TriStateFootball.com

Harrison coops up Xenia

Harrison RB Cole Koops (photo by: Sandy Mahoney / X: @InMotionBySandy)

XENIA, Ohio – For the second straight season Harrison has advanced to the Division II, Region 8 semifinals. The visiting Wildcats quickly gave Xenia a heavy dose of Cole Koops and Dickie Engel surging to a 38-7 halftime advantage and never looking back. It’s been an amazing transformation for the Harrison seniors who went 1-9 as sophomores. They have now laid claim to the first 10-win season for the program since 2019.

Early in the second quarter Engel connected with Koops on a 28-yard touchdown that made the score 28-7. By that time Koops had already found the end zone three times and Engel had done all of his damage for the evening, throwing two touchdown passes and running for another score.

It was a night of milestones for Koops who ran for 205 yards, had two receptions for 40 yards and the three touchdowns which gave him 20 for a second straight season. It was the third time he has run for more than 200 yards in a game and second time in the last three weeks. He upped his season total to 1,858 yards rushing.

Xenia didn’t go down without a fight. The Buccaneers outscored Harrison 28-7 in the second half. Senior Gavin McManus threw for 280 yards with a pair of touchdowns tosses to classmate Trimonde Henry and Shawn Fishwick. Fishwick had eight receptions for 190 yards. Henry reeled in seven balls for 76 yards. Running back Deaunte White was to just 71 yards rushing leaving him just 31 yards shy of 2,000 for the season. White also finishes with 32 touchdowns on the ground saw the Harrison defense keep him out of the end zone.

Xenia WR Shawn Fishwick (photo by: Shelby Frieszell/TriStateFootball.com)

SCORING BY QUARTERS
Harrison 21-17-0-7-45
Xenia  7-0-7-14-28

SCORING PLAYS
H: Cole Koops 1 run (Landen Anderson kick)
H: Koops 27 run (Anderson kick)
X: Trimonde Henry 17 pass from Gavin McManus (Sean Leonard kick)
H: Dickie Engel 4 run (Anderson kick)
H: Koops 28 pass from Engel (Anderson kick)
H: Kyle Davidson 10 pass from Engel (Anderson kick)
A: Anderson 21 field goal
X: Shawn Fishwick 39 pass from McManus (Leonard kick)
X: Fishwick 26 pass from McManus (Henry pass from McManus)
H: Cohen Hering 16 run (Anderson kick)
X: Henry 11 pass from McManus (Leonard kick)

RECORDS: Harrison (10-2); Xenia (10-2)
UP NEXT: Harrison vs. La Salle (10-2), OHSAA Playoffs: Division II, Region 8 Semifinals

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