Knights down Aces after lightning delay

Van Wert independent sports

HICKSVILLE — The Crestview Knights maintained its momentum from Friday to Saturday and won by two touchdowns, 34-20, over Hicksville after resuming a lightning-delayed game at Hicksville.

The Knights had a 20-12 lead when lightning forced postponement of the game until Saturday. Crestview then added two more scores, while holding the Aces to eight points to secure the victory.

Knight quarterback Preston Zaleski ran for two scores and passed for a third TD, while Malcolm Oliver had two rushing touchdowns in the non-conference win.

Crestview totaled 466 yards of offense, including 368 yards on the ground, while the Aces passed for 201 yards and 330 yards of offense overall.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Knights lit up the scoreboard first when Zaleski ran it in from the Hicksville 1-yard-line with 8:46 remaining in the second quarter. After Hicksville responded with a 1-yard run by Aces quarterback Garrett Crall to make it 7-6, Oliver scored again in the second quarter on a 19-yard run to put the Knights up 13-6.

Hicksville again responded with a 26-yard pass from Crall to Mason Hostetler and it was 13-12, Crestview, when the first half ended.

The Knights went up eight points when Zaleski broke away for a 69-yard touchdown scamper with 11:03 remaining in the third quarter, Jake Tatum kicked his second point-after in the game and Crestview led 20-12.

When the game resumed Saturday morning, the Knights took up where they left off, with Zaleski hitting Dylan Grandstaff for a 23-yard touchdown with 8:56 left in the third quarter and a 27-12 lead for Crestview.

The Knights added a third score in the third quarter when Oliver found the end zone from 20 yards out to give Crestview a 22-point lead, 34-12.

Hicksville scored its final touchdown in the early moments of the fourth quarter when Crall hit Hostetler for a 67-yard TD at the 11:05 mark in the final stanza.

Both Zaleski and Oliver went over the century mark in rushing. The Knight quarterback ran for 184 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, while Oliver also carried the ball 18 times, scoring twice and running for 160 yards on the ground.

Crall was the Aces’ top rusher with 84 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, while Hostetler led both teams in receiving, catching three passes for 102 yards and two TDs for Hicksville.

Zaleski was 4 of 6 passing for 98 yards and a touchdown, but the two passes he didn’t complete were intercepted by the Aces. Crall completed 12 of 24 passes for 201 yards, two TDs and an interception.