Journal-News.com

DAYTON — There generally aren't too many key moments in a 35-point loss, but both coaches agreed there was one in Kettering Alter's 42-7 Division IV, Region 16 playoff victory against Badin on Friday, Nov. 7.

The Knights had scored touchdowns on four consecutive drives to take a 28-0 lead, but the Rams drove down the field and had a first-and-goal at the Alter 7 with 2.9 seconds left in the second quarter.

On the final play of the half, Cody Byers picked off Zach Toerner to preserve the 28-point lead heading into halftime.

Badin coach Dave Wirth said there was a lot of frustration going into halftime after that play. And Alter's Ed Domsitz said all you need to do is look at Badin's game last week to know how important that pick was.

"I reminded our kids that Badin was up 27-7 before Clinton-Massie came back," Domsitz said. "People think that's a big lead, but in today's game of football, that's not all that big.

"If it was (former Badin coach) Terry Malone and I coaching against each other and he's running the T and I'm running the wishbone, it's probably over. But in today's game, anything can happen. Certainly it would have given them some momentum, and who knows what might have happened."

Senior memories

It wasn't the way the 15 seniors wanted it to end, but at least there was a bright spot at the end of the game when senior Toerner finished his brilliant career with one last touchdown pass on a 39-yard bomb to senior Scott Staarmann with 1:57 left in the game.

"We came in with every intention of winning, and that last drive is how it should've been from the beginning," Toerner said. "But that's how the seniors went off, with hard work and determination.

"I'm just happy to be a part of the class that helped get the program turned in the right direction."

Added Staarmann, "As a team we weren't gonna quit. We weren't gonna stop even though they got the best of us this game."

Ninety-minute drought

The Rams scored first in the regular-season game against Alter when Toerner hit Alex Rieman with a school-record 93-yard touchdown pass just 2 minutes and 41 seconds into the game.

Badin wouldn't score again the rest of the way, and they didn't score until 1:57 was left in Friday's rematch, a dry spell of 91:22.

"It was good to get that last one," Wirth said. "No one wants to walk out with a goose egg on the scoreboard."

Super Sanders

Sophomore Tyler Sanders tied his career high with five catches against Alter. "I knew they were gonna be hard on (senior Jake Wurzlebacher) and that I would get some opportunities," said Sanders, who also caught five passes in the Turpin game earlier this season.

He finished with 28 yards receiving.