Knights outlast AE in rain-delayed game

Van Wert independent sports

HARROD – The Crestview Knights had a 13-7 lead when rain washed out Friday night’s Northwest Conference game with Allen East. A day didn’t hurt much, either, as the Knights returned on Saturday to finish off the Mustangs 23-15 for the win.

With the victory, Crestview is now 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the NWC, while the Mustangs are 0-5 overall and 0-4 in league play.

Turnovers hurt both teams, but they hurt Allen East the most. Quarterback Casey Crow’s five interceptions often gave the Knights good field position and they made the most of it.

Crestview scored first in the game when Jacob Harmon ran 4 yards for a touchdown with 9:56 left in the first quarter. The point-after attempt was no good and it was 6-0, Knights.

In the second stanza, Crestview again scored when Preston Zaleski found Jake Lippi for a 38-yard touchdown pass with 5:39 left in the first half. Kameron Grubaugh kicked the PAT and it was 13-0 in favor of the Knights.

The Mustangs got their chance early in the third period when Ross Stewart ran 16 yards for a score with 9:40 left in the quarter. Evan Thomas kicked the extra point and it was 13-7, Allen East. That’s how the score stood when the game resumed on Saturday, but the Knights’ Grubaugh added his own points to the contest with a 27-yard field goal with 6:04 left in the third stanza for a 16-7 Crestview lead.

The Knights pushed their lead to 16 points when Malcom Oliver raced 31 yards for the score with a minute left in the game and Grubaugh added the point-after.

Allen East still had some life, though, as the Mustangs scored their final TD with 30 seconds left on the clock when Casey Crow connected with Nick Kohlrieser for a 29-yard scoring strike. Thomas ran the PAT in for two points and the game ended at 23-15.

Allen East’s Stewart was the game’s top rusher with 119 yards on 26 carries (4.6 yards per carry average), while Tyler Friesner had 72 yards on 7 carries and Thomas ran for 60 yards on 11 carries for the Mustangs. Nate Owens led Crestview with 35 yards on 5 rushes. Zaleski completed 8 of 15 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown, while Crow was 11 of 25 for 161 yards, a touchdown and those five interceptions.

Kohlrieser led Allen East in receptions with 3 for 72 yards, while Thomas and Stewart also had three catches for the Mustangs for 39 and 33 yards, respectively.

Isaiah Simerman had three receptions for 50 yards for Crestview, while Lippi ended with two catches for 53 yards and a touchdown. Oliver had two catches for 37 yards.