HIGHLIGHTS ABOVE
WHEELING, W.Va. – While the 2012 Class AAA and Class AA state football championship games lacked late-game dramatics, the Class A title game certainly made up for it. Wahama, playing in its second title game in three years, won its first state football championship by beating Madonna 43-42 in overtime.
The two teams traded the lead six times, combining for the most points in Class A title game history — Wahama won the contest on a gutsy two-point conversion in the extra session.
“I think we’ll go down in history for a long time,” said Wahama quarterback Trenton Gibbs after the win. “This team will be remembered for a while. But, I’m just glad to win it not only for us, but for all of the other Wahama teams that have tried and not made it in the past.”
Wahama made it to the semifinals in 2011 after an undefeated regular season, but sputtered in the semifinals on the road at Williamstown. Back in 2010, another undefeated Wahama team came up short in the state title game, falling to Wheeling Central.
But the White Falcons wouldn’t be denied in 2012.
2012 Class A Championship Stats
WAHAMA
Total offense: 416 yards
Rushing: 338 yards
Passing: 78 yards
Rushing leaders
Kane Roush: 170 yards on 23 carries, 3 touchdowns
Zach Wamsley: 112 yards on 21 carries, 3 touchdowns
Trenton Gibbs: 56 yards on 8 carries
Passing
Trenton Gibbs: 78 yards on 5 of 8 passing
Receiving
Kane Roush: 78 yards on five catches
MADONNA
Total offense: 357 yards
Rushing: 226 yards
Passing: 131 yards
Rushing leaders
Ross Comis: 145 yards on 27 carries, 5 touchdowns
Eliot Nero: 55 yards on 8 carries
Nick Ossman: 26 yards on 6 carries
Passing
Ross Comis: 131 yards on 8 of 9 passing, 1 touchdown
Receiving
Garrett Hypes: 56 yards on 3 catches
Will Bowser: 19 yards on 2 catches
Nathan Guio: 41 yards on 1 catch
Marcello Biondello: 21 yards on 1 catch, 1 touchdown
2012 Class A State Championship Scoring
1st Quarter
05:22 MADONNA – Ross Comis 17 yard run (Matthew Green kick) 7-0 Madonna
00:03 WAHAMA – Zach Wamsley 9 yard run (Wyatt Zuspan rush failed) 7-6 Madonna
2nd Quarter
11:19 MADONNA – Ross Comis 2 yard run (Matthew Green kick) 14-6 Madonna
08:09 WAHAMA – Zach Wamsley one yard run (Trenton Gibbs pass failed) 14-12 Madonna
3rd Quarter
05:59 WAHAMA – Kane Roush 17 yard run (Zach Wamsley pass from Trenton Gibbs) 20-14 Wahama
04:20 MADONNA – Ross Comis 12 yard run (Matthew Green kick) 21-20 Madonna
02:27 WAHAMA – Kane Roush 4 yard run (Kane Roush rush) 28-21 Wahama
4th Quarter
08:33 MADONNA – Ross Comis 6 yard run (Matthew Green kick) 28-28
06:45 WAHAMA – Kane Roush 41 yard run (Zach Wamsley kick) 35-28 Wahama
00:48 MADONNA – Marcello Biondello 21 yard pass from Ross Comis (Matthew Green kick) 35-35
Overtime
MADONNA – Ross Comis 2 yard run (Matthew Green kick) 42-35 Madonna
WAHAMA – Zach Wamsley one yard run (Trenton Gibbs rush) 43-42 Wahama
WAHAMA 2012 PLAYOFF SCORES
1st Round: Beat Buffalo, 38-0
Quarterfinals: Beat Greenbrier West, 21-12
Semifinals: Beat Magnolia, 10-7
CHAMPIONSHIP: Beat Madonna, 43-42 OT
Below: Postgame interview with Wahama head coach Ed Cromley
Below: Postgame interview with Wahama running back Kane Roush
Below: Postgame interview with Madonna head coach Doug Taylor
FULL ORIGINAL METRONEWS GAME RECAP FROM DECEMBER 1, 2012
Save the best for last.
After two blowout games at the Super Six, Wahama and Madonna delivered a thrilling, high scoring, overtime affair on Saturday night as the White Falcons won their first-ever state football title, 43-42 over Madonna.
“Everybody (who has been a part of Wahama football) can take pride in this, that they had a part in the accomplishment that these guys had,” said veteran Wahama head coach Ed Cromley. “It’s a payback to the hard work that they’ve done in the past for us.”
After Madonna scored first in overtime to take a 42-35 lead, Wahama answered with a Zach Wamsley one-yard touchdown run to bring the White Falcons within a point. With a chance to end the game and secure the state title, Wahama opted to go for two as quarterback Trenton Gibbs took the ball in for the conversion and dramatic overtime win.
“I didn’t want to put the ball in the air – I knew if me or (Zach) Wamsley got the ball we wouldn’t let anything stop us from getting in the end-zone,” Gibbs said.
A Madonna defensive penalty gave Wahama the ball from the one-and-a-half yard line prior to the conversion attempt.
Regardless, it’s been a long-time coming for the new Class A champs. Wahama made it to the semifinals a year ago after an undefeated regular season, but sputtered in the semifinals on the road at Williamstown. Back in 2010, another undefeated Wahama team came up short in the state title game, falling to Wheeling Central.
But the White Falcons wouldn’t be denied in 2012.
“That’s all we’ve been dreaming about since we came here the first time and ever since I’ve been a little kid, that’s all I’ve ever thought about and it’s finally happened,” Gibbs said. “It’s just unbelievable and seems like a dream.”
Gibbs, meanwhile, has come a long way himself since leading the White Falcons to the Island as a sophomore two years ago.
“He showed a lot of maturity in the game tonight and I thought when we were up here last time he was a little rattled and there were reasons for that – he got tagged a couple of times,” Cromley said. “Tonight, he was more in control of the game.”
Gibbs finished the contest with 78 passing yards, another 56 yards on the ground and that converted two-point conversion. Running backs Kane Roush and Wamsley, meanwhile, sparked Wahama’s offense on the ground as the two combined for 282 yards and six touchdowns.
“I was a little surprised (at how well both teams moved the ball),” Roush said. “I figured both defenses would be a lot better, but our offense won the ball game in the end. We were clicking pretty good – the line was blocking and everybody was getting their blocking assignments.”
In all, Roush totaled 7.4 yards per carry, while the bigger Wamsley put together 5.3 yards per carry.
“Kane and I are two really good backs, but we couldn’t do it without a good line,” Wamsley said. “It takes a whole team to win a football game.”
Wahama trailed at the break, 14-12, but a 17-yard touchdown run by Roush put the White Falcons up 20-14 early in the second half. The two teams then traded scores until a Roush 41 yard touchdown run with 6:45 to go gave Wahama the 35-28 lead.
With under a minute to go, however, Madonna quarterback Ross Comis connected on a 21-yard touchdown pass with Marcello Biondillo to send the contest into the extra session tied at 35 apiece.
“It wasn’t a good feeling,” Wamsley said of the late score. “But we stayed together and stayed as a team and came out with the win.”
Wamsley totaled 112 yards and three touchdowns, while Roush tallied 170 yards and three scores as well, to go along with five catches for 78 yards. For Madonna, Comis finished the contest with 152 rushing yards and five touchdowns, to go along with another 131 yards and one more score through the air.
The 85 combined points between the two teams are a Class A state title game record. And for Wahama, the monumental win will be remembered for a long time to come.
“I think we’ll go down in history for a long time,” Gibbs said. “This team will be remembered for a while. But, I’m just glad to win it not only for us, but for all of the other Wahama teams that have tried and not made it in the past.”