BRINGING DOWN — Steubenville’s Niko Suriano tackles Austintown Fitch’s Tyler Evans during the second quarter on Friday. (Contributed photo)

AUSTINTOWN — Big Red came up just 3 yards shy of knocking off an unbeaten and state ranked opponent Friday night inside Greenwood Chevrolet Falcon Stadium.

For 48 minutes of regulation play plus an overtime session, Big Red and Austintown Fitch, Ohio’s 11th-rated Division II club, went toe-to-toe in an instant high school football classic. The Falcons tied things at with 5:54 left in the fourth quarter on a 58-yard pass from Devin Sherwood to Nate Leskovac.

Fitch got the ball to start OT and scored on a 21-yard Sherwood aerial to Todd Simons. Josiah Berni split the uprights with what proved to be the game-winning point after touchdown.

On Big Red’s first two snaps, sophomore Spencer Ostovich ripped off 13 yards. Senior Isaiah McCartney then carried half of the Fitch defense with him into the end zone from 7-yards away. Reno Saccoccia made the decision to go for 2 and the victory, but Ostovich was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, and the Falcons celebrated a 42-41 homecoming victory.

“This was just a great football game, and both teams played their hearts out,” Saccoccia said. “I’m just very proud of the effort given by our players and my coaching staff.

“I said at halftime, if this game goes into overtime, we are going for 2. We came up short, and that’s on me.”

Friday’s shootout was the first meeting between the schools. They combined for 83 points and 741 yards in total offense (Big Red finished with 381, 290 coming on the ground, while Fitch finished with 360).

Steubenville, which had not played since being blanked by New Philadelphia on Sept. 17, took the opening kick and quickly marched 76 yards in just four plays.

The opening touchdown came on a 27-yard sprint by Ostovich. Fitch, which earned its first unbeaten regular season since 2013, came right back, traveling 65 yards. Sherwood plunged over from a yard away.

Saccoccia’s crew went 76 yards again to make it 14-7. This time, Ostovich grabbed a 7-yard pass from senior quarterback Cade Kernahan. The Falcons answered with a 60-yard, nine-play march, capped by a 5-yard Sherwood to Tyler Evans pass.

The now 3-2 Big Red took the lead right back on a 2-yard Ostovich run. His 6-pointer came after Brenton Jones recovered a Fitch fumble at the Falcon 29. Jared Roberts’ kick gave the visitors a 21-14 halftime lead.

Fitch opened the second half with a 65-yard scoring drive. Jamell Harris did the honors with a 3-yard run. Big Red regained the lead by traveling 75 yards. Ostovich went over from a yard away.

The Falcons tied things again when Sherwood and Simons hooked up for a 19-yard score. Unfazed Steubenville responded with a 76-yard march of its own. Ostovich again found the end zone on a 1-yard plunge. The drive stayed alive thanks to a 35-yard Kernahan to Roberts pass on a 3rd-and-long.

Leskovac’s touchdown then sent the game into overtime.

Big Red’s offensive line was able to give Ostovich and senior tailback Nate McShan plenty of room to run all night. Ostovich finished with 133 yards on 28 carries and scored four times. McShan turned 24 carries into 118 rushing yards.

Kernahan completed 7 of his 12 passing attempts for 91 yards. Roberts was a perfect 5 for 5 with his conversion attempts.

Sherwood, Fitch’s outstanding junior quarterback, threw for 230 yards and four scores. He was 13 of 17. Evans had five catches, while Simons and Leskovac hauled in four each. Harris ran for 124 yards on 16 tries.

“Like I said, it was a great game,” Saccoccia said. “When you ask a team to give you every drop of blood it has, you have to give it back. Our kids gave it to us; they gave it to their school, to their town and to each other. I didn’t give it back.

“When kids look for your help in the third and fourth quarters and overtime, you have to be there to help them.”

UP NEXT

Big Red: Will host Youngstown East on Friday in the opening round of the Division III, Region 9 playoffs. Steubenville is seeded seventh in the region, while East is 26th.

With a victory, Big Red would host a second-round game against either Dover or Tallmadge.

Austintown Fitch 42, Steubenville 41 (OT)

Big Red 7 14 7 7 6 — 41

Fitch 7 7 14 7 7 — 42

S — Ostovich 27 run (Roberts kick)

A — Sherwood 1 run (Berni kick)

S — Ostovich 7 pass from Kernahan (Roberts kick)

A — Evans 5 pass from Sherwood (Berni kick)

S — Ostovich 2 run (Roberts kick)

A — James 3 run (Berni kick)

S — Ostovich 1 run (Roberts kick)

A — Simons 19 pass from Sherwood (Berni kick)

S — Ostovich 1 run (Roberts kick)

A — Leskovac 58 pass from Sherwood (Berni kick)

A — Simons 21 pass from Sherwood (Berni kick)

S — McCartney 7 run (run failed)

RUSHING: Big Red 61-290-5tds (Ostovich 28-133-4tds; McShan 24-118; McCartney 2-9-td; Sims 1-2; Kernahan 2-1; Hopkins 3-14; Edwards 1-13); Fitch 21-132-2tds (James 16-124-td; Sherwood 4-5-td; Williams 1-3).

PASSING: Big Red 7-12-91-td (all by Kernahan); Fitch 13-17-230-4tds (all by Sherwood).

RECEIVING: Big Red 7-91-td (Ostovich 3-30-td; Ferguson 2-22; Roberts 2-39); Fitch 13-230-4tds (Simons 4-82-2tds; Evans 5-66-td; Leskovac 4-92-td).

FIRST DOWNS: Big Red 22; Fitch 17.

PENALTIES-YARDS: Big Red 3-25; Fitch 4-27.

PUNTS: Big Red 2-35; Fitch 1-45.

FUMBLES-LOST: Big Red 0-0; Fitch 2-1.