By BRIAN SMITH
Sports Editor

COLDWATER — Running backs with flashy numbers and sterling reputations like Everett Horne often enter a game against the Coldwater Cavaliers brimming with confidence. Once again on Friday night, another left Cavalier Stadium wondering how anyone could ever actually score on the Coldwater first-team defense.

Well, it has happened one time this year. But not on this night. Not the way this defense was playing.

The Cavaliers landed three early first-quarter punches and knocked the North College Hill Trojans (7-4) to the mat by the half to pick up a 42-0  opening round playoff win and advance to play Dayton Oakwood next Friday night at a place to be determined.

The Trojan’s Horne entered the contest with over 1,700 yards  and 25 touchdowns rushing this season. He danced ,spun and juked to try to get to the corner, but the Coldwater defense cut him off at the edge and held the scatback to just 50 yards rushing. Linebacker Adam Homan met him in the hole time after time, sending Horne backwards and the Trojans toppling from the playoff bracket.

Things were even worse for Horne’s quarterback. Dakota Dartis lost 32 yards in rushing yards, including a handful of sacks by the Cavs defense that never allowed the Trojans’ high-powered attack to get going.

“All week long, every time you thought about those guys (Horne and Dartis), you thought about them going BOOM! and heading up the sideline,” Coldwater head coach John Reed said, motioning with his hands like a jet taking off.  “I just can’t say enough about the defensive discipline. There was only one time Horne was able to cut back and make a big play against us. Even then we did a good job of stretching the field. It takes great discipline to play against those guys, because their speed with kill you.”

All Horne and Dartis could do is receive a hug and an encouraging word from their head coach after the game. The guys wearing the color of a jack-o-lantern on Halloween offered no respite from a nightmarish scenario for the duo.

“We’re a momentum team,” Trojan head coach Bruce Baarendse said. “We knew this was going to be a tall task...We knew we were going to have to take some chances early. It seemed the whole first half, we were playign backed up and they had great field position. When we looked at the tapes this week we were impressed by Coldwater’s offensive and defensive lines and they kind of proved that tonight.”

The Coldwater defense crushed the Trojans’ spirit early after North College Hill was stuck deep in its own territory on offense and unable to gain a first down.

“We get a three and out and then we go right in and score,” Reed said. “We built off that. I don’t know if that was deflating to them or not, but it certainly helped us. Hey, we can do it. We can do it. Then we kept building off it. This is as good of a team effort as we’ve had all year.”

Cory Klenke, Tony Harlamert and the Coldwater offense was its usual efficient self. The Cavs (11-0) rolled up 420 total yards, pulling the starters after a touchdown drive to begin the second half.

The Cavs rushed for 158 yards and passed for 258 yards and got four yards by recovering its own fumble.

It was that kind of night that even fumbles gained yards for the Cavaliers.

Utility back Tony Harlamert extended his consecutive games with a catch to a new  state record 38, after he caught four passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. The Midwest Athletic Conference offensive player of the year added 53 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Coldwater head coach John Reed was thrilled with how his team contained Horne and brought the intensity for Week 11, and sees his team learning from past mistakes.

Horne, who punts for the Trojans, took off on a fourth and long on a fake punt play. Horne appeared to have the corner before Keith Wenning sniffed the play out and forced Horne into the sideline before reaching the marker for a first down.

It was the game in a microcosm — a team that just never could around the corner against a talented squad that was thinking and reacting quicker than the Trojans. 

“Keith Wenning made a tremendous play on that play,” Reed said. “In the Anna game, they got us on a fake punt. They burned us on that. Keith said, it’s not gonna happen twice. Just tackling Horne out there is a tremendous, tremendous feat. He’s a great back.”

Coldwater, who has now outscored opponents 455-60 this season, faces Dayton Oakwood, who defeated Jonathan Alder 12-10 on Friday night in another Div. IV playoff game.



NCH    0      0     0      0   —   0
CW    21     14    7      0   —   0

Scoring Summary
First Quarter
CW — Mitch Gierre 35-yd TD pass from Cory Klenke, CW 7-0, 9:07.
CW — Tony Harlamert 10-yd TD pass from Cory Klenke, CW 14-0, 4:45.
CW — Cory Klenke 3-yd TD run, CW 21-0, 0:40.
Second Quarter
CW — Klenke 7-yd TD run, CW 28-0, 4:31.
CW — Tony Harlamert 31-yd TD pass from Klenke, 35-0, 1:48.
Third Quarter
CW — Harlamert 6-yd TD run, 42-0, 9:31.

                        CW                    NCH
Rushing        38-162                    27-17
Passing          8-18-258             13-29-117
Total Offense  420                       134
Turnovers          1                          2