Southington football captains Colt Levensky (32), Tanner Kelson (2), Ethan Stewart (5) and Ethan Bosch (3) line up for the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association’s 8-man football state championship game Saturday night at Leetonia High School. (Salem News/Lowell Spencer)

LEETONIA — Southington came up just short of its ultimate goal, falling, 34-20, to Sandusky St. Mary Central Catholic in the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association’s 8-man football state championship game Saturday night at Leetonia High School.

“They played their butts off,” Southington coach Justin Kren said. “It just didn’t come out how we needed. We made a few mistakes, and you can’t have those in a championship game.”

The St. Mary Panthers scored the last three touchdowns of the second half, including two in the final 7:16 to secure their first state championship, avenging last season’s loss to Toledo Christian.

St. Mary quarterback Cullen Dillard finished with 193 yards on 20 carries and got the Panthers got on the board first with a 28-yard run.

After Wildcats senior quarterback Tanner Kelson was sidelined in the second quarter due to injury, Vince Delvecchio took over under center for the remainder of the game, totaling 146 yards on 20 rushes.

The junior got Southington on the board, scoring on a 43-yard rush. He also scored on the two-point conversion, giving Southington an 8-6 lead, its first of the contest.

Delvecchio came up big on the defensive side of the ball for the Wildcats on the ensuing drive. With a chance to take the lead before halftime, St. Mary drove down to the 2-yard line and scored on fourth down, but the call was wiped away due to a hold.

On their second try, much further away, Delvecchio broke the pass up, preserving Southington’s lead into the break.

The high-caliber offenses came alive in the second half as the teams traded touchdowns.

Delvecchio scored on a 24-yard run, and minutes later Dillard connected with Bryan Gibson on a 31-yard pass.

Senior Ethan Bosch returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards for a touchdown to give the Wildcats a 20-12 lead. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, that would be the last time they found the end zone.

The Panthers (11-1) scored three unanswered touchdowns to take the lead.

Kelson returned quickly after his injury in the second quarter, playing defense and lining up at tight end on offense.

Unfortunately, the senior was injured again late in the fourth quarter while battling for extra yardage.

“He’s one of the ones that helped start building to where we are now,” Kren said. “When you have a kid like that, he’s not one to be told you’re not going to go back in. You’re a senior. It’s your last game, and let alone you’re batting for your first state championship. You think anybody’s gonna keep you out of the game? Not gonna happen with the kind of competitor he is.”

Southington (9-2) finishes the season tying a program high of nine wins. They’ll also have a new piece of hardware for the trophy case in the school’s lobby as the Wildcats made it further than any team in program history.

“What they accomplished, we might have came up short, but we made it to the dance,” Kren said. “We made it there in our second season of 8-man. It’s a pretty good accomplishment.”

While graduating talented seniors, including Kelson, Southington doesn’t think this is a flash in the pan.

“This should be the normal,” Kren said. “This should be what they look forward to every season, playing in this game. That should be our ultimate goal. Absolutely. That’s why we play the game.”

For the returners, the work to get back to the championship begins.

“(I want them to) remember this moment, and how bad it feels,” Kren said. “That should drive you the entire offseason to want to be that much better next year when we kick off the season.”