MASSILLON In a rare state championship between public schools, Sylvania Southview quarterback Alex Pidcock had one Hail Mary answered before halftime. Then he answered all those prayers coming from his own sideline just before the game ended.
Pidcock eluded a sack in the final minute of Saturday night’s Division II state title game, stepped up in the pocket and found Paul Murphey for a 16-yard touchdown pass. That gave Southview a 29-25 win over defending state champion Cincinnati Anderson before 5,953 fans at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Pidcock led a seven-play, 80-yard drive that started with just 2:33 left to play. He finished with a Division II record 333 yards on 23-of-30 passing with three touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for 66 yards and a score.
“On that last drive I think every kid on offense knew we would score,” said Sylvania head coach Jim Mayzes, who won the school’s first state title. “With 2:33 left and two timeouts, we knew we had plenty of time.”
The game had eight lead changes, three in the fourth quarter alone. In defeating Anderson, Southview assured there would not be a repeat champ in any division.
“What a fantastic battle back and forth,” Mayzes said.
In addition to winning the title, Sylvania completed a perfect 15-0 season.
Getting there wasn’t easy. Friday’s game was a microcosm of the playoff run.
Anderson got on the board first in the opening quarter. It mixed running the ball between quarterback Daniel Rod and running back Kyle Slater. After a 13-yard run by Rod and a personal foul, Anderson had the ball at the Southview 46.
Four plays later, Slater squirted through a hole off right tackle. Slater did the rest with perfect vision and laser cuts to zip his way into the end zone for a 31-yard score and a 7-0 Anderson lead with 3:41 left in the first.
Southview answered right away. Pidcock did nearly all of the work in the eight-play drive. He ran four times for 22 yards and completed 3-of-3 passes for 36 yards. He scored from the 1 on the first play of the second quarter. But a botched PAT kept Anderson in front 7-6.
Just before halftime, however, momentum changed. Pidcock was sacked and it appeared as though the clock ran out. But officials ruled the Cougars called a timeout with a second left. That was a big second.
Pidcock, from his own 39, heaved a pass into the end zone. Wide receiver Jimmy Hall tipped it. Then Anderson defensive back Brian Schlosser tipped it.
Then 6-foot-1 freshman Allen Gant cradled it in his chest in the back of the end zone. Southview led 16-13 at halftime when its Hail Mary was answered.
“Any team that wins a state championship and thinks there’s not luck involved isn’t being honest with you,” said Anderson head coach Jeff Giesting, who’s been on the winning and losing end of this game in just his second year as a head coach.
Anderson picked off Sylvania’s first play of the second half. The Redskins turned that into a 33-yard John Howard field goal and tied the game at 16.
The Cougars took a 22-16 lead on a 38-yard Pidcock to Shaun Joplin pass midway through the fourth. Then they took a safety on purpose rather than punt from their own 1.
Slater, who finished with a game-high 177 yards on 26 carries, broke a 20-yard run to give Anderson a 25-22 lead with 2:33 left. The Redskins left too much time on the clock.
But it wasn’t easy, having prayers answered and answering them.
“We battled our butts off all night,” Mayzes said. “It took everything we had to win. This was not easy at all.”
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Chaos seemed to be breaking out around Alex Pidcock. The Sylvania Southview senior never let it get to him. Not when defending Division II state champion Cincinnati Anderson took a 25-22 lead with 2:33 left in the game. Not when he was almost sacked with 32 seconds left and 16 yards away from the end zone. Instead, Pidcock ran through the sack, stepped up and threw a perfect strike to Paul Murphey. The 16-yard touchdown pass gave the Cougars a 29-25 lead with a half minute left in the game. Pidcock finished with 333 yards through the air on 23-of-30 passing, three touchdowns and one interception, and a 1-yard TD run. His 333 yards is a Division II state championship game record, besting Louisville’s Neal Seaman from a year ago.
PLAY OF THE GAME
It seemed pointless. One second left before halftime and the end zone was 38 yards away. But this is a state title game. Every second counts. So Sylvania Southview quarterback Alex Pidcock dropped back to pass and heaved a rainbow for the end zone. His first receiver, Jimmy Hall, got a hand on the ball. Then Anderson safety Brian Schlosser tipped it. The pigskin, floating toward the back of the end zone and the turf, found its way into the hands of 6-foot-1 freshman wide receiver Allen Gant for a touchdown and a 16-13 Southview lead at halftime.
