By Joe Eusebio
COLUMBIANA OH- Under crisp, clear skies at Fisher Stadium, the Columbiana Clippers outlasted the Lisbon Blue Devils 27-21 in a thrilling regular-season finale Friday night. After last week’s steady rain, the perfect autumn football weather set the stage for a high-stakes clash with second place in the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference (EOAC) and crucial Division 6, Region 21 playoff positioning on the line.
The victory solidifies a phenomenal regular season for the Clippers, who finish 8-2 overall and 5-1 in the EOAC, while likely securing their spot in the postseason. Columbiana entered the matchup ranked No. 11 in the latest computer rankings, with the top 12 teams punching their ticket. With the loss, a resilient Lisbon squad drops to 6-4 overall and 3-3 in conference play.
The first half was a grinding, defensive stalemate. Columbiana struck first at the 10:08 mark of the opening quarter when Hayes McCoy punched in a 5-yard touchdown run. A missed PAT kept the lead at 6-0. Lisbon answered late in the second quarter when Wyatt Newbold found paydirt from 2 yards out, and a successful extra point by Baylen Jackson sent the Blue Devils into the locker room with a slim 7-6 advantage.
However, the game underwent a complete transformation during intermission. The Columbiana Marching Band delivered a spectacular halftime performance, capped off by a barrage of incredibly loud and colorful fireworks. The display seemed to inject sudden adrenaline into both locker rooms, as the Clippers and Blue Devils returned to the field to trade explosive plays and gridiron fireworks of their own.
Columbiana reclaimed the lead early in the third when Danny Mangiarelli scored on a 10-yard TD run, followed by a successful two-point conversion by Jensen Nordquist to make it 14-7. Lisbon refused to blink, answering less than two minutes later with a dynamic 43-yard touchdown bomb from Grant Minor to Newbold to knot the score at 14-14.
The track meet continued just two minutes later. McCoy struck again, breaking loose for a spectacular 49-yard touchdown sprint down the sideline. Geoffrey Malcomson tacked on the PAT to put the Clips back on top 21-14.
The fourth quarter was defined by championship-level execution on special teams and defense. Just four seconds into the final frame, Lisbon lined up for a field goal, but
Columbiana’s John Parks came up with a massive blocked field goalto preserve the lead.
The Clippers capitalized on the momentum at the 5:55 mark when Mangiarelli bulldozed his way in for a 4-yard touchdown run, widening the gap to 27-14.
Lisbon mounted a furious late-game rally, cutting the deficit to 27-21 with 3:40 left on the clock when Cooper Terdina hauled in a 1-yard touchdown pass from Minor.
With the game on the line and the Blue Devils driving late, it was Mangiarelli who sealed the victory, intercepting a Minor pass at the 1-yard line with just 37.4 seconds remaining to spark a wild celebration on the home sidelines.
The official OHSAA playoff seedings, pairings, and schedules will be formally announced on Sunday afternoon.