Last season, cornerback Bradd Ellis stood at the goal line and batted down a last-second pass to send Ohio to the Mid-American Conference Championship Game.
The intended receiver was Akron wide receiver Austin Wolf.
Last week, Wolf caught a touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone in to help propel Akron to a lead and eventually a 37-34 win over Ohio. The catch, which made SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays, helped push the Zips to a controlling lead in the MAC East over the Bobcats.
The cornerback on the coverage for that touchdown was Ellis.
On paper, that just looks like irony, played out between two opponents in the conference's same division. It makes more sense, however, knowing that Ellis and Wolf have been best friends since fifth grade.
"You play enough football with that kid and know him as long as you do, (and) all of the sudden you’ve got to line up across from him," Ellis said. "It’s a little different.”
Both from Lebanon, near Cincinnati, Ellis and Wolf just played their final game against one another after having played countless games on the same team.
"To be able to play against him in college, that’s one-in-a-million," Wolf said. "That doesn’t happen all the time. Even though we’re on opposite ends, it was great to share the field with him one last time.”
Ellis and Wolf grew up together, playing every sport imaginable on the same team. Wolf said the two hung out nearly every day in high school and still do every time the two visit home during the summer. They've gone on family vacations together, too.
And even after they ended up at different schools, they still train in the offseason together.
They took different paths to their college teams — Ellis walked on at Ohio and Wolf earned a scholarship to Akron — but neither actually expected to play against one another.
It wasn't until the end of last season when the two realized that they would play on the same field together. And, in all likelihood, Ellis would guard Wolf. It would be the first time since high school since they would play against one another.
As Wolf and Ellis began to think of the possibility, they still had to prepare like it was any other game. But as the two took the field, they said their brief hellos.
"Being best friends, we talk a little bit before a play like, ‘Hey, man, what’s going on, dude?’ " Ellis said. "Just stuff like that."
But this year, there were no such conversations had.
"We did not say a word to each other on the field until, like, (the) fourth quarter," Wolf said. "There were no words exchanged until the fourth quarter, towards the end of the game."
They had made plans to talk after the game Tuesday, as family members from both sides drove up to Akron to see the two play against each other one last time. Ellis and Wolf met up after the game and got their picture taken to commemorate the final time that they'd face each other.
Just like the two games they've played against one another, the two found a way to end up together after the game — no matter who won.
