110824...R WGH@FITCH 4...Austintown...11-08-24...Fitch #7 DeonDray Richard rushes into the end zone for a 1st Qt. TD against WGH...by R. Michael Semple

AUSTINTOWN — Two weeks ago, things fell apart for Austintown Fitch in the second half of its 35-21 regular-season finale loss to Warren G. Harding.

The Falcons did not let their second chance slip away Friday night and, behind a strong second-half performance, ended the Raiders’ season with a 42-21 home playoff victory.

“[We had] effort, energy was there, focused discipline, all the little things you ask to pull off really tough, gritty wins,” Fitch coach T.J. Parker said. “I thought our guys did that tonight. Warren punched us several times, and we kept lining up and going at them again, going at them until the clock read zero.”

After Harding’s first drive stalled and the Raiders turned the ball over on downs, Fitch took over at its own 43-yard line.

From there, the Falcons relied on Deon’Dray Richard on the ground and through the air. Richard, whose 33-yard reception put the Falcons inside the Harding 10-yard line, capped off Fitch’s 57-yard opening drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown.

Following a three-and-out by the Raiders, Fitch wasted little time extending its lead. Collin Kalaher began the ensuing drive with a 25-yard pass before Richard rushed 16 yards for another touchdown.

On its third drive of the game, Harding, with backup quarterback James Jones occasionally taking the snaps and starting quarterback Chaz Coleman split out wide, managed to sustain and, most importantly, finish the possession with points.

Jones completed his first two passes before Coleman’s dual-threat ability shone through once again. After a holding penalty put the Raiders behind the sticks, Coleman rushed for 29 yards and into Fitch territory.

Two plays later, following the end of the first quarter, Coleman completed consecutive first-down passes to Devon Morgan and Youngstown State commit Stephen Sims. On the next play, the eighth of the drive, Jones found a receiver down the sideline for a 22-yard touchdown pass.

The home Falcons responded in kind; Fitch began to move the ball down the field until Junie Higgs broke free and ran for a 48-yard touchdown.

In an attempt to catch Fitch off guard, Harding went deep on the first play of the ensuing drive. Coleman’s long pass found a wide-open Morgan, who ran the rest of the way for an 80-yard touchdown. However, right next to Coleman’s feet in the backfield sat a flag, thrown by an official who called back the touchdown on account of holding.

Derailed by the penalty, the drive stalled and resulted in a punt. Fortunately for the Raiders, their defense forced Fitch to punt the first time on the next drive.

With the ball back, Harding tried the same opening play as last time, but Coleman’s pass proved too deep for another big reception.

Two plays later, though, Coleman found Sims, who, with the help of a pancake block by Airiz Coleman Bey, broke free and ran into the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown reception.

The Raiders seemingly entered the locker room with momentum, having forced the Falcons to punt on their last two possessions and found some rhythm offensively.

But the second half, despite a slow start and unlike two weeks ago, ultimately belonged to Fitch.

After being forced to punt on each of their first two drives of the third quarter, the Falcons eventually broke the game open, thanks to the legs of Richard, who carried the ball 60 yards and down to the Raiders’ one-yard line. Higgs punched it in two plays later.

Following a Harding punt, Richard carried the ball twice for a combined 48 yards on the next drive, including the 16-yard touchdown.

Although Jones threw another touchdown pass, the Raiders could not mount a comeback and fell 42-21.

“The more physical team won,” Harding head coach Matt Richardson said. “We were the more physical team the first time we played. Clearly tonight, we weren’t the more physical team.”

Richardson, who completed his first season as a head coach Friday,was quick to praise his team despite the defeat.

“I’m super proud of where we started from, to where we are now,” Richardson said. “They have built the foundation for us to build on, to get ready for next year.”

Next up for Fitch is No. 1 seed Walsh Jesuit in the Division II, Region 5 semifinals.

“Now we get a chance at the number-one team in the state,” Parker said. “They were the guys who bounced us last year. So our guys got a nothing-to-lose mentality.”