Getting to Week 2 was the goal, whether by a point or by a blowout, for Mason High School in the first round of Division I, Region 4 action at home against Elder.
And it was by the narrowest margin that the Comets advanced to the second round of the football playoffs — and another date with Sycamore.
Mason claimed a 21-20 win over Elder on Friday, Nov. 4, taking advantage of a perfect night in PATs by Andrew Hauer. Elder kicker Sam Harmeyer missed the final PAT attempt, which left the Panthers with a 20-14 lead.
Matt Sora gave Mason its second — and final — lead with a 30-yard run with 9:33 remaining in the game.
Mason had opened with a 7- 0 lead on a 7-yard run by Jake Harris, but Elder came back to claim a 14-7 lead in the second quarter before Mason tied it right before halftime with a 12-yard Sora run.
Sora finished with 245 yards to pace the Comets.
Sycamore 42, Lebanon 20: A 14-year playoff drought ended for Lebanon at home, but the ending was not what the home fans were hoping for.
Lebanon turned the ball over on its first three possessions and fell into an early crevice against the Aves in a Division I, Region 4 opener.
“I think we were almost shell-shocked after the first play,” Lebanon coach Shawn Lamb said after his squad finished 7-4. “We didn’t respond real well. When you play with emotion, sometimes things don’t go well.”
Lebanon fumbled on its first play from scrimmage and two plays later, Sycamore’s Ra’Von Bonner was in the end zone for a 7-0 lead for the Aves (7-4).
Sycamore capitalizing on two of Lebanon’s three early turnovers en route to a 21-0 lead before Dakota Allen got Lebanon on the board with a 1-yard run with 4:21 remaining in the opening quarter.
“That’s tough with turning it over on the first play,” Lamb said. “When you get on the big stage like this against an opponent like them, we knew we had to limit our mistakes and get a few bounces and that didn’t happen.”
Allen’s last touchdown as a Warrior came on a 11-yard pass to Zach Zindel while backup Kyle Short threw his first playoff touchdown on the final play of the game to Nate Crawford.
“We got so far behind and they are a good football team,” Lamb said. “But I am proud of the way our guys fought until the end. I am proud of our senior class. We have been out of the playoffs for 14 years and they are leaving the program in better position for those coming after them.”
Miamisburg 28, Kings 24: Miamisburg capitalized on two big plays to end the Knights' season.
Kings trailed 21-3 before Tyler Knecht led the comeback with a trio of touchdown passes to give the visitors a 24-21 lead.
After Miamisburg used a big run for a 28-24 lead, Kings moved from its 10 to the Miamisburg 17 before turning the ball over on a bad exchange.
“They could not stop us and were dead in the water,” Kings coach Andy Olds said. “We finally played four quarters and everything really came together in the second half.”
Knecht threw for two scores and 179 yards while Nak’emon Williams led the ground attack with 66 yards.
With the exception of the two big runs, the Kings defense allowed just 113 yards in offense.
“Our kids played so hard and I am so proud of them,” Olds said. “They gave it their best, it just didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to and it broke a lot of our hearts that it ended the way it did.”