Coldwater bounces Eastwood

Defending state champion pulls away in second half

11/10/2013
BY MARK MONROE
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
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    Eastwood's Devin Snowden runs the ball against Coldwater in a Division V playoff game Saturday,

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  • Eastwood's Devin Snowden runs the ball against Coldwater in a Division V playoff game Saturday,
    Eastwood's Devin Snowden runs the ball against Coldwater in a Division V playoff game Saturday,

    PEMBERVILLE — Eastwood hung with perennial powerhouse Coldwater for one half, but the defending state champions proved to be too explosive offensively and stingy defensively on Saturday night.

    The Cavaliers have reached the state title game four straight years and have qualified for the playoffs 16 seasons in a row. Coldwater scored 21 unanswered points in the second half and knocked off the Eagles 42-16 in a Division V regional playoff opener.

    Eastwood (8-3) trailed just 21-16 at the half, but Coldwater (9-2) took the opening possession of the second half and went 80 yards on 11 plays to go up 28-16.

    PHOTO GALLERY: Click here to see more photos from the game

    Coldwater junior quarterback Brody Hoying rushed for 224 yards and scored four touchdowns on runs of 5, 49, 8, and 13 yards. He also threw a 19-yard TD pass.

    “Brody Hoying is a good football player,” Eastwood coach Jerry Rutherford said. “Every possession was critical for us. They have so many guys, they really wore on us. They are a really good football team. That's the reason why they've won all the games they have.”

    After an Eastwood fumble at its own 28, Hoying scored his fourth rushing TD of the game, a 13-yard scamper for a 35-16 lead with 6:33 left in third.

    “That was pretty much the game,” Rutherford said.

    “That put the dagger in it,” Coldwater coach Chip Otten said.

    Eastwood was led on the ground by Devin Snowden, who had 16 carries for 48 yards. Snowden scored on runs of 2 and 3 yards.

    Brent Schlumbohm rushed for 39 yards for Eastwood. Quarterback Jake Schmeltz completed 3 of 9 passes for 56 yards. But he just missed two wide open receivers that would have gone for touchdowns.

    Eastwood's Grant Geiser tries to break a tackle in Saturday night's playoff game against Coldwater.
    Eastwood's Grant Geiser tries to break a tackle in Saturday night's playoff game against Coldwater.

    Eastwood finished with 195 yards (139 rushing). Coldwater had 371. Hoying completed 7 of 12 passes for 98 yards.

    Hoying, a cousin of former Ohio State quarterback Bobby Hoying, was the Midwest Athletic Conference player of the year.

    “He's done it all year,” Otten said. “Everyday we look at each other and say, 'How did he do that?' It's not even fair.”

    The junior, who is 5-10 and 180 pounds, connected with Drew Otten on a 19-yard TD to put his team up 28-16 as an Eastwood defender fell down on play.

    Coldwater scored its third TD of the third to take a 42-16 lead. Eastwood ran just eight plays in the third.

    The Eagles opened the game with an impressive drive (14 plays, 65 yards) and took a 6-0 lead. They picked up a fourth and four. And then Snowden scored on a two-yard run. However, the PAT was missed.

    Coldwater answered with an 11-play, 69 yard drive. Hoying scored on five-yard run. He then scored on a 49-yard scamper to give the Cavaliers a 14-6 lead.

    Hoying scored his third TD from eight yards out for a 21-6 cushion with 7:24 left in the second.

    But Eastwood countered with a 61-yard drive on nine plays. Snowden scored on three-yard run to pull within 21-13 with 2:30 to go.

    Schmeltz intercepted Hoying and returned it 12 yards to the Coldwater 31. Eastwood settled for a 24-yard field goal from Lucas McCullough and Coldwater led by five at the half.

    Coldwater seized all momentum with the long drive to open the third quarter.

    “They went 80 yards and then we turned it over and they scored in four plays. That was pretty much it,” Rutherford said. “We had a good season. When we lost in week five to Genoa, our goal was to come back and win out and host a playoff game. We did those things."

    Contact Mark Monroe at: mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354 or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.