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The first four State Championship games in 2020 had been one blowout after another. After four games the combined score of the winners and losers was 148-9 with two shut outs. Fans craved a great game and they finally got one as Chardon defeated St. Francis DeSales 31-28 in a double overtime thriller!
When the DeSales field goal missed wide left and the Hilltoppers exploded with a celebration on the field, it capped off one of the best State Championship games Division III has ever seen!
Chardon came in a with a top notched run game and stuck to it tonight. They ran for 200 yards on 47 attempts on the cold night. Their top producer was again Drew Fetchik who picked up 100 yards on 19 carries with a 46-yard run, and also a touchdown. He did it through the air as well, passing for 249 yards with 2 touchdowns while only taking one sack.
His main weapon in the backfield was All State rusher James Pettyjohn who completed an amazing season. Tonight, he picked up 49 yards on 13 carries as well as caught 3 balls for 36 yards.
His main threat through the air was wideout Blake Barker who had 2 touchdowns on 2 catches while picking up 99 yards. Barker was the game changer in this one! Brady Toth also had 2 catches for 57 yards in the thrilling win.
The player of the game however came from the losing side of the ball. St Francis DeSales running back Quintell Quinn had the game of his life. Quinn raced for 228 yards on 28 carries, while scoring 3 times including a 74 yarder to start the game and put his team up 7-0 only 61 seconds into the game. After a Fetchik touchdown run tied it, it was Quinn striking again from 15 yards out to give DeSales a 14-7 lead at the half.
The third quarter saw plenty of firework as DeSales would build their largest lead of the game at 28-14. Chardon used a 63-yard launch from Fetchik to Barker to tie the game before DeSales struck quick and hard to answer.
They reclaimed the lead thanks to yet another touchdown run from Quinn, this time from 60 yards out. About six minutes later they would expand the lead on a Whit Hobogood 31 yard hookup to his wideout Jordan Johnson to give them the 28-14 lead after three quarter of action.
Whit Hobogood would finish the night with 183 yards passing on 11 of 20 passing with a touchdown and a pick. He managed not to get sacked a single time all game and did what it took to lead when they needed him too.
The fourth quarter was all Chardon as they used a furious rally to send the game into overtime. Down 28-14 with 6 minutes to go in the game, the Hilltoppers struck paydirt with a one play 36 yard drive that consisted of a pass from Fetchik to Barker to cut the lead in half.
The Hilltoppers would then tie the game with just 2:13 left on an Evan Ash 9-yard touchdown run. It was suddenly tied at 28 with a little over two minutes to go. Chardon would get the ball back again only 13 second later on an interception with a chance to win it. However, the 49-yard attempt by placekicker Nathan Trager was no good and the game would head to overtime from there.
In something out of a story book, both kickers, Tager for Chardon and JJ Baughman for DeSales would have both of their field goal attempts in overtime blocked. Nathan Tager would get a third attempt to make the game winner in double overtime, and he finally did.
This time connecting from 33 yards out to give Chardon the 31-28 lead. After another Baughman miss in double overtime, his third, it was time for the Hilltoppers to celebrate an amazing inbeaten season that ended with championship gold!
