MEDINA, Ohio – Padua senior quarterback Nick Barker has taken a backseat to teammate Roderick Love all season.

On Friday, Barker delivered the game-winning touchdown pass with 22 seconds left to lead the No. 7-seeded Bruins to a thrilling 39-34 victory over No. 2 Buckeye in the Division III quarterfinals. , Region 10 of the OHSAA playoffs.

The Bruins (7-5) advance to play No. 3 Benedictine (10-2), a 28-6 winner over No. 6 Defiance, in the regional semifinals next Friday at a site to be determined. Buckeye finishes 10-2.

Trailing by one with 30 seconds left and facing a second-and-15, Barker came out of the pocket and hit fellow senior Christian Ruggiero at midfield for the decisive 32-yard score.

“It’s all about the offensive line, it starts with them,” Barker said. “I leaned on my guys and hit Ruggiero. “It is the result of great leadership from everyone on this team.”

Barker, who totaled just three touchdown passes all season, was sharp all night, completing 14 of 17 passes for 214 yards and a game-high four touchdowns. His third touchdown, a 15-yarder to junior Brady Devore, put the Bruins up five, 33-28, with four minutes left.

“Nick has had a lot of adversity all season. There have been ups and downs,” Padua coach Kevin Kubit said. “Seeing him make the right read on that last touchdown pass to Christian was incredible. My eyes lit up. “I am very proud of him.”

In a game that featured over 800 yards of offense and six lead changes, it was Barker and the Bruins, who totaled 454 yards, who orchestrated a 9-play, 77-yard drive to close out the game.

“The way our 2023 season ended on the goal line was tough. And to see these players play for 48 minutes tonight and finish the game, I’m very proud of them,” Kubit said. “The motto of 2024 has been to finish. If we are tough, we compete, we are disciplined and we are loyal, things like this are going to happen.”

Much like how the playoff game began two years ago between these teams, Love, a senior, scored on the first play from scrimmage on a 53-yard run.

The Bucks responded with a seven-play, 55-yard drive, with junior running back Ryan Wilhelm punching in from 2 yards out.

The Bruins turned to Barker to regain the lead. The 5-foot-11 senior completed his first eight passes, including a 30-yard touchdown to Riley Cervenka late in the first quarter.

Wilhelm, who finished the first half with 52 yards on six carries, capped a 71-yard drive to give the Bucks their first lead, 14-13, midway through the second.

It didn’t last long, as the Bruins pulled some tricks on the next drive. On first-and-goal from the five, Barker took the snap, rolled to his right and threw it to senior lineman Brandon Homady, who fed him to score and take a 20-14 lead.

The Bucks, who responded all night, took advantage of their running game to open a 28-20 lead midway through the third quarter. Senior running back Troy McCann, the school’s single-season TD leader, scored on a 5-yard run. He finished with a team-high 112 yards on 19 carries and set up the go-ahead score with a 47-yard run to the 3-yard line.

The Bruins turned to Love to reduce the deficit. He showed off his versatility for the second straight week, making a 52-yard screen pass to the house to cut the Bucks’ lead to one. Love totaled 266 yards from scrimmage: a game-high 204 rushing on 26 carries and 62 receiving on four receptions.

“Rod is a great athlete, a Division I talent,” Barker said. “He and I have great chemistry there, and when he’s around, I cheer for him.”

Following a Ruggiero interception, Barker led an 85-yard drive and hit Devore to put the Bruins up by five late in the fourth quarter.

With two minutes left, the Bucks regained the lead on a 3-yard run by Wilhelm, his third of the night. He finished with 98 yards on 13 carries.

That’s when Barker executed the two-minute drive to perfection, leading his team to the winning score.

“What matters most to me is the team. The defense struggled and I knew I had to pick them up,” Barker said. “I was looking for my guys and I gave them the ball and I knew I had Rugs on that play.”

“It is the power of faith. “We know what we are capable of,” said Kubit. “Let’s go back tomorrow and start watching movies. “We will arrive on Monday and keep this ship sailing.”

Austin Opfer is a freelancer from Cleveland.