New Lexington Panthers overcome a tough Heath Bulldogs team to advance in playoffs
By: Cameron Crego
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NEW LEXINGTON, Ohio (WOUB) — The New Lexington Panthers (10-1) hosted the Heath Bulldogs (8-4) on Friday in a regional quarterfinal matchup for Division 4 Region 15. The Panthers would take the 24-17 win and advance to the OHSAA Regional Semifinals.
Heath advanced to the second round of the playoffs after a nail-biting 22-21 victory in Lancaster against Fairfield Union. Meanwhile, New Lexington had earned a first-round bye, meaning this matchup would mark the beginning of their playoff campaign.
Both teams opened the game, struggling to move the ball offensively. However, the Bulldogs began to string together an offensive drive thanks to a series of runs by quarterback Ethan Grise. The drive would conclude with Cam Montgomery kicking a 32-yard-field goal to put Heath up 3-0 early in the second quarter.
On the following drive, the Panthers would make their way downfield as they sought a response. New Lexington would ultimately cash in, with Colton Mathias scoring from eleven yards out to put the Panthers in the lead 8-3.
The score would remain 8-3 entering halftime, but the Bulldogs received the ball coming out of the break and looked to take the lead. A productive drive allowed Heath’s Tristyn Jones to score a 17-yard touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 10-8.
New Lexington began to pull away late in the third quarter. Mathias would add a second touchdown to put the Panthers in the lead 14-10, and a successful two-point try gave New Lexington a 16-10 lead entering the final quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, an errant pass from Heath led to an interception for the Panthers’ Carson McCoy, who returned it for a touchdown that put New Lexington up 24-10.
The Bulldogs added a touchdown in the fourth, as Grise punched it in to halve the lead to 24-17. However, another interception for the Panthers and a successful fourth-down conversion allowed New Lexington to close out the 24-17 victory.
The Panthers will now advance to the regional semifinals where they will face the West Holmes Knights. Meanwhile, Heath’s season will end, but not without success, as they finished 8-4 and earned their first playoff win since 2023.