By Drew Terhall

DailyAdvocate.com

BELLEFONTAINE — Tri-Village High School’s football season has come to a close. The Patriots lost to Allen East High School, 37-7, in the Division VI Regional Semifinals at Bellefontaine AcuSport Stadium.

Head Coach Matt Hopkins said it was a tough game where Allen East showed why they were the two seed in the region.

“Allen East was a disciplined, physical team that played really well tonight. As good teams do, they took advantage of our turnovers and mistakes,” Hopkins said.

In the game, the Patriots had four turnovers that resulted in 17 points by the Mustangs. In the first half, Allen East had a kick return and a punt return for a touchdown.

The Patriots lone score came from a junior Braden Keating touchdown pass in the last minute of the second quarter. However, the celebration would be short lived as the kick return for Allen East came after that score just before halftime.

The team had their chances, but the turnovers were too much to overcome.

Tri-Village ends their season with an 11-2 record with a 7-1 conference record and a share of the WOAC title.

Hopkins said after the game, he told his players how proud he was of them and all that they accomplished.

“What a great group of kids I got to coach this year. They came to work everyday locked in and ready to roll. You never want the season to end. Definitely going to miss this senior group. They have set the bar extremely high for future Patriot football players,” Hopkins said.

While the seniors will be missed, the Patriots will still have a lot of players returning next season for another chance at a WOAC title.

Contact Daily Advocate sports editor Drew Terhall at [email protected]