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Southview’s Isaac Sexton runs into the end zone for a touchdown as Napoleon’s Isaac Lehman pulls on his jersey at Southview High School in Sylvania, Oct. 20.
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Southview bolts out to big lead, holds off Napoleon to claim NLL Cardinal title

THE BLADE/REBECCA BENSON

Southview bolts out to big lead, holds off Napoleon to claim NLL Cardinal title

After they looked to be cruising to a Northern Lakes League title, the determined Southview Cougars were not to be denied as they fought off a furious rally from a gutsy Napoleon team in a tale of two halves on Friday night.

Host Southview led 20-0 at halftime of the championship tilt at a packed Mel Nusbaum Stadium but the Wildcats responded with two unanswered touchdowns in the second half. In the end, Southview held on to top Napoleon 20-14 as the Cougars (7-3, 4-0) claimed the inaugural NLL Cardinal Division title. It's the program's first league title since 2011.

Both teams entered the clash with 3-0 records in league play. Southview had won five straight NLL titles from 2007-11, while Napoleon was seeking its first since 2012.

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“It's such a great feeling,” second-year Southview coach Steve Hardy said. “It was a great environment tonight. It was a great game between two old foes to say who wins it outright. It was a hard-fought game, and I'm glad that we came out on top.”

Napoleon’s Lucas Gerken and Southview’s Zach Carter collide, Oct. 20.
Rebecca Benson
Photo Gallery: Southview vs. Napoleon football

Southview's defense dominated in the first half, forcing two interceptions and limiting the Wildcats to 21 total yards and no first downs.

Southview senior running back Isaac Sexton, who finished with 136 yards and two scores on 34 carries, had rushed for 100 yards and both TDs in the first half. The Cougars, who have won five games in a row, also have earned the right to host a Division II playoff game.

“We're so hyped up,” said Sexton, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound bruising back who became the school's all-time rushing leader this season. “The senior class has been working for this since freshman year. We worked our tails off, and we played our hearts out. They did come back and it made it more challenging and more intense. It was a really fun game. We want to carry this out throughout the playoffs.”

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Napoleon quarterback Owen Espinoza threw for 206 yards (14 of 25 for the game) and two scores in the second half as the Wildcats (5-5, 3-1) flipped the script. Espinoza connected with Parker Woods (7 catches, 130 receiving yards) on a 36-yard TD strike as Napoleon made it 20-14 with 7:39 left in regulation.

The Wildcats defense then stepped up and forced a quick punt. Napoleon continued to find rhythm in the passing game and drove into Southview territory. But the Cougars stepped up as Napoleon faced a fourth down and 15 at the Southview 40 to force a turnover on downs.

Napoleon got the ball right back and had the ball at its own 25 with 1:54 left. But Southview sealed it with an interception from Parker Sears with 1:12 left. It was the Cougars' third interception of the game.

“The feeling is so great, I can't explain it. It's the biggest moment in my football career,” Sears said. “I saw that ball go up. And I was like, 'Oh this is mine!' It was crunch time. They pushed back. But we never stopped. This feels great.”

Southview’s Isaac Sexton is brought down by a host of Napoleon defenders at Southview High School in Sylvania, Oct. 20.
Mark Monroe
Game updates: Southview 20, Napoleon 14 — Final

Napoleon, which lost its first four games and had already clinched a Division IV playoff berth, saw its five-game winning streak snapped. The Wildcats out-gained Southview 209-38 in the second half.

“I'm proud of the group for their effort in the second half and I think we played with a championship-type level,” Napoleon coach Tyler Swary said. “But we spotted them 20 points and we just ran out of time. We didn't execute defensively how we wanted to in the first half. But we played well enough to beat a really good solid team. So we're gonna go into the playoffs and play with that kind of effort.”

It looked as though Southview would control the clock with a bruising running game and stout defense. The Cougars took a 7-0 lead on a five-yard touchdown pass from Mayzes to Avery Offenburg in the corner of the end zone with 4:03 left in the first quarter. Mayzes, who has been sidelined with a knee injury, played for the first time since Week 5. He threw for 64 yards and one TD. Offenburg had four catches for 52 yards.

Southview defensive back Jameson Carey intercepted Napoleon's first pass attempt.

Sexton scored two rushing touchdowns in the second quarter, including a one-yard romp as the Cougars grabbed a 13-0 lead with 6:24 left in the first half.

Southview senior cornerback Zack Carter, who had several long returns in the kicking game, then came up with a key interception.

“This is amazing, man,” Carter said. “We worked so hard for this from day one. This is the expectation. Every single player came out with heart. I love all these boys.”

Southview then put together a nine-play, 58-yard drive that was capped off by a 10-yard TD run by Sexton. The Cougars went up 20-0 with 27 seconds left in the first half.

Napoleon picked up its first first down of the game on its first drive of the second half and began to gain momentum on offense. The Wildcats then got on the board on an excellent throw and catch from Espinoza to Devin Dietrich, who made a sensational grab — just getting a foot in bounds — in the end zone. Napoleon cut Southview's lead to 20-7 with 8:43 left in the third quarter.

Napoleon's Trey Rubinstein then came up with a one-handed interception in the Wildcats' end zone. The terrific pick was Rubinstein's seventh of the season. But the Southview defense forced another quick three and out.

“Napoleon is always a great team,” Hardy said, “Those kids are tough. They're gritty. But we were able to hold them at the end. We've been talking since [the summer] about what a championship would mean and being here now feels incredible.”

First Published October 21, 2023, 3:23 a.m.

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Southview’s Isaac Sexton runs into the end zone for a touchdown as Napoleon’s Isaac Lehman pulls on his jersey at Southview High School in Sylvania, Oct. 20.  (THE BLADE/REBECCA BENSON)  Buy Image
Southview’s Connor Davis and Evan Loudenslager hug after defeating Napoleon 20-14.  (THE BLADE/REBECCA BENSON)  Buy Image
Napoleon’s Trey Rubinstein catches an interception with one hand intended for Southview’s Emite Lamb.  (THE BLADE/REBECCA BENSON)  Buy Image
THE BLADE/REBECCA BENSON
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