Win extends Alter playoff streak to 21 straight years
It’s unlikely a Week 10 game between two teams with losing records has ever meant so much.
“We’ve been in the playoffs for 20 straight years,” Alter senior and Ohio State recruit CJ Hicks said. “We didn’t want to be the team to end the streak.” Mission accomplished. Needing a win over arch rival Chaminade Julienne to run its playoff streak to 21 seasons, visiting Alter scored a dominating 55-28 victory over the Eagles in a Greater Catholic League Co-Ed clash at Roger Glass Stadium between two teams jockeying for Division III, Region 12 postseason spots Friday.
Alter, which has won three straight after starting 2-5, improved to 5-5 overall and finishes 3-2 in the GCL. CJ is 3-5, 2-3.
Both squads will play in Week 11.
“That was the talk all week,” Alter coach Ed Domsitz said. “Well, really the last three weeks. We felt we needed to win all three. These seniors did not want to be the class to break the streak.”
Alter followed shutout wins over Fenwick and Carroll with a dismantling of CJ.
The Knights, who fell behind 7-0 following a 61-yard touchdown pass from CJ quarterback Luke Chandler to Kenyon Owens on the game’s first play, scored on all five first-half possessions to stake a 35-14 halftime lead. Alter outgained the Eagles 304-122 in the first half and slammed the door with two touchdown passes from quarterback Gavin Connor to Michael Russ in the final 18 seconds.
Connor, a freshman, connected on several key first-half passes, including a 29-yard completion to Hicks on fourth-and-14 with 22 seconds left in the second quarter that set up his 5-yard touchdown toss to Russ on the next play. A successful pooched kickoff recovery resulted in Connor’s 31-yard touchdown toss to Russ on the ensuing snap.
“It’s nice when you have a freshman quarterback that can go out there and play like that,” Domsitz said. “He completed some big passes.”
Alter’s biggest offensive stars were its offensive line and running back Chase Stone, who accounted for four touchdowns on runs of 79, 19, 14 and 8 yards.
“Our biggest problem throughout the season has been execution on offense,” Stone said. “We’ve focused on that at practice. We’ve been getting our reps down right, and if we don’t, we do it again. We translated that onto the field.”
CJ cut the deficit to 42-28 in the fourth quarter, but Alter made key stops down the stretch and put an exclamation point on the win when Hicks returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown on the game’s final play.
Chandler finished with three touchdown passes and a touchdown run for CJ.
The victory was Alter’s fifth straight over its rival and runs the Knights’ record in the series to 21-3 since their playoff streak started in 2001. The Eagles’ last win over the Knights was a 49-28 first-round playoff victory in 2017. CJ’s last regular season win over Alter was in 2010.
Playoff pairings are announced today by the OHSAA.
The Knights entered 18th in Region 12 computer points. CJ was 13th. The top 16 make the postseason this year.
“Records don’t matter anymore,” Hicks said. “We’re happy we’re on the run we are. We need to keep the momentum going. Our goal is a deep run.”
Said Stone: “We’re back.”