COLUMBUS, Ohio − Saturday's Division IV state football semifinal featured the first-ever contest between two of Ohio's storied high school football programs.
Wyoming and Steubenville are both Top 5 in Ohio High School Athletic Association history in total wins and have combined for 63 playoff trips, 27 Final Four berths, 12 state championship appearances and six state titles. So, it's no surprise that the first meeting between the two teams was an instant classic at Historic Crew Stadium.
With 55 seconds remaining, Wyoming junior linebacker D.J. Gray's 52-yard interception return for a touchdown gave the Cowboys a come-from-behind 32-20 victory.
"We worked extremely hard. They (Steubenville) are a very good football team," Wyoming head coach Aaron Hancock said. "We just had to keep battling. That's all it was. It was a next-man-up mentality, line up and forget about the last play, do your job and good things happen when you do that."
Gray had an impact on both sides of the ball, reeling in seven catches for 83 yards on offense. He turned in a special Final Four appearance while wearing the jersey (No. 12) of teammate Anderson Mitchell, who suffered a season-ending leg injury against Deer Park in September.
"I just thought in the playoffs I had to honor my boy," Gray said. "It was a special moment."
Just minutes before Gray's game-winning pick-six, Wyoming was reeling. Steubenville, led by running back Savier Faulks (18 carries, 182 yards), took a 20-19 lead when the junior ran for a 70-yard touchdown with 8:09 remaining. On Wyoming's ensuing drive, the Cowboys went three-and-out in their own territory and opted for a fake punt to Tony Blair, which the Big Red stopped at the 37-yard line.
Steubenville picked up a pair of first downs and advanced to the Wyoming 12 before a mishandled exchange was fumbled and Blair hopped on the fumble with 3:53 remaining.
Needing a score to keep its season alive, Wyoming proceeded to go 84 yards on seven plays. Quarterback Quaid Hauer went 16-of-26 for a career-high 274 yards and had key completions on the go-ahead to drive to Gray and Will Svendsen, who had a game-high 122 receiving yards on five receptions.
"One hundred percent, this was one of my favorites (wins)," Hauer said. "It was the hardest one, easily, and we stuck together and we're going to state."
Hancock added: "He (Hauer) is a competitor. Our kids are just selfless teammates to each other, and they just do whatever needs to be done for this team to be successful. It was special to watch. He did answer the call tonight. We knew it was gonna happen, a point in time where we're gonna have to count on some guys and tonight they came through."
The drive was capped by senior running back C.J. Hester, who returned from a lower leg injury and broke a 33-yard run to set up first-and-goal before running for a 4-yard touchdown that put the Cowboys ahead for good with 1:50 remaining.
Hester was held under 100 rushing yards for the first time all season but still found the endzone three times. The Ohio Mr. Football finalist had 94 rushing yards and two touchdowns to go with a pair of receptions for 50 yards and a score.
"Winning with your brothers feels good," Hester said. "When I got to the sidelines (after the injury), I had to get back out there because my team needed me."
Steubenville used its deep backfield to become the first team to score three touchdowns all year against Wyoming, which came into the night as just the seventh team in OHSAA history to have 10 shutouts in a season. On top of Faulks' big night, senior running back Gavin Bozica ran for 84 yards on 10 attempts and bruising full back Spenser Ostovich ran for two touchdowns.
But when it needed stops, Wyoming's defense was able to take the ball away in key moments and the offense took advantage with much-needed points. Hester, playing defensive back late in the game, intercepted a deep ball from Steubenville quarterback Phaeton Hill to set up the final kneel-downs.
Hester gained just 9 yards on his first 10 attempts, but the Wyoming offense still managed a pair of drives that resulted in field goals from sophomore kicker Carter Rummer (28 and 36 yards). Hauer, who hadn't eclipsed 100 passing yards since September, hit Gray on a pair of 24-yard throws to set up the first Rummer boot that made it 3-0.
After Steubenville answered to take a 7-3 lead, Hauer found Svendsen for 49 yards to set up Rummer's 36-yarder that clanked off the left upright and through to trim the Big Red's lead to 7-6. On the Cowboys' final first-half drive, Hester finally found running room on a 34-yard screen pass, which was his first reception since week four. Hester's 4-yard touchdown run with 24 seconds left in the second quarter gave Wyoming a 13-7 advantage going into the locker room.
Hester eclipsed 3,000 yards rushing for the season and 7,000 for his career. The Western Michigan commit is the first Greater Cincinnati player to run for 3,000 yards in a season since Williamsburg's Jason Bainum, who did it in 2000 (3,043) and 2001 (3,386). Hester sits eighth all-time in single-season rushing yards (3,061).
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