Spencerville outlasts Knights in ‘O’ battle

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

SPENCERVILLE — Heart stopping. That may be the best way to describe Friday night’s Northwest Conference contest between the Crestview Knights and the Spencerville Bearcats.

It was a game that saw the teams combine for 85 points, an incredible eight touchdowns in a single quarter, and 949 yards of total offense. But with two seconds left, Spencerville’s Damon Blair kicked a 26-yard field goal and the Bearcats celebrated homecoming with a 44-41 win over the previously unbeaten and seventh-ranked Knights.

“It came down to who could make more plays,” Crestview Head Coach Jared Owens said. “They just made a couple more plays than we did.”

The game was scoreless after one quarter and remained that way until the 7:19 mark in the second quarter, when Crestview’s Trevor Gibson scored on a 12-yard run. Dylan Hicks kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

Spencerville responded with a four-yard touchdown toss from Dakota Prichard to Keaton Lotz with 3:09 left, but the extra point was no good.

Crestview scored about 90 seconds later, on a one-yard keeper by quarterback Derek Kline. The touchdown was set up by Kline’s 87-yard throw to Grant Schlagbaum.

The extra point by Hicks was blocked, leaving the score at 13-6 going into halftime.

The third quarter was a wild one, with eight touchdowns, all on big plays.

Spencerville’s Chris Picker scored on a 24-yard run a minute into the quarter, and the extra point tied the game at 13.

Just 52 seconds later, Crestview’s Luke Gerardot sprinted 74 yards for a touchdown to make it 20-13.

Spencerville’s Calvin Wilson then returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 20.

Wilson scored again less than three minutes later, this time on a 38-yard run, and the Bearcats led 27-20.

Kline tied the game 56 seconds later on a 74-yard touchdown sprint, but Spencerville responded 18 seconds after that, as Wilson galloped 65 yards for a 34-27 lead.

Gerardot scored his second touchdown of the third quarter on a 34-yard run, and the game was tied at 34.

The final score of the quarter came with 1:36 remaining, a 72-yard touchdown run by Picker, and Spencerville led 41-34.

Crestview tied the game at 41-41 on Kline’s one-yard sneak with 2:22 left in the fourth quarter, and it looked like the game might go to overtime.

Spencerville’s offense stalled on the ensuing drive, but a punt and a penalty pinned the Knights back at their own three-yard line.

Crestview went three-and-out and had a 39-yard punt from its own end zone. After a short run, the Bearcats completed a 31-yard pass, setting up Blair’s game winning field goal as time expired.

“You learn from it, and you make adjustments,” Owens said. “We’ll lick our wounds a bit and come back hungry next week.”

Spencerville finished the game with 396 yards of total offense. Wilson ran for 129 yards on 12 carries, while Picker was two yards shy of the century mark on 11 carries, and Lotz had 82 yards on 13 carries.

The Knights gained 553 yards. Gerardot and Kline each gained more than 100 yards rushing, with Gerardot amassing 172 yards on 17 carries, and Kline running for 127 yards on 16 carries. Kline was 5 of 14 for 206 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.

At the halfway point of the regular season, both teams are 4-1. Spencerville (2-0 NWC) will host Columbus Grove next Friday night, while Crestview (1-1 NWC) will play at Ada.