The varsity football team traveled to Wayne on Friday night to end their regular season and with the GWOC title already settled only playoff positioning was on the line. The game got off to an inauspicious start for the Elks, who were caught off guard as Wayne took control right from the beginning. The Elks' first possession ended in a quick three-and-out, and it only took Wayne's second play from scrimmage to score on a 61-yard touchdown pass, but a failed fake PAT left the score at 6-0, favoring Wayne, with 9:57 left in the first quarter.

As the game progressed, the Elks offense found its footing. They managed to march the ball down inside the Wayne 35-yard line, but the windy conditions made a field goal attempt unfeasible. Facing a fourth down, the Elks had no choice but to go for it, but they were stopped. Wayne took over at their own 32-yard line and appeared to have been contained, but an untimely unsportsmanlike penalty extended their drive. Wayne capitalized on the opportunity, executing a perfect tunnel screen on a 3rd and 14 from the Elks' 32-yard line. Their wide receiver scampered 32 yards for a touchdown, increasing Wayne's lead to 12-0, as the two-point conversion attempt failed.

The Elks' misfortune continued as Wayne's defense intercepted a pass from senior quarterback Drake Wells. The Wayne defensive back ran it back for a touchdown, and with a successful PAT, Wayne stretched their lead to 19-0, with 11:50 to go in the first half.

The Elks began to regain their footing. With 2:08 left in the half, Wells connected with senior Bryce Cowgill for a 23-yard touchdown pass, finally putting Centerville on the board at 19-7.

The Elks' defense then forced Wayne into punt from deep within their territory. But Wayne's punter inadvertently stepped out of the back of the end zone, awarding the Elks a safety. With the score at 19-9 and 1:41 left in the half, the Elks seemed to have gained some momentum.

The Elks got the ball back following the safety, taking possession at the Wayne 41-yard line. However, they couldn't muster a first down. Junior kicker Leland Gantz attempted a challenging 53-yard field goal with a strong wind at his back, but it fell short, leaving the Elks trailing 19-9 at halftime.

Wayne had the ball starting the second half and the Elks chose to pooch kick the ball against the heavy wind. The Wayne player fumbled the ball and the officials signaled Centerville ball, then change it to Wayne, then back to Centerville and finally they decided it was Wayne ball. So the Warriors survived that situation and their offense took control of the game with a 66 yard TD drive aided by defensive penalties and catching the defense substituting and ran it in from 5 yards out to make it 26-9 with 8:48 left in the 3rd quarter.

The Elks offense then went 80 yards as sophomore QB Shane Cole made his varsity debut and used his legs to do most of the damage. Reggie Powers ran it in from 3 yards out and the Elks trailed 26-16 with 2:10 left in the 3rd quarter. For the remainder of the game the defenses controlled the game and their were no more scoring threats until Wayne sacked Wells on a 4th down and used the short field to run it in from 13 yards out to take a 32-16 lead as the PAT was blocked. The game would end with Wayne beating the Elks 32-16.

The Elks finish at 8-2 overall, 6-1 in the GWOC and Champions! I know none of us are happy about last night's outcome but hats off to Wayne for playing inspired and making plays. The Elks have had an incredible season given their schedule. It appears that the Elks will finish as the 4th seed in Region 2 and have the potential to host 2 playoff games but that only happens if the Elks win at home Friday night October 27th at 7:00 pm vs, Olentangy Orange. The Elks have won 19 of their last 20 games at Centerville Stadium. Our fans play a huge role in that success, we need you to come out!

PASSES are no longer good for OHSAA playoff games. You need a ticket to get into the game. Buy your tickets online to save money. If you buy online at www.ohsaa.org/tickets the cost is $12 for adults and $9 for students. If you choose to pay cash at the gate the cost is $15 for all ages 5 and up. Buy online!

A reminder that TicketSpicket is not where you get tickets for postseason. You must go to ohsaa.org/tickets