Trotwood’s stifling defense fell on a Wapakoneta fumble on the first play from scrimmage, and the only score the Rams needed came six plays later on speedster Raveion Hargrove’s 13-yard, tackle-breaking run.
Hargrove added two more scores — and 323 yards rushing — for insurance as No. 3 Trotwood beat top-seeded Wapakoneta 33-3 for the Division III, Region 10 championship. The victory at Lima Senior High School’s Spartan Stadium puts the Rams in the state semifinals for the sixth straight season.
Trotwood’s state semifinal opponent and the neutral-site location will be announced by the Ohio High School Athletic Association on Sunday afternoon.
“We don’t work to play in October. We work to play in late November,” Trotwood coach Jeff Graham said. “The guys buy into it. We ask a lot of them and they respond well.”
Behind an overpowering offensive line the Rams rolled up 501 yards in total offense, including 428 yards rushing on 49 carries. Hargrove did his damage on 30 carries for his fourth 300-yard rushing performance in his last five games (385, 361, 371 and 323).
“For his size, he has this little man in him that he wants to bring out,” Graham said of the 5-foot-7, 165-pound sophomore. “We told him (in the offseason) he had to put some more weight on because are you the kind of back that can run 25 times a game? We got that in his head in January. He wanted to prove to that little man in him he can do that.”
Trotwood’s offensive line of Kendall Turner, Trent Clark, Mickale Stewart, Elijah Edwards and Delrai Harris helped the Rams dominate early.
The defense did the rest. Trotwood (10-3) recovered three fumbles, including that first one by Daylon Duverglas, and had one interception. Wapak (12-1) — which until last week hadn’t scored less than 21 points in a game — finished with 172 yards of offense.
The difference this season, Graham said, was the Rams’ vaunted rushing attack. Trotwood threw the ball more last season, but Hargrove and his 2,816 yards give the Rams another option.
“Now we have a big-time running back, a big-time offensive line and a big-time defense,” Graham said. “We trust and believe in our run game. It’s what we do well so we’re going to stick with that.”
Wapakoneta coach Travis Moyer is 24-2 in his two seasons leading the Redskins. Both losses have come against Trotwood in the postseason.
Wapakoneta had its chances in this one, but two lost fumbles on its first two drives dug a 13-0 hole. The Redskins also dropped a certain touchdown pass on the Rams’ 20-yard line early in the third quarter trailing 13-3.
The Rams also came up with a stop on fourth-and-2 just before halftime on their own 30-yard line.
“I’m so proud of these young guys,” Graham said. “We’ve got a great mixture of older guys who are seniors and younger guys who are stepping up for us.”
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