Hamler Patrick Henry wins V title

The 72 combined points was one more than the previous mark.
CANTON (AP) -- The seeds to Patrick Henry's first state championship were sown last year, and in the first quarter of the title game.
"Last year we lost in the state semifinals to St. Henry 13-0, and then they went on and beat Amanda-Clearcreek 35-7," Patrick Henry coach Bill Inselmann said after his team's 42-30 victory over Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Friday.
"That told us we belonged. We'd been knocking at the door, but from that we knew we could play. So our theme this year was, 'Unfinished Business.' "
Top rusher
Josh Strub rushed for 122 yards and three touchdowns to lead the top-ranked Patriots to the Division V championship.
"Last year's team is very responsible for giving us a taste of it," Inselmann said.
The title was the first in football for Patrick Henry (15-0), which was making its first appearance in a final. It was also business as usual for the Patriots, who came in averaging 46.6 points a game.
No. 5 Cincinnati Hills Christian (14-1) also was making its first appearance in the championship game, eight years after beginning its program.
The 72 combined points was one more than the previous mark set by Bedford Chanel (44) and Marion Pleasant (27) in 2001.
In addition, Patrick Henry's three-time first-team All-Ohio receiver, Marc Krauss, set a record for receiving yards in a Division V title game with 207 on eight catches -- and he only had one catch for 14 yards in the second half.
Outstanding reception
He had catches for 31 and 40 yards in first PH scoring drive, the latter for the touchdown. Quarterback Zack George lofted a high pass that required Krauss to readjust his route, twisting to catch the ball over his left shoulder and then beating defender Justin Jones to the end zone.
"That put the fear in the back of CHCA's mind that they couldn't man us up and get away with it," Krauss said.
George said when Krauss won the battle outside against man-to-man coverage in the first quarter the Patriots knew it would be their night.
"We scored that first touchdown and we loosened up," said George, who shared offensive player of the year and first-team all-state duties with his CHCA counterpart, Doug Browne. "Our guys were getting jitters. But then Marc proved he could beat anybody they had. Then our passing game opened up things for the run."
George completed 16-of-30 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. Browne countered with 23-of-44 passing for 259 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Prolific passing
The combined 74 passes was the most in a divisional title game and the second-most in any state final, as was the 572 passing yards.
Krauss had two TD catches, while Drew Kuesel threw one scoring pass to Krauss and rushed for one of his own.
CHCA's Jones had an 82-yard kickoff return, marking the first time that someone brought a kickoff back in a Division V title game.
"Early in the game, we moved the ball effectively but we didn't finish drives," said CHCA coach Mike Gims, whose team had an interception and lost two fumbles. "The turnovers didn't help either."
Down 21-0, Cincinnati Hills Christian scored a touchdown after time expired in the first half and then got the second-half kickoff, hoping the tide had swung in its favor.
But on the first play from scrimmage, Jones lost a fumble and Brian Yarnell, a second-team all-stater, recovered at the Eagles 39.
Strub finished the scoring drive with a 2-yard run behind a crushing block by Kuesel to make it 28-7.