Port Clinton stops Polar Bears on game's final play By BRIAN KOLLARS briankollars@sanduskyregister.com Oct 30, 2026 11:00 PM CASTALIA — It came down to the last play and Beckett Mizener made it. The Port Clinton senior linebacker stopped Margaretta quarterback Robbie LaCourse five yards short of the end zone on the final play of the game Friday at the Duck Pond, clinching a rugged 17-14 win for the Redskins in a Division V playoff opener. With less than a minute to play, the Polar Bears had first-and-goal at the eight-yard line. Two incompletions and a short gain set up the fourth down winner-take-all call. LaCourse dropped back, didn’t find an open receiver and took off. “I dropped back for the pass and saw the quarterback come up to the line and tackled him,” Mizener said. “I thought I missed him at first. That was insane. I’m speechless.” PC coach Kevin Huntley liked what he saw out of his defense on the game’s last play. “You just gotta be a football player at some point,” he said. “You can only call so many plays and a kid’s gotta make a play. Fortunately, we had a kid who really wanted to make a play and he got it done for us tonight.” PC, seeded No. 11 in Region 18, will travel to third-seeded Eastwood (9-1) in the second round next week. “It’s gonna be hard to swallow, but you get in games like this there are gonna be gotta-have-it plays,” Margaretta coach Lucas Poggiali said. “Who’s gonna make more winning plays? We did not do that tonight. It’s not through lack of effort, but the ball did not fall our way at the end.” The sixth-seeded Polar Bears, who finish the season with a 7-4 record, outgained PC 315-183 and limited the Redskins to 62 yards in the second half. Both teams scored on their first possession, then it turned into a defensive battle. “That’s a heckuva ball club and we were fortunate to have enough execution where we got ahead and were able to hold on,” Huntley said. PC turned back Margaretta with 3:15 to play when the Bears had fourth down at the Redskins’ 7-yard line. LaCourse’s long fade pass into the end zone fell incomplete. The Bears forced a three-and-out to get one last shot. A 13-yard pass from LaCourse to Carter Luzader and a 12-yard run by Tyson Bailey gave the Bears a chance at the end. “Just so proud of our seniors,” Poggiali said. “I told them they’re gonna remember this forever and eventually they’re gonna remember what they did throughout the year. “This is gonna sting for a long time, but I think that our kids showed what our football culture is here at Margaretta. We’re gonna fight to the end; we’re gonna be gritty and tough. Didn’t go our way tonight, but man, was that one heckuva football game.” Luzader finished with 108 rushing on 19 carries, many of them coming out of the wildcat formation. Bailey finished with 83 yards rushing on 13 carries. Port Clinton got on the board first, taking the opening kickoff 65 yards in 14 plays. The Redskins converted twice on fourth-and-1 and kept the drive going after a Margaretta penalty on third down. Landon Leis rolled left on first-and-goal from the 10-yard line and score, capping a drive that lasted 6:08. Margaretta had an answer. Luzader sprinted 44 yards to the PC 8 and scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1, muscling his way into the end zone. PC then turned it over on downs, but got the ball back when Lucas Bodie intercepted a LaCourse pass and returned it 12 yards. The Redskins methodically drove 30 yards in 11 plays and took the lead on Fitt's 35-yard field goal with 21 seconds to play in the first half. Margaretta's Mason Kromer fielded a short kickoff and the Polar Bears took over on their 47. Three completed passes by LaCourse gave Shearn a chance to tie the game, but his 35-yard field goal attempt was inches short. PC took a 17-7 lead in the third quarter after Brody Bollinger recovered a fumble. Landon Leis ran for 22 yards then found Bodie at the goal line for a 17-yard score. Margaretta answered after Kromer's interception that gave the Bears the ball on the PC 13. Luzader worked his way into the end zone for a one-yard score. Margaretta's first possession of a frustrating fourth quarter was stopped on fourth-and-4 from the PC 35 when Wyatt Yarbrough tackled Luzader for a loss on a swing pass. Leis led PC with 55 yards rushing on 12 carries. Mizener added 43 yards on 15 attempts. The Redskins played without leading rushing Cam Lanier, who also is a threat at quarterback, and standout lineman Julian Curry. “Julian’s hurt, Cam should be back," Huntley said "We wanted to take precautions with him and not rush it. We’re hoping to get both of them back this week. We’ll see what they look like.” Port Clinton 7 3 7 0 — 17 Margaretta 7 0 7 0 — 14 PC — Landon Leis 10 run (Adam Fitt kick) M — Carter Luzader 1 run (Jaxon Shearn kick) PC — Fitt 35 field goal PC — Lucas Bodie 17 pass from Leis (Fitt kick) M — Luzader 1 run (Shearn kick) BCSN Sports Nation Highlights: Click Here Big Board Friday Highlights: Click Here BCSN Sports Nation Playoff Preview Video: Click Here Sandusky Register Photo Gallery by Erin Caldwell- Click Here/ Fremont News Messenger Photos: Click Here