CANTON, OHIO – The Kenston Bombers captured their first Division III state championship with a 42-6 rout of the Kettering Archbishop Alter Knights. The Bombers scored the games final 42 points and made it look easy at times.
It was a masterful performance by Jon Tomcufcik who finished with 285 yards on 16 of 23 passing with 3 touchdown passes. Also shining bright tonight was running back Jack Porter who went for 116 yards on the ground, scoring three times.
Tomcufcik had plenty of weapons to throw to, and used them wisely. Jay Middleton had 6 catches for 123 yards. Bransen Stanley had 4 catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns while Tyler Mintz caught 4 passes for 71 yards, also scoring a touchdown.
A wild start to the game saw Tomcufcik sacked and stripped on the first play from scrimmage. One play later, the Knights gave the ball back on an interception tossed by Connor Bazelak. He would redeem himself however the next time the Knights touched the ball with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Derek Willits. The extra point would be blocked to follow.
The Bombers would rebound, facing a fourth and long on the Knights 40-yard line on their next drive. Tomcufcik hit a streaking Tyler Mintz over the middle on a well-timed slant to keep the drive going. A few plays later the long-limbed quarterback connected with Stanley from 13 yards, to put the Bombers on the board, and in the lead with the ensuing extra point 7-6. The extra point by Anna Sanders was the first point scored by a female in an OHSAA State Championship game.
The Bombers kept on rolling, after forcing a Knight 3 and out, they got the ball around midfield. It didn’t take long for Porter to find a wide-open hole, and streak into the endzone untouched from 58 yards out. The beautiful run by Porter gave the Bombers a 14-6 lead early into the second quarter.
Less then 3 minutes later, the Bomber defense would intercept Bazelak again and waste no time making the Knights pay for their mistake. On their first play after the turnover, Tomcufcik hit Stanley again, this time for 40 yards wide open in the endzone to increase the Bomber lead to 21-6. Making things even more impressive was the fact that Stanley was the one who made the interception to get the ball. An incredible two play sequence for the young man.
Already up 21-7 to start the second half, the Bombers had no intentions on taking their foot off the gas. Going right back to work, it was Tomcufcik picking apart the Knight defense once again. Converting another fourth down and this time for a touchdown to Mintz from 16 yards out. The game looked out of reach at 28-6.
If there was any hope of a Knight comeback, it went out the window on the Bombers next possession as a Porter 11-yard run, made it 35-6 Bombers with 2:47 left in the third quarter. The weather was freezing cold, but the Bombers offense was red hot.
Halfway through the fourth quarter, Porter scored his third touchdown of the game, and the running clock began at 42-6. The Bombers salted it away from there and finished the season 14-1 as Division Three State Champions.
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