Dream ends for Tipp in state semis

As the two teams walked off the field Friday night, the Tippecanoe Red Devils knew they had given their all against a powerful Columbus Watterson opponent.

After dropping behind early in the game, the Red Devils held their own until a third quarter. Watterson exploded for a huge lead and cruised to a 41-9 victory and a trip to the Ohio Division Three state championship game this weekend in Canton.

“I take great pride for this program to be in the Final Four, we are one of the best teams in the state of Ohio,” Tipp coach Matt Burgbacher said. “Watterson has proven over the past couple of years to be the best, and to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. It is a great feeling that we were on that stage.”

“This group had more that they wanted to get than just getting to the Final Four. They wanted to win it all, and they had their opportunities. It is so hard to win and to do this consistently. This senior group has won 47 games in four years, and you are only guaranteed 40 games from your freshman through senior years. That right there tells you a lot about this group.”

Watterson came into the game with ten consecutive running clock victories, and the way the game started, the Red Devils were looking at an early deficit. 

On the second play from scrimmage, Drew Bellisari hit Jack McCoy over the middle for a 71-yard touchdown pass. McCoy outran the defenders for the score, giving Watterson a 7-0 lead just 55 seconds into the game.

It got worse for the Red Devils when their first possession ended with a punt. Watterson blocked the kick and landed in the endzone for a touchdown, and it was 14-0 just three minutes gone.

“We got off to the worst start that you could possibly have thought of,” Burgbacher said. “That first touchdown… great call by them. They got us there, good teams are going to do that.”

“The blocked punt was just a couple of missed assignments. We knew what they were going to do. We gave them two touchdowns, now let’s just go play.”

The Red Devils earned their initial first down of the game on a pass from Larkin Thomas to sophomore Bentley Heckman and moved the ball inside Watterson territory. Xavier Melton sent Tipp inside the red zone before Tipp stalled at the Watterson seven yard line. Owen Baileys then knocked through a 24 yard field goal with 2:43 left in the opening period to put Tipp on the board trailing 7-3.

The Red Devils defense settled in during the second period and controlled the Watterson offensive juggernaut. This included a big fumble recovery in their own territory to keep the game 14-3 at the half.

“They only had like 25 rushing yards in the first half for a team averaging well over 150-200 per game, and did not allow them to score. Defensively, we played really well in the first half.”

“Offensively, it was a struggle. Their defense was really good. We thought it would be a little tough to go over top on them, we were going to take what they gave us.”

In the next 12 minutes, Watterson put the game away with a huge third quarter. 

With 7:42 left in the third, Watterson scored on a short 1-yard touchdown run from Caden Mancici to make it 21-3. Then 90 seconds later, their special team struck again. Another Tipp punt was blocked and Carter Baldwin returned it for a touchdown at 6:06. Watterson began to put the game out of reach for the Red Devils.

Watterson scored twice more in the third period, first when they drove into the red zone and Joe Hayes capped with a 15-yard screen pass from Bellisari to push their lead to 35-3, and kept the running clock streak alive for Watterson.

“We knew we were going to have to take some risks,” Burgbacher said. “We had all the momentum with the ball to start the second half and needed to get a first down, and we didn’t get it.”

“We had been practicing a fake punt all season. The only guy who doesn’t rush who rushed every time is the guy who made the play for them. Against a good team, they are going to make you pay, and once they scored, the floodgates opened.”

Wrapping up the scoring for Watterson came with 5:20 left in the fourth period when Bellisari hit Ben Lamielle on a 23 yard scoring pass, making it 41-3.

Tipp’s final scoring drive of the season came in the closing two minutes when they moved downfield, and Xavier Melton scored on a one-yard touchdown run with 1:22 left in the game, giving Tipp their only touchdown of the day.

The Red Devils completed a very successful season, finishing as the MVL undisputed champions and later earned a regional championship, only their second in school history.