'To be able to take this group of kids to Canton … it's beyond words'

WAPAKONETA – Down 10-0 in the first quarter and then 18-6 late in the third quarter wasn't exactly the spot Hopewell-Loudon wanted to be in Friday night in a Division VI state semifinal at Wapakoneta. Or ... was it?The Chieftains capitalized on several Coldwater mistakes to pull of a wild comeback in a 20-18 victory, sending the Chieftains to the state title game next Saturday at 3 p.m. against Kirtland (14-0)."I've said it about 100 times this year, just how physically and mentally tough this group is … there's no flinch," H-L coach Brian Colatruglio said. "There's not too many teams that go down 10-0 to a MAC team and ends up not only competing, but winning the game. That's just something that doesn't happen. "Our kids don't know anything about their history … we got a squirrely group, a bunch of weird kids and that doesn't even phase them. They just show up and think: 'Who am I going to block' and then they go do it, which it's probably better that way. Sums up our whole season, we're resilient. We fought like crazy, we found a couple things to go ahead, but they go down there and have first-and-goal and the five and we keep them out, which is huge and the kicker missed. I'm so proud. To be able to take this group of kids to Canton … it's beyond words."Coldwater (10-5) led 3-0 early after Bryce Couchot drilled a 24-yard field goal and then H-L trailed 10-0 after one quarter as Derek Dues ran in a 4-yard touchdown for the Cavaliers. H-L (13-1) started to move the ball a bit on a stout Coldwater defense, but had nothing to show for it until a critical Coldwater mistake at the end of the first half. Coltruglio said he was willing to go into the half down 10-0 as the Chieftains got the ball to start the second half, but Coldwater tried a hook-and-ladder at midfield, which turned the tide of the game. The receiver caught the ball, but was hit right away and the pitch turned into a fumble, recovered by H-L's Luca SanGregory with 23 ticks left in the half. After three Jacoby Ellis completions and with just six seconds left on the clock, Ellis rolled right and hit Jack Colatruglio on a deep corner route for a huge 20-yard touchdown as time expired. The two-point conversion failed, but H-L went into the half only down 10-6."Honestly, 10-0 was about as good as we could do (in the first half). We didn't play real well, missed a bunch of tackles … just didn't play real good," Colatruglio said. "I wasn't upset about 10-0, we were still in the game. But we hit the screen for a first down and a couple other throws and then Jack made a huge play at the buzzer there to really get us back in the game."But Coldwater snatched the momentum from H-L after halftime, forcing a quick three-and-out. Then the Cavaliers went ahead 18-6 as quarterback Karsyn Homan ran in a 3-yard score and then ran in the two-point conversion. "We tried a couple of short-yardage things and they came up big with stops and then obviously this last drive with kicking the field goal … hats of to them dangit," Coldwater coach Chip Otten said. "It was just frustrating when you think you can win the game and you don't, that happens some times."he biggest turning point came off of a Coldwater turnover as Homan dropped back and tried to hit a receiver on a slant. But instead, H-L linebacker Kellen Frankart stepped in front of the pass and took it the other way to Coldwater's 8. Then Frankart took the snap and rushed for an 8-yard TD and then Ellis found Mason Reinhart all alone in the end zone for the two-point conversion, to bring H-L within 18-14 late in the third.Momentum shifted and H-L grabbed all of it. After a Coldwater three-and-out, H-L capped a seven-play drive with an 8-yard pitch and catch from Ellis to Brickman on a fourth-and-3, to give the Chieftains a 20-18 edge with 11:05 remaining.Then Coldwater went on a 13-play drive filled with some miraculous plays from Hohman keeping the drive alive, but once inside H-L's 5, it stalled.Then Couchot missed a 21-yard field goal, handing the ball back to H-L with 4:23 left.With the Coldwater defense coming down hill and knowing the Chieftains were going to run the ball, it didn't matter as Ellis found Frankart on a halfback screen for a first down and then Brickman converted a third-and-1 to essentially put the game away."We were pretty good in coverage all game, but they made some incredible catches and throws, but to get that pick and then we score on the first play after that you just feel the crowd, our kids all of a sudden things clicked. 'We can do this, we beat thgis team.'"I think maybe there was some uncertainty in the beginning, but after that play … our kids are just warriors. Homan finished with 25 carries for 172 yards for the Cavaliers. H-L's Ellis finished 12 of 18 passing for 107 yards, while Frankart ran the ball 12 times for 35 yards, Brickman ran eight times for 41 yards and Colatruglio caught all six of his receptions in the first half for 67 yards.H-L will be returning the state championship game for the first time since 2008."Been going (to Canton) for a lot of years to watch and having gone a long time ago, to go with this group of kids it'll be awesome," Colatruglio said. We've just gotten better as we've gone on and we're just gonna go play one more week."