Oxford hosted the game of the night in Southwest Ohio on Friday. Talawanda defeated Cincinnati La Salle 35-34 in overtime in a Division II, Region 8 first-round playoff game, surviving the Lancers’ decision to go for the win in the extra period, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
The teams finished regulation tied 28-28, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. In overtime, La Salle scored and went for a two-point conversion and the win, but the pass fell incomplete, and the Brave held on for the one-point victory in front of their home crowd.
Talawanda, the No. 7 seed, improves to 9-2 with the win. La Salle, the No. 10 seed out of the Greater Catholic League-South, ends its season at 5-6 after the gamble in overtime came up short.
The Brave reached the playoffs on the strength of balance and defense. The Cincinnati Enquirer’s pregame preview noted that Talawanda had outscored its opponents 329-78 this season, with quarterback Jake Van Gorden throwing for 1,662 yards and 15 touchdowns and the team rushing for 164 yards per game. La Salle countered with quarterback Garrett Fraley, who had thrown for 1,366 yards and 12 touchdowns entering Friday, according to the Enquirer.
Friday’s finish was the tightest of the Region 8 first round. Elsewhere in the region, Troy beat Butler 42-6, Edgewood handled Columbus West 41-12 and Withrow defeated Badin 21-13, according to the Mansfield News Journal’s statewide scoreboard.
The win was also a measure of redemption for Talawanda in its own conference race. The Brave lost to Harrison 20-7 during the regular season, while La Salle had beaten Harrison 24-20 — results that made Friday’s overtime escape in Oxford all the more notable as the bracket tightened.
What happens next sends Talawanda on the road for a regional quarterfinal at No. 2 seed Harrison on Friday, Nov. 6, a rematch of the conference game Harrison won 20-7 earlier this season, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Harrison had a first-round bye as one of Region 8’s top four seeds.
Photo: Tmariemdith, CC BY-SA 4.0