High School football teams are more than a collection of talented athletes working together to achieve a common goal. Much more.

The term ‘team’ almost doesn’t do them justice. They’re closer than that … more like a family.

And, at least last night, no family was closer than the one that won an OCC-Capital Division crown in Delaware: The Olentangy Orange Pioneers, who battled back from a 14-3 halftime deficit to nab a 17-14 triumph at Gauthier Field.

Orange senior Ross Smith, who had a slew of clutch catches in the comeback, said he and his ‘brothers’ made each other a promise at halftime.

“We decided to come out and play with heart … as a family,” the receiver said. “We grew up and played together since Pee Wee, and we wanted to experience this moment together.”

Orange (8-2, 5-1 OCC) coach Brian Cross said he was most impressed by the composure his players displayed after being backed into a corner early on.

“The fact we were down 14-0 to a ball-control team after the first quarter kind of worried us,” he said. “But we kept our composure. We decided at halftime to go with some different things — some option stuff we’ve been working on — and it worked. The kids never stopped believing. It was just a matter of executing.”

Hayes (6-4, 4-2 OCC) coach Mike LoParo, who saw his team fail to execute down the stretch, put the loss down as a learning experience.

“I basically told the guys to learn from this,” he said of his postgame talk with the players. “This is the group that built on the foundation from what we accomplished last year … it’s just sad to see it come to an end in such a tight ballgame, but there’s not a lot we can do about it now.

“It was a tough, hard-fought game,” he added. “Give a lot of credit to our seniors, but give a lot of credit to Orange, too.”

The game was basically a tale of two halves, and the Pacers had everything going for them in the first.

The teams traded empty possessions until Hayes capitalized on a turnover to grab an early 7-0 lead. Dominic Cassan jumped on a fumble by Orange’s Brandon Schoen to give his team the ball at its own 34-yard line before Vidal O’Connor capped a five-play drive with a 26-yard touchdown run. Jamie Hackett added the extra point and the Pacers were rolling.

After the defense forced a three-and-out on Orange’s next possession, Michael Corbett kept the good times rolling with a 90-yard punt return for another quick TD. Hackett’s PAT ballooned the lead to 14-0 with 1:50 to go in the first quarter.

The Pioneers dominated from that point on, though, blanking the Pacers through the final three quarters while silencing the crowd with a 27-yard field goal from Luke Rice to end the first half and two second-half touchdowns to complete the comeback.

The first score — a one-yard run by Schoen — got Orange within four points, 14-10, with 3:12 to go in the third quarter. The second came in the fourth, after quarterback Jared Leet connected with Smith for a 38-yard strike on a third-and-16 play. It was then, on the very next snap, Leet pitched the ball to Schoen on an option play which went 23 yards to the end zone. Rice added the extra point to smooth out the scoring.

Hayes had a pair of chances late — the offense got the ball at its own 15 with 5:52 to play and, after whiffing on that possession thanks to an interception by Blake Joe, got the ball back at its own 21 with 2:56 to go — but couldn’t move within striking distance as the Orange defense stiffened, sealing the squad’s first OCC crown in just its second year of existence.

The Eagles of New Albany, who picked up a 15-0 win over Mount Vernon Friday night, earned a share to the title, equaling the Pioneers’ 5-1 record in conference play. Head-to-head, Orange beat New Albany 37-22.

The loss ends the Pacers’ season while the win all but punches the Pioneers’ ticket to the postseason. The official playoff brackets are scheduled to be released Sunday afternoon.

sports@delgazette.com