COLUMBUS — The Golden Eagles went down swinging.
Quarterback Eli Stumpf threw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes, but Big Walnut’s comeback bid came up just short in a 29-22 loss to Cincinnati Anderson in the Division II state semifinals Friday at Historic Crew Stadium.
The Raptors (14-0) will play Avon in a rematch of last year’s Division II state championship game at 7 p.m. Thursday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. Avon (13-1) beat Walsh Jesuit 38-7 in Friday’s other semifinal game in Akron.
Big Walnut (12-2) trailed 23-8 going to the fourth quarter, but refused to go quietly.
“It’s a testament to our kids and their never-say-die attitude,” Big Walnut coach Curtis Crager said. “We gave ourselves a chance.”
The Golden Eagles reached into their bag of tricks to cut Anderson’s lead to 23-15 with 8:40 remaining.
On fourth-and-eight from the Anderson 15, Stumpf threw a pass for Gavin Harrington along the sideline near the first down marker. The rangy, 6-foot-3 Harrington caught the pass and flipped it to Nolan Buirley, who darted into the end zone to complete the hook and lateral.
“It’s a play we practice all the time,” Harrington said. “I was confident when we called it. It’s just muscle memory.”
Anderson responded on a 5-yard Jordan Davis touchdown run, but Big Nut answered again. Stumpf lofted a pass for Harrington, who outleaped Anderson’s Ke’Maury Tye for a 25-yard touchdown with 1:40 remaining to make it 29-22.
Big Walnut lined up for the onside kick, but Anderson recovered at midfield. The Raptors picked up one first down to seal the victory.
First-Half Onslaught
It took Big Walnut’s defense more than a quarter to adjust to Anderson’s offense. The Raptors didn’t huddle and pushed the tempo at every turn.
“It’s hard to simulate their tempo,” Crager said. “We tried to in practice as much as we could.
“I thought we did a better job this year than we did last year (in a 28-24 semifinal loss). It took us a while to get adjusted.”
Anderson led 13-0 after one period. Quarterback Owen Scalf tossed an 8-yard TD pass to Brayden Moore and Davis scored on a 1-yard run.
Big Walnut got on the board when Stumpf hooked up with Buirley on an 11-yard swing pass. Buirley’s two-point conversion run made it 13-8.
Anderson’s Maddux Snider booted a 27-yard field goal to give the Raptors a 16-8 lead with 3:51 to play in the first half.
Big Walnut took the ensuing kickoff and marched into Anderson territory, but defensive end Brayden Black picked off Stumpf’s screen pass at the Anderson 29.
The Raptors marched the length of the field and scored on the final play of the half on Scalf’s 1-yard pass to Cooper Kathman.
Defense
The Big Walnut defense tightened in the second half. The Golden Eagles forced two turnovers and two turnovers on downs.
“Our defense put it all out there. I think they had four stops in a row,” said Buirley, the Central District Offensive Player of the year in Division II. “The played amazing.”
Senior Farewell
The loss brought an end to the careers of 31 Big Walnut seniors. That group led the Golden Eagles to back-to-back Ohio Capital Conference Capital Division titles and back-to-back regional crowns.
“I can’t thank them enough for their dedication and believing in us,” Crager said. “I know they’re extremely disappointed now, but when they look back on these last two years … there’s a lot to be thankful for and proud of.”
(Photos by Curt Conrad)
