Going into the Division II, Region 8 semifinals, Winton Woods running back K.C. Spears had run for only three touchdowns all season.
The junior made up for lost time in a big way Friday night at Lakota East, finding the end zone five times to lead Winton Woods past La Salle, 42-25.
Spears, who did not register a carry in Winton Woods' 31-21 second-round win over Kings, turned in a career night with 174 yards on just nine attempts.
"It was just my night," Spears said. "I'm thankful to my O-line, they were helping me get to the edge, and all of my receivers for the great blocking on the edge to help me do what I was able to do. It was a blessing and I thank God."
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Spears helped put the finishing touches on a convincing Winton Woods' victory in the second half, running for a 36-yard touchdown with a 1:08 left in the third quarter to give the Warriors a 28-10 lead.
After La Salle seized the momentum with a quick scoring drive to trim the deficit back to 11, Winton Woods was pinned at its own 5-yard line after consecutive penalties. Instead of churning precious clock with a steady drive, Winton Woods dialed up a home run, as Spears took a sweep for a 95-yard touchdown run that all but wrapped up the win.
Down the stretch, Spears did it other ways, too. He had a 63-yard punt late in the fourth quarter that pinned La Salle at its own 8-yard line, then was the lead blocker when Tai'je Frazier reversed field for a 14-yard touchdown with 3:36 to cap the game's scoring and send the Winton Woods' sideline into full-on celebration mode.
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"There might not be a more versatile young man around than K.C. Spears," first-year Winton Woods head coach Chad Murphy said. "I'm not sure there's a better young man around. He's a phenomenal kid, a phenomenal football player and can just do it all."
Of course, Winton Woods' offense was still anchored by standout running back TyRek Spikes. Coming off a pair of 200-yard postseason performances against Turpin and Kings, Spikes received the bulk of the workload and handed in 178 yards on 20 carries. Though his eight-game streak with a rushing touchdown was snapped, Spikes still rebounded with his club from the previous meeting between the two teams.
In Week 2, La Salle limited Spikes to just 40 yards on 15 attempts and registered four takeaways in a 21-7 victory.
"We didn't know who we were offensively in Week 2," Murphy said. "We had a brand new scheme. It was just about finding out who we are and what we're about. Finding our identity was huge and just know we're starting to roll with it."
Spears added: "We knew we were more put together than when they saw us the first time, for sure. We knew we could come in and get the job done.
The identity as been found. The offense goes through its two running backs with stellar play in the trenches and solid work under center. Quarterback Buddy Ellery played a clean game with key completions, like a 26-yard sideline strike to Tra'Mar Harris on fourth-and-11 to set up Spears' second touchdown, which gave Winton Woods the lead for the remainder of the night.
The Winton Woods' formula also calls for a sturdy defense. When the Warriors get a big lead, their defensive line, led by ECC defensive player of the year Jayron Gibson and first-team selections Seven Blue and Jayden Denton, can cause havoc in the backfield while a ball-hawking secondary changes the game with takeaways.
In the two meetings combined this season, Winton Woods did not allow an offensive touchdown through seven quarters.
Winton Woods' corner Cameron Calhoun recorded his league-best eighth interception of the year Friday night to foil any La Salle comeback plans, then Jermaine Mathews Jr. registered his third pick in the last two weeks on the Lancers' final drive of the game. Winton Woods now has 21 interceptions this season.
"There's no better duo in Ohio or in the country. Me and Jermaine are one of a kind," Calhoun said. "This defense, we love when they get ready to throw. We just execute at a high level."
Working without Indiana commit Gi'Bran Payne at running back, La Salle had still found success on the ground in the first two rounds of the playoffs, running for a combined 781 yards. Leading the offense was quarterback Cam Cope, who was 3-1 as the starter since taking over late in the regular season.
La Salle got an immediate special teams spark when Timiko Jackson returned a kick 87 yards to tie it 7-7 in the first quarter, but La Salle's first five offensive drives resulted in three punts, a field goal and a turnover on downs.
Winton Woods struck just before the end of the first half when Spikes opened a drive with a 49-yard burst to the La Salle 15. Two plays later, Spears raced around the end on a jet sweep for a 17-yard score to make it 21-10 at the intermission.
After going seven quarters against Winton Woods without an offensive touchdown, La Salle picked up the pace starting on the first play of the fourth quarter, when Cope found a streaking Jaden Troehler for a 38-yard score. That was immediately answered by Spears' 95-yard run, but La Salle responded again with a 12-play, 75-yard drive, capped off by Cope's 7-yard touchdown.
Cope finished 10-of-25 for 152 yards and ran 19 times for 87 yards. Jaylen Grant and Davay Hill combined for 26 yards on 13 attempts.
After stopping Winton Woods, La Salle's last-ditch drive started in the shadows of its own goalpost and ended with the game's first turnover when Calhoun jumped an out route on third-and-10.
La Salle (7-5) was bidding for its sixth trip to the state Final Four in the last eight seasons. The Lancers beat Winton Woods in last year's regional final, 35-10.
Winton Woods, winner of six straight, will play Piqua (13-0) in the regional championship game next Friday at a location that is yet to be determined.
"It's not (a surprise). That's no disrespect to Coach (Pat) McLaughlin and La Salle, because everybody knows they're a great program with great players and great coaching. We were just really confident that if we took care of us and did our job, that we're a pretty good football team. We get to play another week — here we go."
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