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St. Xavier, Lakota West go down to wire

WEST CHESTER, Ohio – The top two teams in the Blitz 5 Top 25 squared off with Region 4 championship and a spot in the Division I OHSAA state semifinals on the line and the game lived up to the billing.

It was the offensive shootout that some expected, but it would be a clutch offensive play that would ultimately decide the contest. Down 7-3, Liam Clifford slipped away from defenders and found himself free in the end zone where he pulled in a 17-yard TD pass from Brogan McCaughey with only 27 seconds left in the game.

“Liam Clifford is going to go down in the argument as the greatest player ever to dawn at St. Xavier uniform,” St. Xavier head coach Steve Specht said during his appearance on High School Football Tonight on ESPN 1530 following the game. “What I love about Liam is he is about the team all the way.”

It took a team effort all around in this one. The defense stymied the Lakota West offense, yielding just 181 yards of offense and preventing the Firebirds from converting any of their 12 third-down conversions.

After struggling to move the ball on the ground in the first half, the Bombers got Charles Kellom going after the break. He finished the night with 22 carries for 110 yards.

“He (Kellom) did a great job tonight. He’s done a great job all year long,” Specht added. “You’ve got to be able to run the ball, you’ve got to be able to sustain drives on the ground.”

Lakota West turned in its best season in school history and hung to the end in this contest. Counting the 10 points allowed in this week’s loss, the Firebirds only allowed two teams to score double digits all season and no opponent eclipsed 14 points all year.

The Bombers now advance to face Springfield next week with a spot in the Ohio Division I state championship at stake.

SCORING BY QUARTERS
St. Xavier 0-3-0-7-10
Lakota West 0-0-7-0-7

SCORING PLAYS
S: Mason Rohmiller 32-yard field goal
L: Mitch Bolden 14-yard run (Howard kick)
S: Brogan McCaughey 17-yard pass to Liam Clifford (Rohmiller kick)

RECORDS: St. Xavier (x-x); Lakota West (x-x)
UP NEXT: St. Xavier vs. Springfield – OHSAA DI State Semifinals

Check out complete scores on The Underground Sports Shop Scoreboard.

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