Alter thwarts Mauk in big spots

Kenton QB tests Alter defense

Maty Mauk

WAPAKONETA — The Alter High School defense watched plenty of video clips of Kenton High School quarterback Maty Mauk and his semi-sidearm passing delivery.

The defenders, like fans across the state, gawked at Mauk’s passing numbers. Entering Friday’s Division IV, Region 16 final against the Knights, Mauk had already passed for 5,280 yards and 65 touchdowns during the previous 12 games of his junior season.

Even with the preparation, getting used to the five-wide receiver, no-running back, no-huddle set was a challenge.

“I think in the first quarter we were a little wide-eyed, and a little nervous to start out,” said Alter defensive lineman Charlie Gough. “Just going against someone like him and a team so prolific.”

But, when it had to, Alter was able to slow and stop the jaw-dropping Kenton offense. Holding the Wildcats to two touchdowns in the final three quarters, the defense helped the Knights hold on for a 35-32 come-from-behind victory on Wapakoneta’s Harmon Field.

But, with Mauk and the Kenton offense, nothing is easy on the defense. Mauk completed 28-of-45 passes for 386 yards and four touchdowns, and he rushed for 78 yards and a score.

On Kenton’s final five drives after the Wildcats took a 26-14 lead with 10:07 left in the third quarter, Alter forced a punt (extremely rare for Kenton), got an interception from senior linebacker T.J. Dorow, allowed a 65-yard scoring drive, stopped Mauk on a fourth-down run and, on the final possession, knocked down a fourth-down pass with about 31.6 seconds left.

The offense took advantage of the opportunity by setting up three rushing touchdowns of 1, 70 and 24 yards by quarterback Zane Pitzer. The last of those came with 1:33 left to set the final margin, but 93 seconds was a lot to Mauk and the Kenton offense.

The Wildcats got a 16-yard pass, an incompletion, and a 9-yard pass to set up third-and-1 at the Alter 48-yard line. But Kenton was then whistled for a false start, and Mauk threw two incompletions to finish the wild Knights rally.

“He,” Alter coach Ed Domsitz said of Mauk, “is as good as I’ve seen.”

But, despite all the yards, Alter got just enough when it needed to advance to its third consecutive state semifinal.

Looming, however, is another season in the same division with Mauk.

“We just weren’t able to finish off what we needed to and take full advantage,” said Kenton coach Mike Mauk, Maty’s father. “When we had to make a play, we didn’t.”