Coldwater senior Baylen Blockberger went 8-for-12 with two touchdown passes to senior Mason Welsch, senior Miles Pottkotter rushed for 128 yards and a score and senior Noah Welsch recovered a fumble in the end zone as the Cavaliers finished the season 15-1.
“Obviously, a surprise, a surprise the way we won today,” said Cavaliers coach Chip Otten. “We were really concerned about their physical stoutness, but we played Clinton Massie who plays a similar style and we played pretty well. We have a phrase called ‘TED,’ toughness, effort and discipline. It helps you win these games. Now they have a lot of that, too, very similar to us, but we felt like those three things — toughness, effort and discipline — carried us.”
Coldwater won its first state championship since the 2020 season. The Cavaliers were state runner-up in 2021.
Kirtland finished the season 15-1, finishing as state runner-up for the sixth time in program history.
The 12th man was senior Cale Wenning, an All-Ohio center who died in late August after injuries sustained in a bike accident earlier in the month. The team carries a flag onto the field bearing Wenning’s No. 70. The flag is always planted on the sidelines, flying behind his teammates.
“Coach always says: ‘Play with the 12th Man, he’s always on your shoulder’,” Mason Welsch said. “We know he’s always there with us and helping us out.”
The Cavaliers stopped the Hornets on fourth down on their first drive of the game. On their second possession, Pottkotter caught an option pitch from Blockberger and ran it 14 yards, diving into the end zone to give Coldwater a 7-0 lead.
“The stop on the fourth down on their first drive is really what at least gives you a good break because if they get ahead on you, it’s like ‘Oh crap, here we go’ and the clock gets ticking and they’re running the ball,” Otten said. “We got the first touchdown, got the lead and took a deep breath. It’s like: ‘C’mon, c’mon we can do this.’”
The Cavaliers used a power run game this year, opting to go under center more than they have in the past — and the 12th man played a key role in that, said senior Cody Depweg.
“He was the one that kept on pushing the coaches for under center, under center,” he said. “It helped us win a state championship so he’s always in our thoughts.”
In the second quarter, the Cavaliers drove 70 yards — aided by two Kirtland 15-yard penalties — in 10 plays, scoring on a 5-yard pass from Blockberger to Mason Welsch to make it 14-0.
The Cavaliers struck one more time before halftime. With :39 seconds remaining, Blockberger hit Welsch on a 17-yard TD pass in the corner of the end zone to give Coldwater a 21-0 lead.
In the third quarter, Coldwater increased its lead to 28-0 when Noah Welsch recovered a fumble in the end zone. Cavaliers junior Bryce Couchot kicked a 25-yard field goal to make it 31-0, triggering the running clock.
The Hornets scored on their next drive as junior Jake LaVerde scored on a 15-yard run to make it 31-7 and stop the running clock. The Cavaliers were able to run out the clock to seal the state championship.
The Cavaliers carried Wenning’s flag onto the field as they were awarded the state championship trophy. The 12th man gave them even more motivation to bring home the state title, Pottkotter said.
“It gives you an extra push,” he said. “I know our freshman year we were here (falling to Carey 26-14) and I watched 15 seniors cry to each other. That kind of gives you a push to do it. And then with (Cale’s death), it just drove us to do it.”
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