Knights, Bearcats ready for Round III

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

There shouldn’t be any secrets when Crestview and Spencerville meet in the Division VII Region 26 quarterfinals on Friday night.

After all, it’s the third meeting between the two ground pounding teams this season and it’s believed to be the first time in Ohio history that it has happened. The two met in the opener of an abbreviated six game schedule, then met again in the Northwest Conference tournament in Week No. 6.

In the first game between the two NWC rivals, Spencerville rushed for 330 yards and scored 21 unanswered points in the second half on the way to a 35-14 victory. In the rematch, Crestview jumped out to a 27-0 lead and went on to win 27-16. The Knights rumbled for 322 yards in that game.

“Going into our second game I knew there was definitely a possibility,” Spencerville head coach Chris Sommers said of another rematch. “It’s just the way it worked out.”

“This is the rubber match for the year,” Crestview head coach Jared Owens said. “Both teams know each other well. It comes down to who can execute the best.”

The two teams took slightly different paths to reach this point of the playoffs. As the No. 13 seed, Crestview defeated 20th-seeded North Baltimore 69-7 in the playoff opener, while No. 5 seed Spencerville had a bye, but opted to play Leipsic in a regular season game in Week No. 7.

“We decided to play especially because we lost our Week No. 4 game against Ada so we didn’t want to sit again for a week,” Sommers explained. “Leipsic was a great matchup and team. We came up short but I think when you play good teams you get better regardless and we felt like that game helped us prepare for our week against McComb.”

Last Friday, the Bearcats broke a 14-14 halftime tie with two third quarter touchdowns, then went on to defeat McComb 28-20. Gunner Grigsby rushed for 199 yards and backfield mate Dale Smith tallied 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win.

On Saturday, Crestview led Tiffin Calvert 14-13 at the half, then the Knights outscored the Senecas 36-0 in the second half to win 50-13 and advance to Friday night. Crestview churned out 382 yards on the ground, and Owens gave credit to the offensive line.

“Left to right we have had Tanner Short, Landon Friemoth, Carson Kreischer, Ian Bailey, Mason Penix, and Ayden Lichtensteiger at tight end,” Owens said. “Also playing key backup roles are Trevon Barton, Trever Sheets and Dalton Castle at tight end. A combination of continuity among this unit plus the expert coaching from coaches (James) Lautzenheiser, (Kory) Lichtensteiger, and (Ben) Schamp have turned this unit into one of the strongest parts of our team.”

The elavated play of the offensive has allowed Brody Brecht to pile up 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns on 139 carries, while Logan Gerardot has 693 yards and 10 touchdowns on 81 carries. In two playoff games, Brecht has 36 carries for 518 yards and five touchdowns.

JJ Ward ran the option well against Calvert and accounted for 48 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just seven carries.

“JJ has been a sponge this season,” Owens said of his junior quarterback. “He wants to understand the game within the game and his play continues to improve with experience. We continue to challenge him to play with confidence and work hard to improve and he welcomes this challenge and has the potential to make our offense better.”

Owens also gave credit to his defense, which held North Baltimore and Calvert in check.

“Our players have bought into the technique that coach (Ben) Holden and our defensive staff have been teaching since day one,” Owens said. “I think our improved play is a result of focused preparation and better understanding of what we want to achieve.”

“They get better each week and that begins with coach Owens and his coaching staff,” Sommers said. “They do a great job. Their players are physical, very disciplined and they play great on both sides of the ball. They are a very good football team.”

“We need to be physical, tackle well, and run the football effectively,” Sommers added. “It will start up front and we need to play well for four quarters.”

“Spencerville offers a unique challenge,” Owens said “We are excited to play them again this year because it gives our team another chance to show what kind of a team we are and how much we have improved.”

Friday’s Crestview at Spencerville game will air live on 99.7FM WKSD. The winner will face No. 1 seed Lima Central Catholic or No. 9 seed Arlington.