MARION — Missed opportunities.

That’s what Seneca East faced Friday night and it cost the Tigers the game.

Seneca East lost four fumbles, two of which were deep in East Knox territory in the first half, and the Tigers left points on the field.

Once the Bulldogs got the momentum, they never relinquished it and came storming back from a 20-0 third-quarter deficit to edge Seneca East, 21-20, in the semifinal of the Division VI, Region 22 playoff game.

With the win, East Knox improved to 12-0 on the season and will meet Carey in the regional final. The Blue Devils downed Hillsdale, 7-0.

Seneca East finished its season with a 10-2 record and a co-championship in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference.

“I’m a little numb right now,” Seneca East coach Ed Phillips said. “We gave them too many possessions and they got a little momentum off that. We just had our opportunities and didn’t finish them off.

“They got it.”

In the first two quarters, the Tigers scored a pair of touchdowns on a two runs by tailback Skyler Walker, the first coming on a two-yard run and the second on a one-yard run.

Seneca East led 12-0 at the half, but it could have been much worse.

The Tigers moved twice more, deep into East Knox territory, fumbling once on the East Knox 29 and once more on the Bulldogs’ 20.

Seneca East fumbled twice more in the second half, the final one setting up the game-winning score.

“For about a six-minute span there, we went up 20-0 with six minutes left in the third quarter and it seemed like, for the next six minutes, either we had a guy on the ground or a ball on the ground,” Phillips said.

“They capitalized on that. This one is going to hurt for a long time. I’m so proud of our kids and we just weren’t ready to be done.”

The Tigers increased the lead to 20-0 midway through the third quarter on a four-yard Kane Lynch run and seemed to have the game well in control.

But the Bulldogs scored twice in the third quarter, the first coming on a Caleb Gallwitz four-yard run and the second on an 11-yard pass from Kadden Lester to Braden Kannady.

The score remained 20-14 with 10 minutes left in the game when the Tigers fumbled on their own 29.

With 9:14 left, Gallwitz scored from two yards out and gave the Bulldogs the one-point win.

“We gave effort, I’m just not ready to stop playing football and these kids aren’t either,” Phillips said.

Walker led the Tigers with 115 yards in 23 carries and Gallwitz led the Bulldogs with 134 yards in 26 carries.

Box score

Score by quarters

East Knox          0          0         14         7   — 21

Seneca East       6         6           8         0   — 20

Scoring summary

First quarter

SE — Skyler Walker 2 run (run failed), 1:14.

Second quarter

SE — Walker one run (pass failed), 2:26.

Third quarter

SE — Kade Lynch 4 run (Blaine Cottingham pass from Chase Foos), 6:26.

EK — Caleb Gallwitz 4 run (Cade Leach kick), 5:07.

EK — Braden Kannady 11 pass from Kadden Lester (Leach kick), 3:38.

Fourth quarter

EK — Gallwitz 2 run (Leach kick), 9:14.

Individual statistics

Passing

East Knox: Kadden Lester 10-20- 1 101.

Seneca East: Chase Foos 17-23-0 154.

Rushing

East Knox: Caleb Gallwitz 26-134, Lester 5-11, Weston Mellick 1-10.

Seneca East: Skyler Walker 23-115, Foos 6-29, Elijah Riggs 4-30, Blaine Cottingham 5-15, Kane Lynch 3-10.

Receiving

East Knox: Braden Kannady 4-60, Gage Steinmetz 3-15, Cade Leach 1-14, Mellick 2-12.

Seneca East: Jake Siesel 12-51, Kade Lynch 2-70, Walker 4-21, Cottingham 2-12, Riggs 2-0.

Team statistics

EK              SE

First downs                15             20

Rushing                  32-175       42-205

Passes                      10-20-1     17-23-0

Yards passing           101             154

Total yards               276             359goe