PREBLE COUNTY — As the high school football season approaches Week 10 all five county schools are playing for a shot at postseason.
Two teams – Preble Shawnee (D-V, Region 20) and National Trail (D-VI, Region 24) have already clinched playoff berths according to Joe Eitel.
Two others – Eaton (D-IV, Region 16) and Twin Valley South (D-VI, Region 24) control their own destiny this week.
Tri-County (D-VII, Region 28) still has a shot at the postseason but will need to win and get some help.
Playoff pairings will be announced Sunday afternoon. The top 16 team in each region qualify for the playoffs with the top eight hosting first round games.
Eaton drops home finale
Eaton struggled in the second half against visiting Valley View (Oct. 14) in Week 9 and dropped its home finale 38-17.
The loss drops the Eagle record to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the Southwestern Buckeye League.
Eaton is scheduled to travel to Monroe this Friday to close out the regular season. If the Eagles win, they are in the playoffs. If they lose, Eaton will most likely need some help to get in the playoffs.
Against Valley View, Eaton took advantage of a Spartan turnover on the first play of the game to take 7-0 lead.
Quarterback Chris Atkins scored on a 1-yard run with 11:47 left in the first quarter.
From there, Valley View picked up the tempo. The Spartans scored 21 unanswered points to take a 217 lead early in the second quarter.
Eaton got back withing 21-14 on an 80-yard TD pass from Atkins to Connor Bach with 9:18 left in the half.
After a Spartan touchdown made it 28-14, Eaton’s Drew Michael kicked a 37-yard field with two second left in the half to make it 28-17.
In the second half, Eaton committed turnovers on its first two possessions and never go the offense rolling.
Valley View outscored the Eagles 10-0 for the final margin.
South upsets Trail
Twin Valley South went on the road and upset National Trail 9-3.
With the win the Panthers put themselves in position to make the postseason.
South improved to 5-4 overall and 4-3 in the Western Ohio Athletic Conference.
The loss knocked Trail out of any chance to win the WOAC title. The Blazers needed to beat South and Tri-Village to claim a share title.
Trail fell to 6-3 overall and 5-2 in the WOAC.
South took a 3-0 lead on a 30-yard field by Jace Thuma in the first quarter.
Trail’s Drew DeWitt tied the game with a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter.
South regained the lead for good on Caden Bishop 1-yard TD run late in the third.
South is scheduled to host rival Tri-County North on Friday, Oct. 21 to close out the regular season.
Trail will travel to Tri-Village in hopes of knocking the Patriots out of first place.
Shawnee falls on late score; championship hopes dashed
Preble Shawnee’s chances for back-to-back league titles vanished with a late Ansonia touchdown last week, as the Arrows fell 20-14.
Shawnee entered the game as one of four WOAC teams with just one loss. Ansonia, Tri-Village and National Trail were the others.
While T-V played a non-conference game, Trail dropped a 9-3 decision to TVS thus leaving Ansonia and Tri-Village as the league’s top two teams.
After a scoreless first quarter Ansonia got the scoring started on a Exzaviar Moody 2-yard TD. The 2-point conversion failed leaving the Tigers with a 6-0 lead the second quarter.
Shawnee took the lead in the second quarter on a Brayden Doran 62-yard TD run. After Colton Schroeder successful point after, Shawnee led 7-6.
Moody put the Tigers back in front with 21-yard TD run and successful 2-point conversion gave Ansonia a 14-6 lead.
Doran tied the game in third for Shawnee on a 7-yard TD run.
The game remained tied until Moody added his third touchdown of the game late in the fourth to seal the win.
Shawnee (6-2, 5-2 WOAC) will host Dixie in the regular season finale.
North keeps playoff hopes alive
Tri-County raced out to a 28-0 lead and cruised to a 49-8 win over Mississinawa Valley.
North, now 2-7 overall and 2-5 in the WOAC, will travel to rival Twin Valley South needing a win to get in the playoffs.
North scored 14 points in each of the first three quarters to help snap a four-game losing streak.
Colton Vanwinkle rushed for 227 yards and two touchdowns to lead the way.
Logan Flory added two scores and rushed for 136 yards.
