DANVILLE — The dramatic Danville football season will write its next chapter on Friday night at Orrville’s Red Rider Stadium.
The third-ranked Blue Devils (12-1) tangle with fifth-ranked Cuyahoga Heights (11-1) at 7:30 p.m. in a Division VII state semifinal game. It will be tough for either team to top last week’s thrilling finishes.
Playing from behind all night, Danville quarterback Skyler Durbin scored on a 12-yard dash at the 1:02 mark to pull the Blue Devils within 28-27 of Hannibal River.
Coach Ed Honabarger decided to go for broke and eschewed the extra point kick for a two-point conversion attempt. He put the ball back in Durbin’s hand and the standout raced around the right end, extending the ball over the goal line just before barreling out of bounds for a 29-28 victory.
Durbin registered two rushing TDs and fired a touchdown pass to Corbin Hazen.
For Danville, who shared the Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference championship with Highland, it was yet another fantastic finish. In the annual grudge match with East Knox, Durbin led a late drive in the final minutes to pull out a 21-14 win.
The Blue Devils have won nine straight since a 26-0 loss at Highland on Sept. 15.
Cuyahoga Heights has lost only to perennial state powerhouse Kirtland, a 42-34 defeat on Oct. 20. Most recently, the Redskins edged Dalton 42-41 in a shootout for the regional championship.
Quarterback Ryan Polk fired three touchdown passes and ran for another score. Still Cuyahoga Heights trailed into the final minute before running back Lucas D’orazio scored his second TD of the game, a 2-yard plunge to knot the score. Dylan Drummond’s PAT was the game-winner.
In the other Division VII state semifinal, No. 1-ranked Norwalk St. Paul (13-0) plays Minster (9-4) at Lima Senior Spartan Stadium.
Ohio’s state football tournament includes the following games in these divisions:
Division I
Home team listed first. Pairings shown with current record and AP rank.
Region 1 vs. Region 2
6 Mentor (12-1) vs. Powell Olentangy Liberty (11-2) at Mansfield Senior Arlin Field.
Region 4 vs. Region 3
10 Cin. Colerain (11-2) vs. 8 Pickerington Central (12-1) at Springfield Evans Stadium.
Division II
Home team listed first. Pairings shown with current record and AP rank.
Region 6 vs. Region 5
1 Avon (13-0) vs. 5 Akron Archbishop Hoban (12-1) at Brunswick Auto Mart Stadium.
Region 7 vs. Region 8
Massillon Washington (10-3) vs. 2 Cin. Winton Woods (12-1) at Columbus St. Francis DeSales Alumni Stadium.
Division III
Home team listed first. Pairings shown with current record and AP rank.
Region 9 vs. Region 11
Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (10-3) vs. Dresden Tri-Valley (12-1) at Massillon Perry Stadium.
Region 10 vs. Region 12
8 Tol. Central Catholic (11-2) vs. 1 Trotwood-Madison (13-0) at Piqua Alexander Stadium.
Division IV
Home team listed first. Pairings shown with current record and AP rank.
Region 13 vs. Region 14
1 Steubenville (13-0) vs. 5 Shelby (13-0) at Univ. of Akron Infocision Stadium-Summa Field.
Region 15 vs. Region 16
New Concord John Glenn (11-2) vs. 7 Clarksville Clinton-Massie (12-1) at Hilliard Darby Stadium.
Division V
Home team listed first. Pairings shown with current record and AP rank.
Region 17 vs. Region 18
2 Canfield South Range (13-0) vs. 1 Pemberville Eastwood (13-0) at Strongsville Pat Catan Stadium.
Region 19 vs. Region 20
3 Wheelersburg (13-0) vs. Middletown Madison (11-2) at Chillicothe Herrnstein Field.
Division VI
Home team listed first. Pairings shown with current record and AP rank.
Region 24 vs. Region 22
1 Maria Stein Marion Local (13-0) vs. 5 Findlay Liberty-Benton (12-1) at Wapakoneta Harmon Field.
Region 21 vs. Region 23
2 Kirtland (13-0) vs. 3 Nelsonville-York (13-0) at New Philadelphia Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium.
