WICKLIFFE — It was a physical, hard-fought opener to the Division VI, Region 21 playoffs, and Wickliffe made the key plays when it mattered most.
The Blue Devils rushed for 223 yards, forced two fumbles, and blocked a field goal to edge visiting Springfield, 17–15, on Friday night and advance to the regional quarterfinals.
“We want to run the football and be physical, and we turn around and do the same thing on defense,” Wickliffe head coach Marce Porcello said. “It’s a program thing that we stress all the time — being a physical football team. Our guys thrive in it, they love it, and Springfield was a physical football team we just beat. Our guys were resilient up front, our linebackers played really well, and it was a good, physical game.”
Freshman running back Elijah Fitch opened the scoring with a 32-yard touchdown run to give Wickliffe a 7–0 lead.
Springfield answered when Alex Caldwell broke loose for a 54-yard touchdown, and a successful two-point conversion from Matt Wymer to Drake Benson put the Tigers ahead, 8–7.
The Blue Devils regained the lead before halftime as Drew Rossman connected on a 19-yard field goal to make it 10–8.
Fitch struck again on the second play of the third quarter, sprinting 63 yards down the sideline for his second touchdown and a 17–8 advantage. Caldwell added his second score later in the half to pull Springfield within 17–15.
The Tigers had a chance to win it late, but a 27-yard field goal attempt with 18 seconds remaining went wide right — sending Wickliffe on to Week 12.
The Blue Devils’ defense came up big throughout, forcing two turnovers, blocking a field goal, and standing firm in the red zone.
“The defense held it down,” said senior Ralph Jackson. “We took what coach taught us and applied it. We stood on business on defense.”
Fitch finished with 180 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, surpassing 1,000 yards for the season. Frankie Bucar added a 22-yard reception.
“We’re a running team, and what we want to do is establish the run early, and Elijah, as a freshman, is dynamic,” Porcello said. “He’s a dynamic football player, and he had a great night tonight behind our offensive line, who played really well, too.”
The win marked Wickliffe’s first home playoff victory since 2020 and another milestone for a senior class that stuck with the program through rebuilding seasons.
“We’re going to keep it close and try to win it at the end, and that’s what happened tonight,” Porcello said. “I’m proud of our guys — this is great for our school and community to experience. To have a home playoff game and to win a home playoff game, I’m proud of our seniors. When they were freshmen and sophomores, we had some rough years, and they took their lumps. Those guys never gave up on the program. They bought into what we were doing, and it’s paid off this year.”
Wickliffe (9-2) advanced to face Kirtland (10-0) in a Division VI, Region 21 quarterfinal next week.
