The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Knights run past Tiffin Calvert 50-13

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

TIFFIN — A big second half lifted No. 13 seed Crestview to a 50-13 Division VII, Region 26 playoff win over No. 4 seed Calvert at Frost-Kalnow Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The victory means the Knights (5-2) will face No. 5 seed Spencerville (4-3) in an unprecedented third matchup of the season between the two NWC rivals. The game will be played at 7 p.m. Friday at Spencerville.

Leading 14-13 to start the quarter, Crestview marched 65 yards in five plays and scored on a five yard keeper by quarterback JJ Ward, his second touchdown of the game. Kaden Kreischer, who booted six extra points, added the PAT to put Crestview ahead 21-13.

Brody Brecht (33) and JJ Ward (22) each scored twice on Saturday. Bob Barnes/file photo

After Calvert (5-2) returned the ensuing kickoff to the Knight 45, Ayden Lichtensteiger stepped in front of a Jack Schultz pass and raced 58 yards for a touchdown, giving Crestview a 28-13 lead. Lichtensteiger added another interception in the fourth quarter.

“We moved Ayden to an inside linebacker spot and he was playing his third or fourth game as a starter there and he just keeps getting better,” head coach Jared Owens said.

On the next drive, the Senecas reeled off nine plays, but turned the ball over on downs at the Crestview 34. The Knights then ran off nine plays of their own, including a 30-yard run by Brody Brecht on third and six. Logan Gerardot ended the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to increase the lead to 35-13.

Brecht went on to finish with 24 carries for 265 yards and two touchdowns, and Gerardot had 15 carries for 64 yards and a score. As a team, the Knights rushed for 382 yards.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Knights squelched a potential Calvert scoring drive when Carson Hunter intercepted Schultz in the end zone, then Crestview added to the margin with a 39-yard touchdown run by Brecht and a two-point conversion pass from Hunter to Lichtensteiger. The remainder of the game was played with a continuous clock, and Beau Eggleston accounted for the final touchdown of the game with a one yard run.

Crestview scored the game’s first touchdown on a 22-yard run by Brecht with 4:30 left in the opening period, but Calvert answered with an 18-yard pass from Schultz to Leo Longo with 53 seconds left in the quarter. Schultz completed 14-of-30 passes for 192 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

The Knights then drove 68 yards in 12 plays and took a 14-7 lead on a five-yard keeper by Ward, who had four carries for 31 yards on the drive, along with a 15-yard completion to Lichtensteiger. He finished the game with seven carries for 48 yards and completed 2-of-6 passes for 29 yards.

“I told JJ before the game that he’d need to have his best game for us and did he ever,” Owens said of his junior quarterback. “He made things happen, made the right reads and was able to execute and finish.”

The Senecas returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown, but the PAT was no good, leaving Crestview with a one point lead.

Friday’s Crestview at Spencerville game will serve as the rubber match between the two teams. The Bearcats won the season opener 35-14 and the Knights turned the tables and won 27-16 on the final night of the NWC tournament.

“I have so much respect for their staff – coach Sommers and I go way back to playing together in college, and I know they’re going to be ready and motivated,” Owens said. “It’s going to be a battle and we need to be able to match that intensity. We’ll give it our best shot and see what happens.”

Scoring summary

Calvert HS 7 6 0 0 – 13
Crestview 7 7 21 15 – 50

First quarter

CV – Brody Brecht 22-yard run (Kaden Kreischer kick)
CAL – Jack Schultz 18-yard pass to Leo Longo (kick good)

Second quarter

CV – JJ Ward 7-yard run (Kaden Kreischer kick)
CAL – Hunter Yeakle 82-yard kickoff return (kick failed)

Third quarter

CV – JJ Ward 5-yard run (Kaden Kreischer kick)
CV – Ayden Lichtensteiger 58-yard interception return (Kaden Kreischer kick)
CV – Logan Gerardot 1-yard run (Kaden Kreischer kick)

Fourth quarter

CV – Brody Brecht 39-yard run (Carson Hunter pass to Ayden Lichtensteiger)
CV – Beau Eggleston 1-yard run (Kaden Kreischer kick)

POSTED: 10/17/20 at 3:18 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports