For the third straight year, Indian Hill High School's football season has ended with a defeat against Wyoming.

In a rematch of a Cincinnati Hills League game two weeks ago, the Cowboys prevailed 27-7 Saturday at Princeton's Viking Stadium to move on to the Division IV regional final.

After trailing early in the second quarter 7-0, the Cowboys tied the Braves by half and shut them out 20-0 in the second half. University of Cincinnati commit Evan Prater hit Cooper Kadish on a short pass before halftime to knot the game, then ran in all three second-half scores himself.

"These guys (Indian Hill) are a great team," Wyoming coach Aaron Hancock said. "They're a quality opponent, they're well-coached, they play hard. It's always a challenge to play a team twice, let alone twice in three years and let alone Indian Hill. They gave us all they could have."

Added Wyoming senior Prater, "They came out and competed hard and gave us some rough times. Schematically what they were doing was kind of hard. Second half, we came out with a different energy. I love the competitive nature of our team and I just want to keep it going in the playoffs."

The Cowboys outgained Indian Hill 291-42. Prater was 9-for 12 passing for 106 yards and ran for 85. Beau Thomas added 41 yards and Brennan Pagan had 36. 

For Prater and fellow Wyoming senior Camden O'Gara, it was their seventh game against Indian Hill in four years. 

"I love a lot of those guys," O'Gara said of Indian Hill. "We've been close ever since middle school. We've been two of the best teams in the league for four years. The seven games have been the best seven games of my career."

The first quarter was scoreless as the Braves keyed on Prater who had run for 303 yards against them two weeks ago. Prater and receiver Joop Mitchell hooked up for a couple of big gains, but the Cowboys couldn't get inside the red zone. 

Indian Hill would only run nine offensive plays in the first half, but a 65-yard punt return to the house by Tre Lopez provided the game's first score early in the second quarter. There would be no more points until 30 seconds before halftime when Prater found Kadish in the back of the end zone on 4th and 2.

After running 35 plays to Indian Hill's nine in the first half, the best Wyoming could do was tie the score. The points were nonetheless important as Wyoming had to kick-off to the Braves to start the second half. 

"We had to somehow steal a possession," Hancock said. "We were able to get that when they fumbled. We went down the field and got up on them. I'm very proud of our guys continuing the fight every single time."

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