HAMILTON — Two days after Stephen T. Badin High School beat Oakwood in five overtimes, Rams mascot Joel Sackenheim still didn't have his normal voice back.

        “I'm loving it, but my voice is still recovering. I'm still cracking,” said Joel, 16, a junior from Hamilton.

        Badin's victory Saturday evening was a prime topic as students returned to class Monday at the Catholic school of more than 700 students.

        Senior linebacker Matt Brady said it didn't sink in until Sunday that the Rams, who have now won twice in the Ohio Division IV playoffs after going 5-5 in the regular season, were still alive in the chase for a state title.

        “After the game, I couldn't think,” said Matt, 18, of Hamilton. “We're one game away from state semi-finals. It's amazing.”

        Teammate Dan Lajiness, a senior nose guard, said he was exhausted by the end of the game. But he was already beginning Monday to prepare mentally, as well as physically, for Saturday's regional playoff against Coldwater at Dayton's Welcome Stadium.

        He said principal Margaret Winkeljohn had asked only one thing when she saw him Monday:

        “She asked if we could try to finish without five overtimes,” said Dan, 17, of Oxford.

        “It was pure torture for me,” Mrs. Winkeljohn said. “It went down to the last minute. I don't take that tension too well.”

        Senior Lindsey Robbins of Hamilton said it was hard to watch the game.

        “I was so nervous, I couldn't watch,” said Lindsey, 17. “Every time they went on the offensive, I turned away.”

        Junior Joe North said the game was so exciting that he and his friends spent more time than usual watching the game and less talking among themselves.

        “We had school spirit,” said Joe, 16. “Everybody thought we were going to lose. It's the most exciting game I've ever seen.”

        This is the furthest the team has advanced in postseason play since 1998, when the then-Division III Rams made it to the state semifinals.

        This is the fourth consecutive year the team has made the playoffs.

        Student Lindsay Kramer said she's looking forward to Friday's Green and White pep day.

        “We're all just really pumped up,” said Lindsay, a 16-year-old junior from Fairfield. “Everybody's talking about it. I'm excited.”

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