TIFFIN — It wasn’t happening Friday night. It may not happen Saturday or even in the next week.
But at some point, members of the 2024 Lexington High School football team will recall a season that began 0-3 and ended with two victorious playoff games and competing in a regional semifinal.
Certainly, a 35-7 loss to defending state champion and No.-1 seed Toledo Central Catholic (12-1) at Tiffin’s Frost-Kalnow Stadium stung — especially for the small group of seniors playing in their final game for the Minutemen.
But Lexington coach Andrew Saris knows the time will come when reflection results in satisfaction after a 7-6 season that extended deep into November. Four of those six losses came against teams that were all 12-1 as of Friday night.
“I told the seniors how proud of them I am and thanked them for allowing me to coach them,” Saris said.
“I told him that as difficult as this is … one really cool thing about high school football is it could be five years, 10 years, 15 years … you might not see some of these guys that you’re gonna graduate with, that you played football with, but I promise you as soon as you see them again, it’ll be like you’re 17 again and it’s like you never left.
“That’s why I love the sport of football. It is the ultimate team sport. It is also a camaraderie sport. Because of that situation, you created a brotherhood and a family,” Saris said.
“Another thing I told our kids tonight … and I’m extremely proud of it … we came in tonight as a village, as a community, as a family.
“(Our) kids have been playing ball with each other since they were the age of my kids … little guys … and because of that camaraderie, they fought to the very end,” Saris said.
photo gallery from lexington-toledo central catholic, including band of gold
TCC, the second-ranked Division III team in the final AP poll, advanced to its 12th regional title game in the last 14 years. The Fighting Irish won the Division III state championship in 2023 with a 16-0 record, and before that the Division II state title with a 15-1 mark. They have won 43 of their last 45 games.
Veteran coach Greg Dempsey, whose team jumped to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and 35-0 three minutes into the third quarter, said his team didn’t take Lexington lightly.
“You watch film and there’s a lot of good football players out there,” said Dempsey, who has won five state titles and more than 250 games since taking over his alma mater in 2000.
He showed his team Lexington’s schedule and how the Minutemen had won seven of their last nine games.
“As the year was going, they were getting hot at the right time. Last week was key. You watched them being down two scores in the third quarter and they end up putting up 49 and winning easily,” Dempsey said.
“That really got our players’ attention. This time of year, you have to respect everybody. That’s a well-coached, good football team. Anybody playing (in week 13) is a good team.
Lexington’s only score came with 5:32 left in the fourth quarter on a 12-yard run by junior QB Joe Caudill, who also passed for 256 yards.
Junior wide receiver Brayden Fogle had four catches for 136 yards, averaging 34 yards per catch, despite often being shadowed by four-star TCC cornerback Victor Singleton Jr., who has received 25 Division I college offers.
With a roster dominated by underclassmen, Saris said playing an extra three weeks of football could be invaluable going into next season.
“As a football coach, that is extremely important. That’s almost a third of a regular season, extra reps these kids got to get better. For us to get that is extremely beneficial. I think great programs continue to make those playoff runs and get that extra experience,” he said.
Taking on a two-time defending state champion like TCC can also pay future dividends.
“That’s a team that sets the standard,” Saris said. “Bigger, faster, stronger. If you want to try to beat a team like that, you have got to perform.”
Up next:
— TCC plays Parma Padua Franciscan (8-5) in the Division III, Region 10 championship game next Friday at a site to be announced Sunday afternoon. The Bruins eliminated Cleveland Benedictine 42-28 in the regional semifinals.
— Lexington concludes its season with a 7-6 record, winning seven of its last 10 games after an 0-3 start.
Toledo Central Catholic 35, Lexington 7
Scoring summary
1st quarter
TCC — Tyler Morgan 1-yard run (PAT kick blocked), 6-0
TCC — Preston Fryzel 51-yard pass from Isaiah Fox (PAT Sharard Vaughn III pass from Fox), 14-0
TCC — Morgan 33-yard run (PAT Blake Moody kick), 21-0
2nd quarter
TCC — Vaughn 66-yard pass from Ali Beydoun (PAT Moody kick), 28-0
3rd quarter
TCC — Fryzel 11-yard pass from Beydoun (PAT Moody kick), 35-0
4th quarter
Lexington — Joe Caudill 12-yard run (PAT Colton Yugovich kick), 35-7