CENTERVILLE — Loveland won the turnover battle but lost the war.

        The Tigers converted two of the three turnovers they forced into touchdowns, but Piqua forced the one that counted most on the way to a 28-17 win over Loveland in a Division II regional semifinal game at Centerville Friday.

        Piqua's Derrick Fry intercepted a pass by Phil Deis, and the Indians scored on the next play, a 43-yard pass from John Pearson to a wide-open Jon Dolph down the left sideline to end the third quarter.

        “Big plays off turnovers are huge,” Loveland coach Chuck Warden said. “We turned it over last, and that was the difference in the game.”

        Loveland (8-4) saw its first-ever football playoff appearance end. Piqua (10-2), which is making its third consecutive playoff appearance, advanced to the regional finals.

        After returning the opening kickoff 38 yards, Piqua needed just five plays to move to the Loveland 31-yard line. But the drive ended when Pearson lofted a wobbly pass that was intercepted by Deis at the 7-yard line.

        Deis then led the Tigers on a 15-play drive that lasted more than seven minutes and ended with B.J. Gambill running 2 yards for a touchdown. Loveland converted one third down and two fourth downs on the drive.

        “That gave our kids a lot of confidence, and I think it put them on their heels in the first half,” Warden said.

        Steve Ball kicked a 30-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Tigers a 10-0 halftime lead.

        “I told the kids at halftime that we were fortunate to be ahead,” Warden said. “I tried to sell them on the fact that that's a program steeped in tradition, and I knew they would make adjustments.”

        Piqua took a 14-10 third-quarter lead on touchdown runs of 51 yards by Dolph and 58 yards by Scott Foster. But Loveland regained the edge 17-14 on a 54-yard screen pass from Deis to Gambill, following Ryan Ackerman's recovery of Pearson's fumble.

        After Dolph's second touchdown gave Piqua a 21-17 lead, Loveland had a chance to move back ahead late in the fourth quarter when the Tigers used nine plays to drive to Piqua's 26. On fourth down, sophomore Brandon Minturn was unable to hang on after diving for Deis' pass over the middle at the 1-yard line.

        Foster scored Piqua's final touchdown on a 6-yard run with 1:13 left in the game.

        Loveland ....... 7   3   7   0—17

        Piqua ....... 0   0  21   7—28

        L—Gambill 2 run (Ball kick)

        L—Ball 30 FG

        P—Dolph 51 run (kick failed)

        P—Foster 58 run (Pearson run)

        L—Gambill 54 pass from Deis (Ball kick)

        P—Dolph 43 pass from Pearson (Erwin kick)

        P—Foster 6 run (Erwin kick)

        Records: L 8-4, P 10-2

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