WAPAKONETA, Ohio − The dream season for the Kings Knights will not have a dream ending.
Kings, making the program's first-ever state semifinal appearance, saw its bid for a state championship come up short Friday night in heartbreaking fashion. In a game that featured over 1,000 offensive yards and over 100 total points, the Knights fell to Toledo Central Catholic, 52-49, at Mercy Health/Wapak Ford Field.
"I just told them I was so proud of them," Kings head coach Alex Garvin said. "This is not a group of all-stars. This is not a group of kids that came from different middle schools. These kids played Kings Youth football, they played Kings junior high football and high school football, and they bought in to every single thing we asked them to do.
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"They played their hearts out, they worked for each other, they loved each other, and they understood we were gonna win by being a really good team."
Kings football head coach Alex Garvin: 'They fought even when there was 28 seconds left and gave themselves a chance'
Kings is no stranger to shootouts, considering last week it pulled out a 46-42 win over Anderson for a regional championship. Toledo Central Catholic took a 52-49 lead with 28 seconds left in the game and Kings had one final drive to air it out.
Senior quarterback Will Kocher proceeded to go 3-of-4 for 62 yards to set up a 35-yard field goal attempt as time expired, but senior Brady Wik's right-footed kick came up a few yards short and the Fighting Irish stormed the field while the Kings' sideline stood in disbelief.
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"They fought even when there was 28 seconds left and gave themselves a chance," Garvin said. "I love them. This senior class is near and dear to me. They gave us everything they got, and they went down to the last play of the game swinging. I don't wanna walk off this field."
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There was no doubt Kings went down swinging, turning in its best offensive performance of the season. Kocher was 27-of-49 for 567 yards with five touchdowns. He also ran for 30 yards and a pair of scores.
"I think he (Kocher) is the best quarterback in the state," Garvin said of his signal-caller. "I think he's the best player in the state, too. They can't write enough about him. He doesn't quit; he fights and gives everything. We were gonna go down riding Will."
Kocher's top target was senior Michael Mussari, who had three touchdown catches for the fifth time in six games and his seventh 100-yard effort of the season. Trailing by 10 late in the third quarter, Kocher called his own number on a two-yard touchdown run that made it 38-35. Two possessions later, Kocher found Mussari for a 24-yard score to give Kings a 42-38 lead with 6:47 left in regulation.
In setting a career-high in passing, Kocher connected with six different receivers and had three go over 100 yards. Mussari had 10 catches for 220 yards and two touchdowns, Jake Cameron had six receptions for 131 and Nate Lyman had six receptions for 173 and two scores (his first multi-touchdown performance).
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"It's been the best thing that's ever happened to me," Kocher said of his connection with his receivers. "We've worked so hard together and all of the times that nobody saw, we were the only ones there, we were going out making plays and it's just been awesome."
There were six lead changes on the night, four of which came in the second half. Toledo Central Catholic quarterback Ty'Waun Clark gave the Fighting Irish the lead less than two minutes later with a 48-yard touchdown on third down to junior receiver Marvon Greenlee. Clark finished 15-of-23 for 290 yards and three scores while running for 128 yards on 18 attempts.
Thirty-nine seconds later, Kocher lofted a perfectly thrown 50-yard touchdown up the seam to Lyman to give Kings a 49-45 lead with 4:27 remaining.
Needing one stop to potentially book a trip to Canton, Kings' defense couldn't get off the field on Toledo Central Catholic's final possession of the night. Senior linebacker Nick Hoying sacked Clark on a third-and-9, but a defensive holding in the secondary gave the Fighting Irish new life. Two plays later on fourth-and-1, Toledo Central Catholic running back Chris Edmonds slammed into the line for a first down, but was tackled by the facemask, giving the Fighting Irish a free trip to the red zone.
Two plays later, Edmonds ran for a five-yard touchdown that would prove to be the game-winner. Edmond finished with 112 yards on 24 carries and three touchdowns. The senior has run for over 2,000 yards on the season.
Toledo Central Catholic took a 31-21 lead into the intermission, with the majority of its momentum seized on special teams. The shootout started when senior Javon Murphy returned a Kings' punt for a 44-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Kings held a 21-14 lead with 8:16 left in the first half after Kocher connected with Lyman and Mussari for touchdowns, but Toledo Central Catholic turned the tides with a 53-yard kick return by Tyler Morgan. Two plays later, Edmonds plunged in from a yard out to tie it 21-21. On the ensuing kickoff, senior kicker Brian Bishop recovered his own onside kick, leading to a 62-yard touchdown pass from Clark to Greenlee and a 28-21 Fighting Irish advantage.
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As the first half expired, Bishop knocked in a 48-yard field goal to make it 31-21.
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Kings finishes the year 13-2. The Knights were bidding for their first-ever state championship game appearance. An emotional Kocher explained why this team made school history.
"I wouldn't trade them for anything. I would give everything for this team any day of the week and I'm so proud of them for what we did, and we worked so hard to get to this moment." he said. "We shouldn't hang our heads low. It's a tough ending, but it was special. I love all of my guys so much and the bonds I've built with all my teammates means more than a state championship."
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Central Catholic, a three-time state champion, is back in the state final for the first time since 2015. The Fighting Irish will play Hoban (41-20 winners over Massillon Friday) Thursday night at Canton's Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Toledo Central Catholic 52, Kings 49
Kings - 7 14 14 14 - 49
Central Catholic - 7 24 7 14 - 52
C- Murphy 44 punt return (Bishop kick)
K- Kocher 8 run (Wik kick)
K- Lyman 64 pass from Kocher (Wik kick)
C- Awls 31 pass from Clark (Bishop kick)
K- Mussari 37 pass from Kocher (Wik kick)
C- Edmonds 1 run (Bishop kick)
C- Greenlee 62 pass from Clark (Bishop kick)
C- FG Bishop 48
K- Mussari 33 pass from Kings (Wik kick)
C- Edmonds 5 run (Bishop kick)
K- Kocher 2 run (Wik kick)
K- Mussari 23 pass from Kocher (Wik kick)
C- Greenlee 48 pass from Clark (Bishop kick)
K- Lyman 50 pass from Kocher (Wik kick)
C- Edmonds 5 run (Wik kick)
Records: C 14-1, K 13-2
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