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Start WR Daryl Lewis, center, celebrates scoring the game-winning touchdown against Woodward in the City League championship game at Bowsher High School in Toledo on Thursday, November 12, 2020.
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Start wins City League title in wild overtime finish

THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH

Start wins City League title in wild overtime finish

It was an ending fit for 2020.

The season that was on and then off and on again for City League schools concluded with a championship game that the Start Spartans looked to have won, lost, and won again in a wild finish Thursday night at Bowsher High School.

The Spartans topped Woodward 20-14 when two seniors — quarterback Jeremiah Beringer and wide receiver Daryl Lewis — connected on a game-winning 11-yard touchdown pass in overtime after Start's defense forced a turnover on downs to win the City title.

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Start receiver Daryl Lewis, center, celebrates with teammates after the Spartans won the City League championship game over Woodward.
Jeremy Wadsworth
Photo Gallery: Start 20, Woodward 14

Just as a holding penalty looked to have sidetracked the possession, Beringer escaped the pocket to his left, and found Lewis just over the goal line for a season-ending touchdown.

"When the ball got over [the defensive back's] hand, I was like, 'That's me. It's got to be me,' and then I caught it and it all felt surreal," Lewis said. "It felt so surreal."

That the game was in overtime at all was the result of a stunning last minute of regulation.

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Big plays on offense were few and far between for most of the game, but a 25-yard connection between Beringer and Lewis in the third quarter gave Start a 14-6 lead that looked as if it would be the final score.

The Start defense forced Woodward into a turnover on downs late in the fourth, and the Spartans' offense forced the Polar Bears to use their final timeout.

But on a 3rd-and-long, the Spartans ran out of bounds, stopping the clock with 55 seconds to go — and then bad went to worse.

Start's snap on the resulting punt went awry, and Woodward's Carmello Gilbert recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

Polar Bears quarterback Dominic Chizmar plunged over the goal line on the two-point conversion, tying the game at 14 with 48 seconds remaining.

Despite the chaos, however, Start rebounded to earn a defensive stop and win the game, a finish that the Spartans couldn't help but see as fitting for a football season that nearly didn't happen in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

"These kids went through so much this year, not being able to go to school [and] being shut down," Start coach Godfrey Lewis said.

"Being able to rise up, I'm hoping some of the things they experienced this year translate into the rest of their lives.

"That's the way life is going to go: You're going to have ups and downs and you're going to have to be able to stand up and adapt."

The victory avenged Woodward's 16-12 victory against Start in the first game of the season, and took back the City title after Woodward won it in 2019.

The Spartans have now won the City title in five of the past six years.

Godfrey Lewis said concluding the season at all was a testament to the six Toledo Public Schools.

"It means so much and, honestly, I'm so proud of not just our program, but all the other TPS programs being able to put it all together in a short period of time," he said.

The game-winning play set off a celebration among the Spartans, who drenched Godfrey Lewis with the contents of a cooler. It was an unforgettable night to conclude a season like never before.

"At the beginning, we didn't even think we were going to have a season because of COVID-19," Daryl Lewis said. "Everything got pushed back like six weeks, so we’re thinking no season, and then we got one and lost in the first game.

“Ever since then, we've just been grinding and Coach has always talked about trusting in your family, trusting in your brother. Everything paid off in the long run.

“This is my family and I love them over there.”

First Published November 13, 2020, 3:23 a.m.

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Start WR Daryl Lewis, center, celebrates scoring the game-winning touchdown against Woodward in the City League championship game at Bowsher High School in Toledo on Thursday, November 12, 2020.  (THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH)  Buy Image
Start's Daryl Lewis, center, celebrates scoring the game-winning touchdown against Woodward in overtime of the City League championship game.  (THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH)  Buy Image
Start WR Daryl Lewis (1) scores a touchdown against Woodward during the City League Championship football game Thursday, November 12, 2020, in Toledo. Start defeated Woodward, 20-14, in overtime. THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH  (THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH)  Buy Image
Start QB Jeremiah Beringer looks to throw against Woodward during Thursday's City League championship game at Bowsher.  (THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH)  Buy Image
Start WR Kaleb Wanamaker makes a catch against Woodward DB Quantrell Adams.  (THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH)  Buy Image
Start WR Kaleb Wanamaker takes a bow after scoring a touchdown against Woodward.  (THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH)  Buy Image
Woodward QB Dominic Chizmar runs the ball against Start during the City League championship game at Bowsher.  (THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH)  Buy Image
Woodward RB Wayne Cosper scores a touchdown against Start.  (THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH)  Buy Image
Start RB Jamarian Gaines holds off Woodward’s Wayne Cosper during Thursday's City League championship game at Bowsher.  (THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH)  Buy Image
THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH
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