OHSAA DI regional football final: Moeller ends Lakota West season for 2nd straight year

SHARONVILLE, Ohio — In a rematch of last year's Ohio Division I regional football final, it again was the Moeller High School Crusaders moving on to the state semifinals with a convincing 38-20 victory over previously unbeaten Lakota West.

The Crusaders led 24-13 at the half behind junior Jordan Marshall's 166 rushing yards and two touchdowns. With Marshall sidelined for the second half, seniors Alec Weeder and Brett Kelley picked up the slack with 112 and 43 yards, respectively.

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"It's very special," Moeller coach Mark Elder said. "The senior class has been remarkable. I'm really proud of all the hard work they've had. As the regional champs, this is awesome."

As for Marshall, who may have suffered a concussion, according to sideline reports, Elder said they weren't going to put anyone in jeopardy. He deferred final status until he talked with Moeller's medical staff but insinuated the highly-recruited running back would return next week.

Moeller's tally of 38 was the most points scored on the Firebirds all season. In their three prior postseason games, they had outscored their opposition 108-10. The Lakota West season has ended in a regional final for three straight years now.

"They whupped us," Lakota West coach Tom Bolden said. "They whupped us up front. Hats off to their O-line. Obviously, we know Jordan. He's a whole different beast. Even with him not in there, they whupped us. You've got to tip your hat to them."

In a move unprecedented at this level, Moeller started freshman Matt Ponatoski at quarterback. Until last week against Mason, his only action this fall was with Moeller's freshman and junior varsity teams. He's also already a Missouri baseball commit.

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"For a really big stage and your first start, that's something right there, that's for sure," Elder said.

Ponatoski was 4-for-5 passing and managed the Moeller offense well, even without Marshall. In the third quarter, he connected on his first varsity touchdown pass, a 10-yarder to junior tight end Eli Jacon-Duffy.

"I'm just having fun with it," Ponatoski said. "Our offense was good enough to run it down their throats today so that's what we did. We just move on to the next guy. We know the next guy is good enough to get us down the field and the rest of the team is going to pick us up when we lose a player like that."

Lakota West quarterback Mitch Bolden can relate somewhat as he was inserted as a starter his freshman year when his father took over the Firebirds program. In his final high school game, he was 15-for-35 passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns and had 100 rushing yards for another score. It wouldn't be enough.

"Offensively, I thought we did some really good things," coach Bolden said. "He (Mitch) played his butt off. He's tough as nails. He's been the consummate competitor. He'll go on next year and play somewhere and make somebody a much better football team."

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Moeller's Marshall, who came out in early warm-ups shirtless in sub-30-degree weather, got the Crusaders going first with a 64-yard run to the 4-yard line. Two plays later Weeder punched in the game's first points.

To start the second quarter, Mitch Bolden put the Firebirds into scoring position and was able to hit 6-foot-7-inch sophomore tight end Luka Gilbert for their first score. Though he didn't throw a pass in the first frame, Ponatoski flipped a 42-yard moonball to Marshall getting the Crusaders right back. The determined No. 24 eventually fought in from a yard away to give Moeller the lead back.

Before the break, Drew Mitchell popped in a 36-yard field goal. Mitchell then pooch-kicked with the Firebirds failing to field the ball. With the extra possession, Marshall was able to waltz into the end zone yet again and Moeller's lead was 24-7. Quickly, the Firebirds passed down the field with Mitch Bolden hitting Trent Lloyd before the half. The extra point failed and Lakota West trailed 24-13.

Marshall didn't play in the second half for Moeller due to concussion protocol. Still, Ponatoski led Moeller on a nine-play, 80-yard drive culminating with his first prep touchdown pass to Jacon-Duffy. Mitch Bolden would respond with a 49-yard touchdown run, but another Moeller drive ended with a 7-yard score by Isaac Shade moving the Moeller lead to 18.

"We're a really good team," Elder said. "We're better with him (Marshall) but we've got a lot of very talented guys and we're able to score and put up points and all of those things."

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It stayed 38-20 throughout the fourth quarter as Moeller held serve despite not having their top rusher in the game. Marshall did return to the sideline in the fourth quarter in uniform with a jacket. Not long after he was posing for trophy photos.

It was the 200th game for Bolden as a head coach. Though disappointed over the loss, he's still bullish on the future of Lakota West football.

"Where we're at and where we're heading, we're going to be there here and in the future," Bolden said. "We'll be back. We lose a lot of good players but we've got a lot of great players coming back."

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Lakota West finishes at 13-1. Moeller at 13-1 moves on to Piqua Alexander Stadium to face No. 2 seed Springfield, the Region 2 champion next Friday, Nov. 25. The Wildcats defeated Olentangy Liberty 35-7. Springfield ended Moeller's season in last year's state semifinal 22-21 scoring with 3:43 remaining in the game.

Moeller 38, Lakota West 20

LAKOTA WEST 0 13 7 0 20

MOELLER 7 17 14 0 38

M - Weeder 2-yard run (Mitchell kick)

LW - Bolden 13-yard pass to Gilbert (Bohn kick)

M - Marshall 1-yard run (Mitchell kick)

M - Mitchell 36-yard FG

M - Marshall 7-yard run (Mitchell kick)

LW - Bolden 10-yard pass to Lloyd (extra point failed)

M - Ponatoski 10-yard pass to Jacon-Duffy (Mitchell kick)

LW - Bolden 49-yard run (Bohn kick)

M - Shade 7-yard run (Mitchell kick)