By Jesse Swafford | CSwaff Media
Photography by Jesse Swafford | CSwaff Shots
Patriots finish 10-0 for the second consecutive season behind a dominant defensive performance and two interception returns for touchdowns.
ARCANUM, Ohio — Another undefeated regular season. Another conference championship. And another chapter in Tri-Village football history.
The Patriots completed a perfect 10-0 regular season for the second consecutive year Friday night, defeating Arcanum 33-0 to secure the outright Western Ohio Athletic Conference championship.
Tri-Village’s defense delivered a dominant performance, holding the Trojans to just 34 rushing yards while forcing four turnovers, including three interceptions. Two of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns by Hayden Hunt and Griffin Richards.
The victory secured back-to-back WOAC championships and marked the first time in program history that Tri-Village has completed consecutive undefeated regular seasons.
An Early Turnover Opens the Scoring
Tri-Village entered Friday’s regular-season finale with a 9-0 record and an opportunity to claim the conference championship outright.
Arcanum also entered with championship aspirations, knowing a victory could create a three-way tie atop the WOAC standings with Tri-Village and Ansonia.
The Patriots won the opening coin toss and elected to receive, but their first offensive possession ended with a three-and-out.
Owen Ridout’s punt pinned Arcanum at its own three-yard line, immediately putting the Trojans in a difficult position.
On Arcanum’s second offensive play, MJ Macy fumbled, and Tri-Village’s Jake Buckley recovered at the Trojans’ three-yard line with 9:18 remaining in the first quarter.
The Patriots capitalized immediately.
Staley Colston took the handoff and powered into the end zone for a three-yard touchdown run with 9:12 remaining. The extra-point attempt was blocked, leaving Tri-Village ahead 6-0.
Arcanum responded with a drive into Patriots territory, advancing to the Tri-Village 30-yard line before the defense forced a turnover on downs with 5:08 remaining in the opening quarter.
Neither offense established much consistency over the remainder of the period, and Tri-Village carried its 6-0 advantage into the second quarter.
Patriots Pull Away Before Halftime
The Patriots found another opportunity early in the second quarter when Griffin Richards returned an Arcanum punt deep into Trojans territory.
Richards’ return helped position Tri-Village for its second scoring drive of the evening.
Colston finished the possession with a 21-yard touchdown run at the 7:42 mark. Ridout converted the extra point, extending the Patriots’ lead to 13-0.
The defense wasted little time adding to the advantage.
With 6:38 remaining in the half, Hayden Hunt intercepted a pass from Arcanum quarterback Weston Schmidt and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.
Ridout’s extra point pushed the lead to 20-0.
The interception was Hunt’s first of two on the evening and the first of two defensive touchdowns for Tri-Village.
Arcanum continued to battle, moving deep into Patriots territory late in the half. However, the Tri-Village defense came through with another fourth-down stop, denying the Trojans an opportunity to cut into the deficit.
The Patriots entered halftime with a 20-0 lead, having scored 14 second-quarter points while keeping Arcanum off the scoreboard.
Defense Sets the Tone
While the Patriots’ offense provided enough production to secure the victory, their defense was the defining factor.
Arcanum finished with 216 total yards, including 182 passing yards, but struggled to establish any consistency on the ground.
The Trojans were limited to just 34 rushing yards, while Tri-Village forced four turnovers and committed only one.
Hunt recorded two interceptions for 55 return yards, including his second-quarter touchdown. Richards added another interception, returning it 65 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the game.
Together, the two defensive touchdowns accounted for 12 of Tri-Village’s 33 points.
Colt Camacho led the Patriots defensively with 17 tackles, including two tackles for loss.
Hunt and Colston each finished with 10 tackles, while Teddy Miller contributed eight.
Aaron Bruner and Kole Hiestand added seven tackles apiece, and Buckley recorded four tackles, 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Buckley’s first-quarter fumble recovery also provided the Patriots with their opening scoring opportunity.
The defensive performance was particularly impressive when Arcanum threatened to score.
The Trojans advanced deep into Patriots territory on multiple occasions, but Tri-Village repeatedly delivered stops when they mattered most.
Camacho Leads the Ground Attack
Tri-Village’s offense relied heavily on its running game, finishing with 185 rushing yards on 28 attempts.
Camacho led the Patriots with 121 yards on 13 carries, averaging 9.3 yards per attempt.
His longest run covered 53 yards, providing one of the game’s biggest offensive gains.
Colston added 43 rushing yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, while Ryker Marshall contributed 14 yards on three attempts.
Quarterback Brecken Gray completed six of 11 passes for 56 yards and one touchdown.
Richards led the receiving group with three catches for 23 yards, while Teddy Miller added two receptions for 11 yards.
Kingston Shafer also contributed a touchdown reception, providing the Patriots with their lone passing score.
Tri-Village finished with 241 total yards of offense.
Gray Connects With Shafer
After carrying a 20-0 lead into halftime, Tri-Village continued creating opportunities in the third quarter.
Hunt intercepted his second pass of the evening with 11:09 remaining, giving the Patriots possession deep in Arcanum territory.
The Trojans answered with a takeaway of their own when Talan Stone intercepted a Tri-Village pass, temporarily halting the Patriots’ momentum.
But Tri-Village eventually found another opening.
Camacho broke free for a substantial gain midway through the quarter, helping move the Patriots into scoring position. An Arcanum facemask penalty provided additional yardage.
Gray then connected with Shafer on a 26-yard touchdown pass with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter.
Ridout added the extra point, extending the Patriots’ advantage to 27-0.
The touchdown gave Tri-Village additional separation as the Patriots moved closer to securing the outright conference championship.
Goal-Line Stand Preserves the Shutout
Although the Patriots held a commanding lead, Arcanum continued searching for an opportunity to get on the scoreboard.
Late in the third quarter, the Trojans advanced deep into Tri-Village territory and threatened to break the shutout.
Facing fourth down near the Patriots’ two-yard line, Arcanum needed one final push to reach the end zone.
Tri-Village’s defense refused to give ground.
With 1:06 remaining in the quarter, the Patriots stopped the Trojans on fourth down, preserving the shutout and taking over possession near their own goal line.
The defensive stand reinforced the determination that had carried Tri-Village throughout the evening.
The Patriots entered the fourth quarter holding a 27-0 advantage, just 12 minutes away from another undefeated regular season.
Richards Delivers the Final Touchdown
With the outcome decided and the clock winding down, Richards delivered one final highlight.
On the final play of the game, Richards intercepted an Arcanum pass and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown as time expired.
The interception return extended Tri-Village’s lead to 33-0 and provided a fitting conclusion to a game dominated by the Patriots’ defense.
It was the team’s second interception return for a touchdown, joining Hunt’s 45-yard return in the second quarter.
The Patriots finished the evening with three interceptions, a fumble recovery and multiple defensive stands that kept the Trojans off the scoreboard.
For a team that had built its success around contributions from both sides of the football, the final play served as an appropriate ending to another undefeated regular season.
Back-to-Back Undefeated Seasons
Friday’s victory represented more than another win.
For the first time in program history, Tri-Village has completed consecutive 10-0 regular seasons.
The Patriots also secured their second consecutive WOAC championship, finishing alone atop the conference standings.
After clinching at least a share of the title with their Week 9 victory over Preble Shawnee, Tri-Village entered Arcanum knowing one more victory would secure the championship outright.
The Patriots delivered.
Throughout the regular season, Tri-Village found different ways to win. On Friday, it was a defense that forced four turnovers, scored twice and refused to surrender a point.
The Next Challenge Awaits
With the regular season complete, Tri-Village now turns its attention toward the OHSAA playoffs.
The Patriots enter the postseason undefeated and carrying momentum from a shutout victory in a championship-deciding game.
For Tri-Village, the regular season has already produced a historic accomplishment.
The Patriots entered Arcanum with an opportunity to make history. They left with a 33-0 victory, an outright WOAC championship, and the program’s first back-to-back undefeated regular seasons.
Now 10-0 for the second consecutive year, Tri-Village turns its attention to the postseason, where the Patriots will look to carry their regular-season success into November.
Two seasons. Twenty regular-season victories. Two WOAC championships.
And for the first time in Tri-Village football history, back-to-back perfect regular seasons.
