Minster stuns Kirtland ito win D-VI state football title

COLUMBUS - Trailing by nine, Minster scored, recovered an onside kick and scored again in the final 2:22 to stun defending champ Kirtland 46-42 in the Division VI high school football state championship at Ohio Stadium on Friday.

Minster quarterback Josh Nixon completed 26 of 41 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns. His final TD strike was a quick out to Eli Wolf, who dodged one Kirtland defender and caused two others to collide. That enabled the Eastern Michigan University commit to race down untouched 51 yards down the sideline.

That was set up by Evan Huelsman’s 2-yard TD run that pulled Minster within 42-40. The Wildcats (12-3) then recovered an onside kick that resulted in Wolf’s winning score.

It was the first of what could be three state titles claimed by Midwest Athletic Conference teams. Coldwater (D-V) and Marion Local (D-VII) both play for titles at Ohio State University on Saturday.