FAIRFIELD - As The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" says, "meet the new boss, same as the old boss."
When Tom Bolden left Colerain for Lakota West last winter, some thought it was a sign that Colerain's run in the Greater Miami Conference was coming to an end.
However, somebody forgot to tell new coach Shawn Cutright and the Colerain seniors.
When the overtime pass from Fairfield's Sawiaha Ellis to Dashaun Simpkins fell incomplete in the corner of the end zone Friday night, Colerain had hung on for their 20th straight GMC title and Cutright's first. The final: Colerain 16, Fairfield 10.
While red-clad Indians dropped to the ground in agony, Colerain in white uniforms danced to their sideline as champions yet again. Taking overtime snaps at quarterback, UC recruit Deshawn Pace found the endzone in the Cardinals' extra possession and that turned out to be the game-winner.
"Those guys played their butts off out there," Cutright said. "Everything wasn't going our way the whole night but we found a way at the end to get that victory. It's about the team. It's about the 27 seniors and all of the guys that played here before us. That's a great team over there. Fairfield is a great team. Great team, great athletes and they fought."
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Pace ran for 57 yards and added six tackles and an interception on defense, while quarterback Freddie Johnson ran for 42 yards. Jaylen Thomas was the game's top rusher with 90, with 70 of those on a long run. In the defeat, Fairfield quarterback Sawiaha Ellis had 79 yards and the Indians' only touchdown. The area's top Division I rusher JuThan McClain was held to a season-low 63 yards and was clearly not at 100 percent.
Fairfield outgained Colerain 218-211 in total yards and had over 11 minutes more in possession than the Cardinals, but couldn't get the score when they needed. Both teams stay alive and should host first-round OHSAA playoff games next week.
"It's going to be tough to regroup from this," Fairfield coach Jason Krause said. "There was a lot of emotion in this one tonight. Guys expected to win a game and we didn't. We have to figure out a way to regroup and realize that season two starts on Sunday."
Dating back to 2000 and then-coach Kerry Coombs (now of the Tennessee Titans) then Tom Bolden from 2007-2018, the Cardinals have won or shared every GMC championship. The last time they shared with Fairfield was 2005.
"It's a lot different because everybody counted us out at the beginning of the year," Pace said of Colerain's 20th straight league championship. "I give them (Fairfield) great props; they played a good game. But, GMC championship, that's 20 straight and it ain't going to leave."
Fairfield had a methodical drive lasting 7:43 in the first quarter thwarted in the red zone when Pace picked off quarterback Sawiaha Ellis. Colerain’s ensuing drive would last into the second quarter when kicker Cameron Ott booted a 32-yard field goal.
Later in the half, Indians fans would suffer a scare when top rusher JuTahn McClain needed help off the field. He would return before the half, but minus the Kentucky commit, Sawiaha Ellis plunged in from a yard away. Nick Maddy's extra point made it 7-3 Fairfield, which held up until halftime.
With Phil Thomas at tailback in the second half for the injured McClain, Ellis led the Indians on another drive but they had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Nick Maddy.
Colerain would rally and tie the game by the end of the third quarter as Freddie Johnson scored on a one-yard run.
McClain would re-enter the game in the fourth quarter and the Indians would come down to a 4th-and-1 call near the goal line with 7:37 left. However, Ellis kept the ball and the Cardinals snuffed it out to keep the game tied.
Colerain's defense would come up big again with 2:01 to go when Sean Williamson picked off a pass in the end zone. Colerain would be able to launch a final drive, but Ott's field goal from 32 yards to win was wide left sending the game to overtime.
In the overtime, the Cardinals ran a Wildcat formation with Pace, who scored to put the Cardinals up 16-10. Ott's extra point was blocked.
"Whatever they need me to play on our team I"m going to put it on my back and we're going to go out there and win," Pace said.
Fairfield then tried to penetrate Colerain's defense and did get close courtesy of a fourth-down pass interference call. However, they were again pushed back and finally on 4th and 13 the pass from Ellis to Dashaun Simpkins was incomplete. The Cardinals jumped for joy while the Indians sank to their knees.
Colerain's lone loss was Sept. 6 to St. Xavier 21-14. They became the third team to hold Fairfield under 30 points, joining Springfield and Lakota East. Fairfield's 10 points was a season-low, albeit with an injured senior running back McClain.
"He missed probably half the game and wanted to come back in," Krause said of McClain. "He just wasn't himself, but he's a warrior. He wanted to go. He said, 'Coach I can contribute and do my job.'"
McClain's previous low rushing total was 126. He finishes the regular season with 1,800 yards.
COLERAIN 0 3 7 0 6
FAIRFIELD 0 7 3 0 0
C - Ott 32-yard FG
F - Ellis 1-yard run (Maddy kick)
F - Maddy 20-yard FG
C- Johnson 1-yard run (Ott kick)
C- Pace 1-yard run (kick blocked)
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