WARSAW – Snider quarterback Tyler Bobilya regularly holds onto the football on the option until what seems like the last millisecond before deciding: Hand off or run?

In leading Snider to a 33-20 win over Warsaw in the Class 5A Sectional 3 title game on Friday at Warsaw, Bobilya seemed to cut that decision time down even more, if that's possible.

“He's something else,” Warsaw coach Phil Jensen said. “I want to say this in a positive way…He doesn't look the part, but, boy, he plays it. You watch him on film and you say, ‘Really?' and then you see him out front. …We cannot simulate that in practice.”

Bobilya, a senior, has mastered the option, whether taking a traditional snap or running out of the shotgun formation. He makes deception an art form. Just when the defense, the fans and maybe even some players wearing the black and gold think he's given the ball to Jason McGraw, Bobilya slips to the backside and turns it into a big gain.

You have to see him to believe him, but his stats against Warsaw flesh out the story: Bobilya rushed for 146 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown, and completed 6-of-8 passes for 113 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown to Akeim Kelsaw.

When Bobilya handed off the ball, his line kept blocking and his teammates took off. McGraw rushed for 112 yards and a score and Keenan Kelsaw rushed for 111 yards as the Panthers advanced to the regional. Snider (10-2) will host Carmel (11-1) next Friday.

“(Bobilya) is so quick and he reads it so well,” Jensen said. “He's got a lot of weapons around him, too. Their offensive line is technically so good. Their running backs run hard and their big receivers block well down the field.”

Bobilya's play has improved throughout the season, but has reached a peak during the playoffs, Snider coach Kurt Tippmann said.

After Warsaw came back from a 20-7 deficit to tie the game in the second half, Bobilya led Snider to three scoring drives: two field goals and McGraw's final touchdown. Before the last score, facing a long third down, Bobilya escaped at least two tackles before hitting Akeim Kelsaw downfield for a first down on a play that all but sealed the win. The officials met to discuss whether Bobilya was beyond the line of scrimmage when he threw that pass, but ultimately ruled that it was a legal throw.

“(Bobilya) has just been very steady in the playoffs,” Tippmann said. “He doesn't get real high and he doesn't get real low, but he has made plays. We call his number quite a bit. He distributes the ball well and reads the defense and takes what they give us. He does a nice job of finding what they're giving us.”

Warsaw took the lead 7-0 early in the first quarter on a 36-yard run by Tyler Adams. Bobilya then directed a 12-play, 80-yard drive, capped by a Zach Barnes run, to tie the game. Snider's next two scores were both one-play drives: Bobilya's 64-yard run and his 39-yard pass to Akeim Kelsaw.

Warsaw cut the margin to 20-14 on a touchdown run by Andy Conrad, a tough-nosed back who would miss the second half with a shoulder injury. Another Warsaw player, Matt Abbitt, was taken by ambulance to the hospital after a hard hit early in the game. Warsaw Athletic Director Joe Santa later said Abbitt was recovering well.

The Tigers tied the score 20-20 with 8:37 left in the third quarter when senior defensive back Tom Daniels picked up a McGraw fumble at the Warsaw 6-yard line and sprinted 94 yards for the score.

Snider responded with two Andy Roop field goals, a stifling defense and McGraw's final score.

“The thing about this team is, we handle adversity well and nothing's going to shake us up,” Bobilya said. “Offensively, we were confident. We knew we could move the ball if we held onto it. We got the points on the board and our defense held them.”

Bobilya's deft handling of the option makes Snider's offense a threat on every possession.

As quick as Bobilya can be in reading the defense and getting the football in the right place, he's equally quick in deflecting the praise.

“It's real routine with great backs and a great offensive line,” Bobilya said. “If everything is executing well, nothing's easier than the option.”

It's also possible that Bobilya just makes it look easy.