John Bruce, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
KINNIKINNICK — After 11 weeks with almost everything going right for Zane Trace, things finally started to go a little sideways going into halftime for the Pioneers on Friday.
CREDIT: Cory Hall/SOSA
But it was after halftime where the Pioneers showed their true colors and forced the visiting Madeira Mustangs into a full 48-minute game.
While Zane Trace (11-1) fought hard to get back into the game and build momentum, in the end, Madeira escaped Kinnikinnick with a 28-19 win to end the Pioneers’ spectacular season in a second round playoff matchup.
“t’s one of those things where our kids played hard. I’m really proud of the kids and how they kept fighting,” Zane Trace coach Heath Hinton said. “Our kids our just so awesome, overcoming adversity. We haven’t had a lot of that this season. But the kids came out in the second half and played really hard.”
The Pioneers took the opening kickoff and drove 63 yards over nine plays before senior Daniel Barnhart finished the sequence off with a three-yard plunge into the end zone to take an early lead.
However, the extra point hit the left upright and bounced away for the edge to only be 6-0, early.
The Mustangs (11-1) showed what they were made of with an eight-play, 76-yard drive on their opening possession, punctuated with a seven-yard run from Nick Heisser. With the PAT, the Mustangs took a 7-6 lead with 3:40 left in the first quarter — one they never relinquished.
After a quick three-and-out, the Mustangs drove 71 yards in seven plays to extend their lead.
Junior quarterback Peter Breidenbach called his own number and scored from four yards out for only his second score of the season. After Jake Isgrig’s extra point was made, the Mustangs had a 14-6 lead over Zane Trace with 11:10 to play in the second quarter.
The Pioneers responded in their signature way — a long and punishing drive on the ground.
Zane Trace went 61 yards on 14 plays, 13 of which were runs by Barnhart, Blake Phillips and Carter Langley. Langley put the exclamation point on the drive with a tough two-yard run at the 5:37 mark in the second, cutting the deficit to 14-13.
Madeira then used a short field to drive 56 yards in only five plays to go ahead 21-13.
CREDIT: Cory Hall/SOSA
Max Autry scored his 26th touchdown of the season, this one from 11 yards out, to extend the lead after a 27-yard run from Conner Cravaack set up the score.
Things began to unravel for the Pioneers on the following drive as they fumbled near midfield, which Madeira recovered, setting up a short field with one minute left in the half.
The Mustangs didn’t need the entire minute.
After two runs from Autry opened the sequence, Breidenbach found Aiden Megois for a 20-yard gain. After an illegal procedure penalty pushed the Mustangs back, Breidenbach used a dose of razzle-dazzle to connect with Cravaack on a 20-yard scoring strike with 0:13 left. Breidenbach ran towards the line, drawing Cravaack’s defender off of him and smoothly flipped the ball to the senior who then carried a couple of defenders across the goal line for a huge score.
Henry Vackerics stepped up and hit the PAT to give the Mustangs a 28-13 lead at the half.
But behind the eight-ball, a Zane Trace locker room filled with 17 senior made sure that every person in Kinnikinnick knew there wasn’t an once out of quit in them with how they came out to start the second half.
After the Mustangs had scored on all four of their possessions in the first half and were due to receive the ball to start the second half, the Pioneers came out with plenty of fire and belief.
They used that combination to perfection, forcing a quick three-and-out before a short punt gave the Pioneers the ball at midfield to begin their first drive of the second half.
That drive lasted all of three plays.
PHOTOS: Images from Zane Trace and Madeira’s playoff meeting
After Langley connected with Drew Lane for 11 yards, Barnhart rumbled 14 yards down the sideline. On the next play, Barnhart gashed the Mustangs’ defense for a 25-yard touchdown run with 9:29 left in the third. Once again, though, the PAT was missed to the left, leaving the Pioneers down two scores at 28-19.
Even in an unfamiliar place, down two scores at home, the Pioneers’ defense showed what made it such a feared unit throughout the year. Barnhart, Nalin Robinson, Spencer Brower, Lane Stewart, and Drew Lane, among others, bottled up the Mustangs’ vaunted run game with another quick three-and-out.
Getting the ball back with eight minutes left in the third, the Pioneers pounded out an 11-play drive over nearly six minutes that put them in the red zone. However, that’s when disaster happened.
A miscommunication on 4th and inches led to a turnover, giving the ball back to Madeira at its own 14.
The Pioneers’ defense stood up one more time, forcing another punt and giving the offense the chance to get back into the game. Zane Trace went 10 plays, but stalled out again in the red zone after a sack knocked them into a 3rd and long situation.
The Pioneers wouldn’t get the ball back again.
Madeira was able to finally get a first down in the second half, putting three straight together to run off the final 6:40 on the clock and put an end the Pioneers’ golden season.
Barnhart led the Pioneers with 133 yards on 18 carries alongside two scores and Langley went 8-of-11 passing for 48 yards, along with adding 42 yards and a score on the ground. Senior Nalin Robinson added three catches and Drew Lane had two.
CREDIT: Cory Hall/SOSA
Max Autry led the Mustangs with 97 yards on 11 rushes as Madeira had 206 yards rushing, 177 of which came in the first half.
Zane Trace closes out a historic season where it went 11-1 while winning the SVC’s Gold Ball. The Pioneers scored 477 points for just under 40 points per game and rushed for over 280 yards per week, led by Barnhart’s 1500-yard season. Langley had a remarkable 17-1 touchdown-interception ratio while leading the high-powered offense.
The graduating class of 17 seniors for Zane Trace has done about everything they could as a group, going from 1-9 as freshmen to 11-1 and SVC champions as seniors.
“They were 1-9 to 4-6 and dealt with COVID. Then, they were 8-3 and made the playoffs and got a home game and then we come here, go 10-0 and win the first playoff game,” Hinton said. “It’s tremendous. We’re going to miss them. It’s a special group of players and I can’t put into words what they mean to this program. They’ve gotten us turned back around.”
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