Knights down Wayne Trace in football

Van Wert independent sports

HAVILAND — The Crestview Knights broke open a 22-22 halftime deadlock, scoring four second-half touchdowns en route to a 51-30 victory over Wayne Trace in a non-conference football game on Friday.

The Knights scored the first three touchdowns of the game, starting with a 27-yard run by Jordan Miller with 7:32 remaining in the first quarter, and then added a 42-yard pass from Miller to Braden Van Cleave a minute and a half later, then capped it with a 53-yard TD run by Dylan Grandstaff with 10:27 remaining in the first half.

Unfortunately, the rest of the half was Wayne Trace’s, as the Raiders put together three scoring drives of their own, including 61-yard pass play from Gabe Wobler to Seth Saylor with 6:56 remaining, a 46-yard pass from Wobler to Luke Miller 15 seconds later following a Crestview turnover and a 7-yard run by Hunter Showalter with 2:35 left in the half.

Although it was a new game in the second half, it was one that Crestview was determined to win. The Knights scored twice in the third quarter, both on 8-yard runs by Miller to go up 38-22. Grandstaff then ran one in from the 16 with 7:32 left in the fourth quarter to double the score at 44-22 before the Raiders made it 44-30 on a 9-yard scoring strike from Wobler to Cole Shepherd.

Grandstaff ended the scoring with a 1-yard run to give Crestview the 21-point final margin of victory.

The Knights compiled 464 yards of offense, 389 of that on the ground, while holding Wayne Trace to 269 yards, all but 16 of those through the air.

Grandstaff was the leading rusher with 190 yards on 16 carries (11.9-yard average) and three touchdowns, while Miller had 150 yards on 23 carries and three TDs.

Wobler was 17 of 29 for 253 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while Grandstaff was 4 of 10 for 33 yards and an interception, while Miller was 1-for-1 for 42 yards and a TD.

Luke Miller was the Raiders’ top receiver with five catches for 86 yards and a touchdown, while Saylor caught two passes for 68 yards and a TD and Shepherd had five receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown.