Edison moves to 12-0 with win over Triway

MILAN — Bryson Wittmer completed the trifecta. The junior running back threw a touchdown pass, caught a TD reception, and added a bruising touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Cy Finnen accounted for the other three touchdowns for top-seeded Edison as the Chargers rolled to a 42-14 Division V, Region 18 playoff win over Wooster Triway on Friday. Edison improved to 12-0 and will face fifth-seeded Eastwood (10-1) at a neutral site that will be announced Sunday. "Offensively, we came out and executed and defensively we did as well," Edison coach Jim Hall said. "This is a good team and they moved the ball. They throw the ball well. It was a challenge for our secondary and really for the whole defense. We had to get pressure and be able to defend their screens and slips." The heroics from Wittmer started on the first drive of the game. He went for 15 yards on the first play of the game before Finnen added 21 yards on a carry later. As Edison got inside the Triway (8-4) red zone, it got tougher for the Chargers, but that just meant a little bit of trickery was needed. On fourth-and-5 at the Triway 9, Wittmer took the pitch to the short side, but instead of a rumble for a first down, he pulled up and hit a wide-open Grayson Smith for the touchdown. The first of six extra points by Alex Davidson put Edison up 7-0 just over five minutes in. "We do that pitch a lot and we've run it all year," Wittmer said. "Certain plays you keep for the playoffs and that was one of them. I was super stoked. I love throwing the ball. He called that play and my heart got so excited." The Chargers forced a turnover on downs on the first Titans' offensive possession and took advantage. With a short field, Edison churned away on the ground before Cayden Clere exploded for an 18-yard run to the Triway 1. Finnen punched it in from there on the next play, pushing Edison up 14-0. The Chargers showed even more impressive defensive process on the next Triway drive. The Titans were able to move the ball behind quarterback Luke Starr, using short passes to pick up big yards until Triway was at the Edison 2. But, the Chargers were up for the challenge. Edison stuffed three straight runs before an incomplete pass by Starr cut down the Triway drive without points. The Chargers were quick to seize the opportunity. Clere went for 36 yards on the first play and after two more first downs, quarterback Abe Hermes laid a dime in Wittmer's pocket with a beautiful 35-yard TD pass. Davidson made it 21-0 with 6:18 to go in the first half. "We have physical backs and we have a physical team," Hall said. "These guys don't run away from contact. I think if they can run through it, they'd run through it. They're physical and run down hill." Triway was able to get on the board with a 37-yard pass before forcing an Edison three-and-out. But with the Titans driving again, the Chargers' defense stepped up to the challenge. This time, Triway had 1st-and-goal at the Edison 1 after a 19-yard completion by Starr. But, an incomplete pass and four-yard loss on a run brought up third down. Two more incompletions forced by the Edison defense sent the Chargers into halftime up 21-7. "Our defense has been our thing all year," Hall said. "I give our kids a ton of credit because that's adversity. We were able to come up with enough stops. It is kids that have experience that have been on the field a lot." Triway fumbled on its first drive of the half with Zach Rang recovering the miscue. Edison needed just two plays to cash in as Finnen scored on a 17-yard run to make it 28-7. After the Titans went three-and-out, Edison methodically moved the ball down the field. Despite going just 44 yards, the Chargers ran 11 plays and guzzled 6:33 off the clock before a one-yard rumble by Finnen made it 35-7. Wittmer's big game was capped later in the fourth quarter. Facing third down, Hermes dumped a pass off to Wittmer who made a defender miss and ran over another for what became a 33-yard pass. A few plays later, he scored on a six-yard run, pushing Edison up 42-14. "The design of the play is for me to get in the boundary and stay there for a checkdown," Wittmer said. "The play that we ran wasn't open, so he checked it down to me. I love contact. I saw two guys in front of me and I knew they weren't going to tackle me." Starr was good for Triway. He completed 17-of-37 passes for 280 yards for the Titans. "You have to have your whole defense dialed into that," said Hall of preparing for a quarterback like Starr. "Linebackers have to do the right things. They have to drop and get depth. Your outside linebackers, you try to bring pressure to get them in the flats. There's a lot you have to prepare for." Clere led Edison in rushing with 10 attempts for 104 yards while Finnen ran 14 times for 82 yards. The Chargers defeated Eastwood last year in a second-round game, 38-7. Eastwood advanced Friday with a wild 56-49 road win over Creston Norwayne. "We'll scout them and prepare for them," Hall said. "We have to get better at the little things we do. We'll go to work on ourselves and our opponent and get ready for next week." Wooster Triway 0 7 0 14 — 21Edison 14 7 14 7 — 42 E — Grayson Smith 9 pass from Bryson Wittmer (Alex Davidson kick)E — Cy Finnen 1 run (Davidson kick)E — Wittmer 35 pass from Abe Hermes (Davidson kick)WT — Olley Krupp 37 pass from Luke Starr (DJ Corbett kick)E — Finnen 17 run (Davidson kick)E — Finnen 1 run (Davidson kick)WT — Starr 9 run (Corbett kick)E — Wittmer 6 run (Davidson kick)WT — Brody Snyder 1 run (Corbett kick)