Journal-News.com

DAYTON — It wasn't the outcome the Badin High School football team was hoping for, just the one a lot of Rams fans feared.

Badin entered the Division IV, Region 16 semifinals intent on avenging a 49-point loss to Kettering Alter earlier in the season, but the Knights nearly duplicated that performance with a 42-7 victory Friday night, Nov. 7, at Dayton's Welcome Stadium.

The Rams ended their first playoff season since 2002 with an 8-4 record, while Alter advances to next week's regional championship game against defending state champion Coldwater.

"Against (Alter) you need to play a great game and get a few breaks, and we really didn't do either," Badin coach Dave Wirth said.

The Rams' rally cry heading into the game was that they were a much different team than the one that lost to Alter earlier in the season, but the Knights rolled up 430 yards of offense after putting up 511 in the first contest.

"We felt they were really improved, but we didn't stay the same ourselves," Alter coach Ed Domsitz said. "They were definitely a better football team. The score really doesn't give an indication of how physical the hitting was out there."

Badin opened the game with a three-and-out defensive stand, but Alter scored on its next four possessions to go up 28-0. Cody Taulbee scored touchdowns on runs of 10 and 13 yards, and quarterback Austin Boucher scored on TD runs of 9 and 7 yards.

The Rams had a chance to put a dent in the lead late in the first half when they drove to the Alter 7, but on the final play of the first half Cody Byers picked off a Zach Toerner pass in the end zone.

"That makes a big difference," Wirth said. "There's a huge frustration level going in (to halftime) down 28-0. Our expectations were pretty high as far as our ability to stop them.

"But then give them credit offensively because I think they recognized our run defense had really improved and they were able to do what people did to us early on in the season, which was put us in space," Wirth continued. "And we struggled with that and got a little sloppy early on."

The high point of the night for Badin came with 1:57 left in the game when senior quarterback Toerner and senior wide receiver Scott Staarmann hooked up one final time for a 39-yard touchdown pass.

Toerner finished 13-of-23 for 175 yards with the one touchdown and two interceptions. Staarmann caught two passes for 50 yards.

"When these seniors came in as freshmen, we all knew they were gonna do some special things here," Wirth said. "And they certainly made it happen.

"The season ends in heartbreak for every team in the state but six. That's just the unfortunate way it goes."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2193 or jmorrison@coxohio.com.