Girard wins on late TD pass
Girard 53, Licking Valley 48
DOVER — Someday down the road, Licking Valley's players might take solace in being involved in one of the greatest state playoff games in history.
But on Saturday night, after losing 53-48 to Girard in a Division IV state semifinal at a packed Crater Stadium, all the Panthers could think about was how close they came to getting to the championship game.
"You were within inches of beating that team tonight and you should be proud of yourselves," Licking Valley coach Randy Baughman told his team in the locker room afterward. "That was one of the greatest games in the history of Licking Valley football and you were part of it. You gave us every ounce you had."
In a dizzying, back-andforth game, the outcome came down to one play.
Trailing 48-47 and facing fourth-and-15 at the Panthers' 22-yard line, Girard quarterback Mark Waid eluded two tackle attempts, scrambled (nearly crossing the line of scrimmage), leapt and completed a pass Nick Malito near the goal line. Malito wriggled away from a defender and got over the goal line for the touchdown with 1:44 to play. The twopoint conversion pass fell incomplete.
Waid, a finalist for Ohio's Mr. Football Award, passed for 419 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 145 yards and three scores.
"That quarterback is a stud and he has weapons all around him," Licking Valley quarterback/ defensive back Chase Whisner said. "That was a great team we faced. As the game went along, it seemed like it was going to go down to the final snap, literally, and that's about what happened. Unfortunately, they made that final play to beat us."
Licking Valley (10-4) had a final series with 1:34 remaining, but went four plays and out. Seeded seventh in its region, Licking Valley was shooting for its third state final appearance.
Girard (13-1) will face top-ranked Cincinnati Wyoming (14-0) in the championship game at 8 p.m. Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
Whisner had a magnificent game, rushing for 129 yards and three touchdowns and passing for 145 yards and two scores. Connor McLaughlin ran for 198 yards.
With 3:40 remaining, McLaughin ran for 18 yards on a trick play in which he took a direct snap while Whisner walked toward the sideline as a decoy. McLaughin scored from a yard out, pulling the Panthers to 47-46. Whisner and McLaughlin hooked up on a two-point conversion pass to put Licking Valley ahead.
But Waid, who came in 3,747 yards and 44 TDs passing and 1,580 yards and 22 TDs rushing, put together a 65-yard scoring drive.
He completed passes of 27 and 22 yards and narrowly avoided being intercepted by Nick Hile on the final drive.
"I had it in my fingertips and it got through," Hile said. "We thought we had them pinned back on that fourth-down play and we almost sacked him, but he made a good play for sure."
Baughman said Waid might be the best quarterback he has faced.
"We knew that," he said. "It doesn't take a genius to look at their offense and see that we were going to have to score a lot of points to stay with them. I was surprised with how patient they were sticking with short, bubble screens. We tried to keep them in front of us. But when that young man needed to make a play, he did, and you've got to give him credit for that."