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ROCKY RIVER -- West Branch's All-Ohio quarterback Grady Hirst rushed for 214 yards and three scores and the Warriors' defense came up with two huge interceptions late in the game as West Branch knocked off previously-unbeaten Rocky River, 21-12, in a D4 regional semifinal played in a driving rain and sleet on Friday night.
"They (Rocky River) have all those Division I guys and they were really confident heading into the game and we don't care about that stuff, we just want to keep playing," said West Branch coach Tim Cooper. "Our kids just battled 'til the end -- they weren't quitting until the clock hit zero and they finished that one."
The win upped West Branch's record to 11-1 and vaults the third-seeded Warriors into next Friday night's D4 regional final against fifth-seeded West Geauga (11-2) at a site to be announced by the OHSAA. It marks West Branch's second trip to the regional title game in the past five years.
West Geauga advanced Friday with a 14-7 win over top-ranked Streetsboro.
"I was thinking about this going into the game that this is the biggest win I've been a part of," said Cooper, who owns a 55-8 record in five years as the Warriors' head coach. "That's a program win and it's not about me, it's about our kids and their belief and their buy-in."
Hirst, a Youngstown State commit, rushed for a game-high 214 yards and scored two fourth-quarter 2-yard rushing touchdowns as the Warriors erased a 12-7 deficit heading into the final quarter.
"We just had the next play mentality," said Hirst. "Just next play – don't worry about the scoreboard. Just play that play, and at the end we came out with the win. It feels like a dream come true, we'll just get ready for next week and to get another week with these guys is unbelievable."
Hirst, the 21st All-Ohio quarterback in West Branch's 66-year-old history, has now compiled 3,360 yards (running and passing) with 44 touchdowns this season.
"It's really hard to put into words what he means to us," said Cooper. "As a team and as a football program, he's a kid who's literally bought into everything we've said since Day 1. He just wants to be coached and he's so resilient. I'm so proud of him."
West Branch's defense had a monster performance as well while holding a Rocky River team that entered the game averaging 45 points a game to just 12.
The Warriors stopped the Pirates on a fourth-and one at their own 39 with 10:12 remaining to set up the Warriors' go-ahead score by Hirst and a two-point conversion pass to Landon Coffee.
West Branch pitched a second-half shutout against the Pirates and had two huge interceptions by Jeremy Ramsey and Gavin Marshall in the fourth quarter that sealed the win.
"In the first half we were somewhat effective offensively and our defense played well and got some fourth down stops and that continued into the second half," said Rocky River coach Josh Wells. "We just couldn't capitalize on situations -- not being able to get one yard."
"Our defense did really good after we got some adjustments," said Hirst. "We just got some big stops and that just helped us on offense. That was really big, Gavin came up with a pick, Jeremy had a pick and that was a momentum shift and it just really went in our favor."
West Branch outgained the Pirates 385-178 and held Rocky River's Kentucky commit Tristin Hughes 19 yards rushing and 49 yards receiving.
Rocky River concluded its season at 11-1.
"Our kids fought to the end and this is a hard way to go out with an 11-0 season but I'm proud of our kids and proud of the effort and proud of the season," said Wells.
Second-seeded Rocky River opened the scoring on its first drive of the game, marching 54 yards in eight plays to find the end zone on a 6-yard scramble by quarterback Carter Atwater. The Pirates' PAT kick attempt failed on a failed snap and the hosts took a 6-0 lead at the 6:56 mark of the first period.
But West Branch came right back and answered the Rocky River score. The Warriors marched 62 yards on five plays and Hirst capped the march with a 39-yard touchdown jaunt down the left sideline. Cruz Leone added the PAT and the Warriors took a 7-6 lead at the 4:57 mark of the first quarter.
But Rocky River went back up late in the first quarter, driving 61 yards in seven plays and scoring on a 36-yard scoring pass over the middle from Atwater to Hughes. The Pirates' try for two failed on an incomplete pass and they led 12-7 at halftime and into the fourth quarter
But as the second half wore on West Branch continued to get stops and its defense built momentum for the offense.
"We just felt like we were one play away," said Cooper. "We felt like we would get so close and then something would happen. So, we felt like we had to keep playing and that just shows the resilience of our kids."
"Five years ago we lost a game because of weather conditions and we decided to make a change (focusing on a balanced offense and a strong defense)," said Cooper of the Warriors' regional final upset loss to Jefferson in 2022. "We decided to make a change because we wanted to be in this situation again and our kids are believing in that and I love it."
Turning to Friday's regional title game with West Geauga, Cooper knows his team will prepare well and be ready for the run-dominated Wolverines.
"He (West Geauga's) head coach is a Kirtland background guy -- it’s run the ball and run the ball," said Cooper. "We know they're going to be physical and we're just excited to play another week.”
SCORING
WB: 7-0-0-14--21
RR: 12-0-0- 0--12
SCORING
RR--Carter Atwater, 6 run (run failed)
WB--Grady Hirst, 39 run (Cruz Leone kick)
RR--Tristin Hughes, 36 pass from Carter Atwater (run failed)
WB--Grady Hirst, 2 run (run failed)
WB--Grady Hirst, 2 run (Landon Coffee pass from Hirst)
TEAM STATS
West Branch
First downs: 23; Total yards: 385; Rushes-yards: 42-300; Passing: 85; Comp-Att-Int. 10-15-0; Punts 3-32; Fumbles-Lost 2-1; Penalties-Yards 7-42.
Rocky River
First downs: 10, Total yards 178, Rushes-yards 25-82, Passing 96 Comp-Att-Int. 8-25-2, Punts 4-42, Fumbles-Lost 0-0, Penalties-Yards 3-15.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING -- West Branch, Grady Hirst, 32-214, Gavin Marshall, 3-24, Damon Edwards, 2-9, JJ Marra 10-55; Rocky River, Tristin Hughes, 4-19, Carter Atwater, 2-7, Rocco Baon, 16-55.
PASSING -- West Branch, Grady Hirst, 10-15-85-0-0; Rocky River, Carter Atwater, 8-25-93-1-2.
RECEIVING-- West Branch, Drake Stryffeler 3-22, Gavin Marshall, 4-47, Landon Coffee, 3-15, JJ Marra, 1-8; Rocky River, Tristin Hughes, 5-49, Rowan Kennedy, 1-11, Brendan Konet, 2-34, Rocco Baon, 3-2.