VERSAILLES — Twin Valley South’s five-game winning streak came to an end with a 41-8 loss to Versailles in a Division VI, Region 24 quarterfinal playoff match up on Friday, Nov. 3.
With the loss, South ended the season 7-5. Versailles moves to 10-2 with the win and advances to the regional semifinals to face Cincinnati Country Day (12-0) on Friday, Nov. 10 at Xenia.
“We ran into a buzz saw,” Brian Butts, South’s first-year head coach said. “All year, we’ve been undersized. Everybody’s been bigger but we’ve had better speed and we’ve been able to use that. That was the game plan to try and do things and spread them sideline to sideline, vertically, and different things and their speed up front was really good. We just couldn’t get anything really going, unfortunately.”
The Tigers set the tone from the outset returning the opening kickoff to the South nine-yard line then scored one play later for 7-0 lead twenty seconds into the game.
The Panthers then appeared ready to answer as they drove into Versailles territory, but an interception in the end zone ended the drive and gave the home-standing Tigers all the momentum.
From there, Versailles used its size, strength, and quickness advantage to take a 28-0 halftime lead before ultimately taking a 41-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
“Our kids battled, they played hard We just didn’t have answers physically,” Butts said. “And we told our kids part of building this program is we’ve got to lift year round.”
South managed just 183 total yards on the night, including 135 on the ground.
After the interception, Versailles drove 80 yards in five plays to take a 14-0 lead with 8:13 remaining in the first quarter.
After South punt, the Tigers extended their lead to 21-0 on a 3-yard TD run with 1:33 left in the first quarter.
The Tigers added a fourth touchdown with 8:32 left in the half for a 28-0 lead and was ready to go up five scores with less than a minute left in the half, but a Griffen Roell interception in the end zone prevented Versailles from scoring.
On the first play of the third quarter, the Tigers scored on a 61-yard TD run to push their lead to 35-0.
Early in the fourth, Versailles extended its lead to 41-0.
South got on the scoreboard with a safety with just under three minutes to play. The Panthers lone touchdown came on a 3-yard run by Cais Kingsley with 1:15 left in the game.
Kingsley rushed for 65 yards on 17 carries. Brayden Koeller had 62 yards on seven carries.
South will graduate 11 seniors, which helped the Panthers to back-to-back winning seasons.
“We’re going to miss the senior class. They’ve been excellent,” Butts said. “They’ve had back-to-back winning seasons back-to-back wins in the playoffs. They’ve won a home playoff game, so they have a lot of stuff to hand their hat on.
Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on Twitter @emowenjr.
