By BRIAN SMITH
Sports Editor

TROY — The muddy shoe was on the other foot this time.

A year after watching Coldwater storm back twice from a 21-point deficit to snatch away their dreams of a Div. IV state championship in triple overtime, the Kettering Archbishop Alter Knights got back the best way they could.

They replicated a great escape.

The Knights engineered a come-from-behind 31-21 win over the No. 1-ranked Coldwater Cavaliers at a soggy Troy Memorial Stadium on Friday night to capture a Div. IV regional title.

It’s not quite a state title, but beating the defending champion and top-ranked team in Div. IV is a good start.

“The state championship went through Coldwater this year,” Alter head coach Ed Domsitz said. “They were the defending champions and they have some great kids.”

Coldwater went to the half with a 21-10 lead after capitalizing on Alter turnovers, snap snafus and a backwards punt in the first 24 minutes of play.

But a catastrophic 1:06 of the latter part of the third quarter sealed the Cavaliers’ fate.

Alter southpaw quarterback Austin Boucher, who is headed to the University of Toledo, rushed in from two yards out to finish off an 11-play, 59-yard drive to make it 21-16 with 1:48 left in the third quarter after the extra point was missed.

Two plays into Coldwater ensuing possession, Alter defensive back Matt Pirrello stepped in front of a Cory Klenke pass and wrestled away the ball from a Coldwater receiver in the flat for the interception.
Pirrello returned the ball down to the Coldwater seven yard line.

Boucher pounded the ball in from six yards out two plays later to give the Knights a lead they would never relinquish.

“Their quarterback just kept making play after play,” Coldwater head coach John Reed said. “We just couldn’t stop them.”

The Knights were flawless the rest of the way, getting back to the power running game that hasn’t been beaten on the field yet this season.Only forfeits to begin the season because of an ineligible player who got into the games has slowed down Alter.

“Tonight was the best football we’ve played all year,” Alter head coach Ed Domsitz said. “This game was hyped as much as any high school football game can be and it’s great to get this win. We played remarkable football.”

No one has slowed down the powerful running attack the Knights feature, either. Coldwater was no different.
Chris Borland, the Alter feature back who is headed to Wisconsin, ran for 107 yards and a touchdown, while Boucher had 90 yards rushing for Kettering Alter.

Boucher went 12-for-19 passing for 102 yards with an interception early in the game.
While Alter picked up steam on offense throughout the game, Coldwater stagnated. While Alter collected 241 yards rushing on offense, the Knights made the Cavs one dimensional.

Coldwater ran the ball 15 times for 64 yards.

“The game came down to the fact that our offense didn’t make enough plays in the second half," Reed said.

The Cavaliers didn’t make a first down in the second half until the fourth quarter.

Coldwater got the ball as deep as the Alter 35 yard line in the fourth quarter, but the Cavaliers’ drive stalled after a holding penalty put the Cavs behind the sticks. The Cavaliers (12-1) punted the ball away with 8:31 left in the game and wouldn’t see it again until the game was out of reach.

Borland added a late touchdown with just under two minutes left in the game to polish off a 16-play, 85-yard drive that bled the clock and the life from the Coldwater team.

Coldwater lost for the first time in 25 games — a loss to Marion Local midway through the 2007 campaign. “Alter has great kids and they had an outstanding gameplan tonight,” Reed said.

Coldwater built a 21-7 lead in the first half by capitalizing on Alter miscues.

Tony Harlamert went in from two yards out with 6:09 left in the first quarter to make it 7-0 in favor of the Cavaliers. The short scoring drive was set up by the possession before, when Coldwater punter Keith Wenning pinned Alter back at its own one-yard line.

A tipped pass on third down ended up in the hands of Klenke, who returned the ball down to the three yard line to set up Harlamert’s score.

Alter answered back to tie the game quickly. Borland finished off a five-play drive with an eight yard touchdown on an option pitch from Boucher.

Coldwater got good field position late in the first quarter on a high snap on a punt by Alter and the resulting negative-four yard punt. Coldwater went up 14-7 early in the second quarter on a Klenke to Zach Kaup 17-yard sliding touchdown reception in the ensuing possession.

Klenke went 20-for-36 pasing for 178 yards, a touchdown and an interception in his final game for the Cavaliers.

The year before against Alter, Klenke threw for seen touchdowns.It appeared that the Cavs night have another night like that one in the first half.

Coldwater made it 21-7 on a Trent Muhlenkamp scoop and run after Alter’s Danny Jasper coughed up the ball while being lassoed down on a punt return. Muhlenkamp picked up the loose ball and ran in from seven yards out.

Alter added a 26-yard field goal to end the first half scoring at 21-10 in favor of the Cavaliers. Alter committed just one penalty on the night for five yards.

Coldwater ended its season the way it ended each victory, by removing their helmets as the marching band played the alma mater. It was a somber good-bye to a fantastic two-year run with players like Cory Klenke, Adam Homan, Tony Harlamert, Marion de la Rosa and Brock Pleiman in leadership positions.

“You don’t want it to end here, but I’m proud of these guys,” Reed said. “We’re not just trying to win football games here. We’re trying to mold young men.”

Alter    7     3     14     7   -   31
CW      7   14       0     0   -   21

                                CW                 Alter
First Downs                14                     24
Rushing                    15-64             46-241
Passing-INT          21-37-193-1    12-19-124-1
Total Plays-Offense  52-257             65-365
Interceptions                1                     1
Penalties-Yards            6-49                 1-5

Scoring Summary
First Quarter
CW - Harlamert 2-yard TD run, 6:09, CW 7-0.
A - Borland 7-yard run, 3:42, 7-7.

Second Quarter
CW - Kaup 17-yard TD reception, 10:12, CW14-7.
CW - Trent Muhlenkamp 7-yard TD return, 21-7.
A - Jasper 26-yard field goal, 0:03, CW 21-10.

Third Quarter
A - Boucher 1-yard TD run, 1:48, CW 21-16.
A - Boucher 6-yard TD run, 0:42, A 24-21.

Fourth Quarter
A - Borland 3-yard TD run, 1:01, A 31-21.