on a deep pass to the Rams’ red zone, then Gray drew an interference penalty to put the Bucs at the 4-yard-line with 16 seconds left.
That was enough time for Severt to find Brett Russell for a TD pass. Hayden Falvey’s line-drive kick barely missed the crossbar, and the teams were tied at 21.
Falvey missed a 36-yard field goal in Xenia’s first OT possession. The Rams could do no better, stalling at the 11.
Trotwood went first in the second OT, and Latimer zigzagged in from 19 yards and a 28-21 lead. Severt hit Gray on 4th-and-goal from the 6-yardline to pull Xenia within one. Severt then connected with Nick Willis for the winning, two-point conversion.
That set off an emotional Xenia celebration that spilled onto the field.
“They’ve got a lot of athletes and a lot of big dudes and they hit hard. We had to find the mismatches and take advantage,” said Severt, who had 82 yards rushing and completed just five passes, but three that went for scores.
Latimer had 71 yards rushing to lead the Rams. Trotwood QB Cooper Stewart, a sophomore transfer from Miamisburg, completed 5 of 6 passes for 96 yards, including a 65-yard TD strike to Justin Stephens.
“Coach (Smitherman) did a great job of having those guys prepared,” Trotwood coach Jeff Graham said. “They came in and executed well and they scored in the red zone. I can’t take nothing away from Xenia.”