Northmont will host a first round playoff game against Fairborn this Friday at 7 p.m.
Ron Nunnari | Register-Herald
SPRINGFIELD — It should have been Friday the thirteenth when Northmont traveled to Springfield to face the Wildcats in the final game of the regular season.
On a windy and rain swept night the Wildcats totally shut down the Greater Western Ohio Conference’s second best offense. Springfield limited the Thunderbolts to just three points; a 35 yard field goal by Christian Moncrief into the wind to give Northmont a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Northmont was averaging 328.4 yards per game, 129.9 rushing and 198.5 passing and 27.5 points per game. Quarterback Deuce Cortner led the conference in touchdown passes with 25 and finished with the second most passing yards with 1,928.
Springfield limited Cortner to just one completion in eight attempts and 13 yards. Likewise for Calilien Grant, the GWOC’s leading rusher. Grant was averaging 78 yards per game but was limited to 58 in 11 carries.
Jayvin Norman scored on an eight yard run and Brayden Herron’s kick put Springfield up 7-3 at halftime. Norman scored on an 83 yard run at 11:40 in the third quarter and Herron’s point after made it 14-3, which did not change the remainder of the game.
With the victory the Wildcats improved to 5-5 overall and 4-3 in conference play. Northmont finished 6-4 overall and 3-4.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association on Sunday afternoon announced this year’s first round playoff pairings. The top eight seeds in each region will serve as hosts for the first-round games.
Northmont, the No. 4 seed, will host Fairborn, No. 13 seed, in the Division II, Region 8 first round game this Friday at 7 p.m. The Thunderbolts concluded regular season play at 6-4 while the Skyhawks finished 4-6.
Second-round games will be played on Friday, Nov. 3, at the better seeded team’s venue. Neutral sites will be used beginning in the third round on Friday, Nov. 10, and the regional finals on Friday, November 17.
The state semifinals will be on Friday, Nov. 23, with the state championship games then hosted at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton on Nov. 30, Dec. 1 and 2.
