CLEVELAND, Ohio – Poland Seminary beat Manchester 24-13 on Friday night to advance to the Division V, Region 17 semifinal of the OHSAA playoffs.
Poland Seminary, seeded No. 3, improves to 11-2 and will play No. 1 South Range next week. Manchester, which was the No. 2 seed, finishes its season 11-2.
The Bulldogs led 17-13 entering the fourth quarter, and sealed the game with a Pano Xipolitas touchdown in the final five minutes.
Manchester’s Phil Partin started the game with a touchdown off a 67-yard run for the Panthers‘ only lead of the game. The Bulldogs’ Vito Komara tied things at 7-7 in the second quarter on a 34-yard run. Three minutes later, Angelo Angelilli scored to give the Bulldogs the lead.
Partin scored his second touchdown near the end of the second quarter, but the extra point was no good. The Bulldogs made a 35-yard field goal at the end of the first half to extend the lead to 17-13.
The Bulldogs started the third quarter on their own 1-yard line and remained in possession of the ball the entire quarter, ending on the Panthers 25-yard line. After 12 minutes, the Panthers made a stop and regained possession.