Journal-News.com

CLARKSVILLE — Playoff victories against undefeated teams aren't supposed to be easy, and the Badin High School football team made certain this one wasn't.

The Rams blew a 27-7 fourth-quarter lead in their Division IV, Region 16 playoff opener at Clinton-Massie, but they rallied to pull out a 33-27 win in overtime when Zach Toerner hit Jake Wurzelbacher with a 22-yard touchdown pass Friday, Oct. 31.

"That was the greatest game I've ever been a part of," Wurzelbacher said. "I told myself it was the biggest game of my life and I had to play the best game of my life. I don't know if I did that, though. But I'll take it."

The win moves Badin (8-3) into a regional semifinal game against Kettering Alter, which beat the Rams 56-7 earlier this season.

Clinton-Massie, the No. 3-ranked team in the state, suffered its first loss of the season to end the year 10-1 despite a heroic effort by Logan McCormick.

The senior quarterback returned a punt 52 yards to the Badin 32 with 45 seconds left in the game and then ran in for the game-tying touchdown with 17.7 ticks remaining. He finished with 105 yards rushing and two touchdowns, but after picking up a first down on the opening drive of overtime he went to the sideline with cramps.

Two plays later, sophomore quarterback Jake Richardson fumbled, and the Rams' Danny Wolf grabbed the loose ball.

"I knew if I picked that up, that was the game," said Wolf. "I knew the offense would score."

And two plays later, it did on a play called "Carson," in which Wurzelbacher lined up wide, cut inside for a screen pass and then split the defenders to set off a wild celebration in the end zone.

"I knew once the play was set up that he was in," said Badin quarterback Zach Toerner, who finished 20-of-30 for 255 yards and two touchdowns and also ran 27 times for 57 yards and two scores.

"That was the best quarterback we faced all year," Falcons coach Dan McSorley said. "I don't know if we were ready for that talented of a kid and a real sophisticated passing game."

Toerner led Badin on back-to-back scoring drives in the first half to take a 14-7 lead, and he also engineered back-to-back touchdown marches to open the second half — one 90 yards, the other 80.

Nate Snellgrove's 20-yard TD run with 10:12 left in the game put the Rams up 27-7, and it looked all but over.

"The third quarter was great, but the fourth quarter was a disaster," Badin coach Dave Wirth said. "We can't have that if we're going to make a march to state."

Snellgrove finished with 81 yards on 11 carries for the Rams, and Alex Rieman caught six passes for 45 yards and a touchdown to set up the rematch with Alter.