November isn’t a time most people are thinking about amusement parks, but Chardon took its fans on a roller-coaster ride in a Division 3 first-round game against visiting Tallmadge on Nov. 1. The Hilltoppers appeared to be on their way to an easy victory in the game’s early stages, taking a 28-7 lead in the second quarter. By the time the fourth quarter started, Chardon’s lead had dwindled to 28–14, but the Hilltoppers resumed their dominant ways in the fourth, and won going away, 49-14. Chardon will travel to play CVCA, a 45-14 winner over University, on Nov. 8. The Hilltoppers beat the Royals in a first-round game last year, 42-0. @topperfb senior defensive end Logan Webster discusses Chardon’s 49-14 D3 first round playoff win over Tallmadge pic.twitter.com/iThgaFbkEN — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) November 2, 2024 “We just started playing more physical, I think,” Chardon senior defensive end Logan Webster said. “Our offense stepped up, and our defense just thought that we can’t let them score.” @topperfb Coach Mitch Hewitt reviews Chardon’s 49-14 Div.3 first round playoff win over Tallmadge pic.twitter.com/1hbEQH2fVh — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) November 2, 2024 Chardon coach Mitch Hewitt considers “winning collisions” to be a central tenet of the Hilltoppers’ success. Chardon won plenty of those, but explosive plays were key aspects of the Hilltoppers’ early advantage. A 54-yard run by junior QB Drayton Allgood on Chardon’s first play after its defense forced a three-and-out to start the game set up a 3-yard touchdown run by senior Vinny Colombi. Tallmadge (7-4) senior Joseph Kanatzar got around the end on a fourth-and-2 run and had nothing but green in front of him on a 57-yard touchdown run to tie it at 7-7. It didn’t take the Hilltoppers long to respond, as Allgood connected with a wide-open senior Caleb Hewitt for a 65-yard completion, and Colombi followed up with a 4-yard scoring run to make it 14-7. @topperfb senior Vinny Colombi, who ran for two touchdowns, goes over Chardon’s 49-14 Div.3 first round playoff win over Tallmadge pic.twitter.com/T4Lga2GP6p — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) November 2, 2024 “The offensive line is where it starts,” Colombi said. “That’s where we get things going, and them blocking hard was the key to victory.” After a Tallmadge punt, Allgood cut through a gaping hole and sprinted 61 yards untouched to paydirt to give Chardon a 21-7 lead, and a 3-yard run around the end for a touchdown by senior Beckett Dotson extended the lead to 28-7 with 8:42 still to play in a he second quarter. Easy peasy, right? Not quite. Tallmadge threatened on its ensuing possession, and though a fumble recovery by Chardon senior Alexander Ash stopped the Blue Devils at the 3, the Tallmadge defense finally slowed down the Hilltoppers’ onslaught and forced a punt for the first time in the game. A Chardon fumble at its own 31 proved costly, as Tallmadge senior QB Ryan Loveless threw a five-yard scoring pass to senior Brady Headrick four plays later, cutting the deficit to 28-14 going into halftime. Tallmadge’s defensive adjustments continued to be effective in the third quarter, but the Blue Devils missed out on what they believed was a scoring pass but was ruled incomplete on the first possession of the third quarter after recovering a fumble on the kickoff. Chardon’s defense was equally effective, getting a fourth-down stop and forcing a punt, and it was still a 28-14 game as the fourth quarter began. But Chardon finally regained the momentum with a 10-play, 60-yard drive that culminated in another Dotson 3-yard scoring run to take a 35-14 lead. Three plays into Tallmadge’s next possession, Ash picked off a pass and took it to the house from 31 yards out to extend the lead to 42-14, and Chardon was back in control with 10:09 to play. @topperfb senior LB Alexander Ash, who had a fumble recovery deep in Chardon territory and a pick-6, breaks down Chardon’s 49-14 D3 first round playoff win over Tallmadge pic.twitter.com/D2qQswDz1C — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) November 2, 2024 “I’m not going to lie,” Ash said. “I saw the quarterback and the linemen drop back into pass blocking, and I’m not going to lie after that it went blank. As I was running, I was trying my best to score and ended up falling in the end zone, but we got the touchdown.” Chardon sophomore Drew Platz added a 6-yard touchdown run with 5:05 left to initiate the running clock. Chardon (8-2) held Tallmadge to 183 yards, while the Hilltoppers gained 381 yards. Allgood rushed for 139 yards and passed for 97. Hewitt ran for 65 yards and caught all three of Allgood’s passes for 97 yards. “The score was deceiving,” Coach Hewitt said. “For the second and third quarters, it felt like we were (in our own territory) for 20 minutes. We were able to open the lid in the fourth quarter. But they fought, they’re a well-coached team and have a bunch of talent.” Chardon, making its 22nd playoff appearance, is now 47-18 all-time in playoff games. The Hilltoppers are 18-4 in first round playoff games, whether it was the regional semifinal in the 1980s and 90s, the regional quarterfinal in the 2000s and 2010s, or the first round in the 2020s. Chardon’s seniors played their final game on their home field, going out as winners. The Hilltoppers were missing a couple starters and had a few others playing through injuries. “I’m proud of our seniors. They’ve been through a lot,” Coach Hewitt said. “We’re about as beat up as any team that I’ve had in my 14 years here, and all we do is keep re-loading people. That’s a testament to my staff and these kids here.” @Tallmadge_FB Coach Mike Bay talks about the Blue Devils’ 49-14 D3 first round playoff loss at Chardon pic.twitter.com/Xduf4jwm0s — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) November 2, 2024 THE SCORE Chardon 49, Tallmadge 14