Knights blank Parkway 21-0 in opener

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

ROCKFORD — The Crestview Knights blanked Parkway 21-0 during both teams’ football opener on Friday.

Crestview compiled 314 yards of total offense, while the Knight defense held the Panthers to 205 yards and no scores during the game.

The Knights scored in the final seconds of both the first and second quarters, and in the final two minutes of the third stanza. The first Crestview score came with a second remaining on the first-quarter scoreboard clock when Malcolm Oliver bulled into the end zone from the Parkway 5-yard-line. Kameron Grubaugh kicked the point-after for a 7-0 Knight lead.

Crestview scored with 14 seconds left in the second quarter when quarterback Preston Zaleski scampered for a 24-yard touchdown. Grubaugh again kicked the PAT to increase the lead to 14-0.

Oliver found paydirt from three yards out with 1:26 left in the third quarter for the Knights’ final score of the game, which was shortened in the final stanza because of lightning.

Crestview amassed 255 yards on the ground to 81 for the Panthers, while Zaleski led all rushers with 92 yards on 17 carries, an average of 5.4 yards per carry. Oliver had 81 yards on 16 rushes, an average of 5.1 yards, while Jordan Miller carried the ball four times for 56 yards, a 14-yard per-carry average.

Adam Carr was Parkway’s lead rusher with 30 yards on four carries.

Zaleski completed 4 of 11 pass attempts for 59 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions, while Panther quarterback Austin Dennison was 11 for 19 passing for 124 yards and one interception.

Oliver and Isaiah Simerman were the Knights’ top receivers, each with 24 yards, although Oliver caught just one pass, to two for Simerman. Carr was the Panthers’ top receiver with 60 yards on three receptions.

Crestview had three sacks on the night seven tackles for a loss.