Knights use big plays to down Calvert

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

TIFFIN — The Crestview Knights used first half big plays to stun the Tiffin Calvert Senecas in Saturday’s Division VII, Region 26 quarterfinal game at Frost-Kalnow Stadium.

The Knights led 20-0 after a quarter and 27-0 less than 30 seconds into the second quarter, en route to a 54-20 victory.

With the win, the Knights (8-3) advanced to Saturday’s regional semifinals against Arlington (8-3) at Spartan Stadium in Lima.

Arlington advanced with a 21-19 victory over Lucas.

“Our execution was really sharp up front tonight,” Crestview Head Coach Jared Owens said. “It was really good to see on both sides of the ball, and it was a good team performance.”

Crestview received the opening kickoff and scored on the third play from scrimmage when quarterback Drew Kline sprinted 71 yards for a touchdown. Dylan Hicks kicked the extra point to make it 7-0.

After an ensuing Calvert drive that ended with a missed 40-yard field goal, Kline tossed a 78-yard touchdown pass to Chase Clark. The extra point by Hicks was no good, giving the Knights a 13-0 lead with 6:23 left in the first quarter.

The Knights scored again with 2:41 left in the first quarter when Kline capped off a five-play, 62-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown run to make it 20-0.

After forcing a Calvert punt, Kline raced 66 yards for a touchdown with 11:28 left in the second quarter to push Crestview’s lead to 27-0.

Later in the quarter the Knights partially blocked a Calvert punt and

Kline finished a four-play, 50-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown to make it 34-0.

The Senecas responded with an 80-yard touchdown run by Austin Jones, but the Knights came back with a nine-play, 71-yard drive that ended with a one-yard Luke Gerardot touchdown run to give Crestview a 41-7 lead with just 18 seconds left in the second quarter.

The Knights rolled up 464 yards in the first half, and finished the game with 549 yards. Kline rushed for 214 yards and four touchdowns on just nine carries, while Trevor Gibson had 14 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown. Luke Gerardot chipped in with 11 carries, 60 yards and two touchdowns.

Kline was 8-of-10 passing for 198 yards, one touchdown and one interception.  His favorite target was Chase Clark, who finished with four catches, 137 yards and a touchdown. Wade Sheets had three catches for 54 yards.

“He (Kline) is a special kid,” Owens said. “He unfortunately had a death in his family Friday, and emotionally I wasn’t sure where he’d be, but his faith is really strong.”

A running clock was used in the second half, and the two teams traded touchdowns.

Gerardot rumbled nine yards to paydirt with 5:01 left in the third quarter, and Calvert scored on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Park Hemminger to Austin Canter to make it 48-13.

In the fourth quarter, Trevor Gibson bolted 43 yards for a touchdown, and Calvert found the end zone once more, when Hemminger hit Robbie Paul from six yards out, to make it 54-20.

Defensively, the Knights held Calvert to 346 yards of offense, with 128 of those yards coming on two plays.  Hemminger finished 15-of-29 passing for 208 yards, two touchdown passes and one interception. Crestview also forced two Calvert fumbles.

“Calvert’s got a good offensive line and they protected him (Hemminger) well, and we weren’t always getting the pressure we wanted,” Owens said.

“But we were able to change his launch point a little bit, and make him a little inaccurate.”

Saturday’s Crestview-Arlington game will kick off at 7 p.m., and will air live on WKSD 99.7 FM, www.wert1220.com, and will stream live on The Van Wert Independent (www.thevwindependent.com).