With the film from that game plus more film of Bellbrook in recent weeks, Alter had plenty of information to prepare for a rematch in the first round of the Division III, Region 12 playoffs.
“We prepared great,” Cripps said, “and we came out there and we handled business.”
Cripps ran for a touchdown in the first quarter and returned an interception for another score in the third quarter in a 35-7 victory Friday at Roush Stadium.
“He’s just done that really his entire career,” Alter coach Ed Domsitz said. “You could tell he was something special, even as a freshman, and I think that whether he’s on offense or defense, he certainly is one of the best football players I’ve ever coached.”
No. 8 seed Alter (8-3) advanced to a second-round game against No. 3 seed Badin (9-1) on Nov. 7 in Hamilton. Badin beat Alter 28-14 in Week 9 in Hamilton.
Alter and Badin last met in the playoffs in 2020 with Alter winning 20-3 in Hamilton.
Before the game Friday, Alter held a moment of silence for Nick Mangold, the Alter grad and former Ohio State and New York Jets star who died Saturday after battling kidney disease.
Cripps entered the game as the second-leading rusher (806 yards) in the Greater Catholic League Co-Ed Division. The touchdown run was his 11th of the season. He also has two receiving touchdowns and a return touchdown. Now he has an interception return for a score.
Cripps wasn’t the only star for Alter. Noah Jones ran for two touchdowns, and quarterback Rod Owens Jr. threw a touchdown pass to Henry Schneider with 4 seconds remaining in the first half to give Alter a 21-0 lead.
“That was big,” Domsitz said. “That opened it up a little bit. We were a little comfortable. I think that drive and the pick were two things that were just going to be very difficult for them to come back after.”
No. 11 seed Bellbrook finished the season 6-5. It failed to win a first-round game for the first time since 2020.
Bellbrook’s only score came when Bronson Epifano scored on a 35-yard run to break up the shutout early in the fourth quarter. That prevented Alter from recording two shutouts in a row for the first time this season. It blanked Chaminade Julienne 42-0 in Week 10.
“I think our defense has done a great job all year,” Domsitz said. “They just come out ready to play, ready to hit. It’s special watching it. We make a few mistakes, but oftentimes we’re able to bounce back. And let’s face it, our defense, much of the time, has kept us in the game until the offense got rolling.”
Credit: David Jablonski
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