Badin football finishes season as DIII regional runner-up to Celina

TROTWOOD ‒ Zach Yordy didn't want to see it come to an end Friday night.

Neither did his father, Badin High School football coach Nick Yordy.

“I tried, man,” Zach said with emotion. “I tried. These have been the best four years of my life. Playing for my dad and everything else. I’m sad. I’m real sad it had to end this way.”

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“It’s been unbelievable,” Nick Yordy chimed in about his son. “This is why guys get into coaching. He played his ass off tonight. I’m happy for him, and I’m proud of him ‒ and all of these seniors, for what they’ve done and how they’ve represented Badin.”

Zach Yordy rushed for 169 yards and scored three touchdowns to power the top-seeded Rams offensively, but Celina’s Braylon Gabes returned an 80-yard interception for a touchdown to help the sixth-seeded Bulldogs secure a 37-25 victory in a Division III regional final at Trotwood-Madison on Friday.

“I wish I could say that it surprises me,” Celina coach Brennen Bader said of Gabes. “He’s made so many of those plays all season. Nothing shocks me anymore. We’ve got a lot of very good players. He’s just been the one when we kind of need a play, he’s the guy to do it.”

Celina (12-2) advances to the state semifinals against Columbus Watterson next Friday, Nov. 24, at a neutral site to be announced Saturday. Columbus Watterson beat Bellefontaine 19-13 on Friday.

“I think we made a few more plays than they did tonight,” Bader said. “That’s what we ask our kids to do ‒ it’s one play at a time and let the dust settle where it may. I’m happy for our guys. They deserve it. They’re a great group.”

Keys to Badin's season-ending loss

1. The Bulldogs utilized the athleticism of Gabes, the Western Buckeye League’s Offensive and Defensive Back of the Year, all night.

Gabes tossed a touchdown, scored two rushing touchdowns ‒ including a 49-yarder after breaking loose from a handful of Badin tacklers that gave Celina a 7-6 lead in the first quarter — and grabbed two interceptions.

“He’s one of the better high school football players I think I’ve ever seen,” Nick Yordy said. “That kid’s incredible. We couldn’t stop him. He was good. We saw him on film, and he lived up to it.”

2. Celina kept Badin quarterback Alex Ritzie from staying comfortable in the pocket all night. Ritzie tossed two interceptions, both grabbed by Gabes.

“I think our kids battled, too,” Nick Yordy said. “We battled down there until the end. Just a couple bad plays here and there. But we'll get ready for next year.”

Players of the game

Braylon Gabes, Celina ‒ Gabes rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns. He also added two interceptions ‒ one he took back for an 80-yard, game-securing touchdown ‒ on the defensive side of the ball. Gabes threw for 70 yards and a touchdown.

Zach Yordy, Badin ‒ Yordy rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns.

Zach Greber, Celina ‒ Greber was a perfect 4 for 4 on extra points and 3 for 3 on field goals. He kicked field goals from 41, 41 and 45 yards out.

Senior salute

Badin (13-1) will graduate 25 seniors ‒ a group that didn’t lose a regular season game in four years.

The second-ranked Rams finished 48-4 the last four seasons and played in six consecutive regional semifinals and three straight regional finals. Badin fell to Tippecanoe on a late field goal in last year’s regional final at Trotwood-Madison and lost to Chardon 21-14 in the 2021 state final.

“This is a great group of kids,” Nick Yordy said. “I wish we were still playing. They had an unbelievable career. They’ve got nothing to hang their heads about at this point in the regional finals. Everybody that you’re playing is good. They’re good. They’re here for a reason. They played really well tonight.”

Celina 37, Badin 25

Celina 7 14 3 10 ‒ 37

Badin 6 6 7 6 ‒ 25

B ‒ Yordy 3 run (Missed PAT)

C ‒ Gabes 49 run (Greber kick)

C ‒ Newell 5 pass from Gabes (Greber kick)

B ‒ Yordy 5 run (Conversion failed)

C ‒ Gabes 4 run (Greber kick)

B ‒ Yordy 4 run (Miyahara kick)

C ‒ Greber 41 kick

B ‒ Grayson 5 run (Conversion failed)

C ‒ Greber 41 kick

C ‒ Greber 45 kick

C ‒ Gabes 80 interception return

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio high school football: Badin bows to Celina in DIII regional final