Playoff preview: Knights at Senecas

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

CONVOY — For the third time in eight seasons, Crestview will head to Tiffin for playoff football. The No. 15 seed Knights will face a formidable foe in No. 2 seed Calvert, a team ranked No. 6 in Division VII in the final statewide poll of the season.

Friday’s Region 26 opening round game will be played at Heidelberg College’s Hoernemann Stadium because Calvert’s stadium, Frost-Kalnow Stadium, will be used by Tiffin Columbian that night.

After Friday’s 49-28 loss to Leipsic, it wasn’t guaranteed Crestview (6-4) would qualify for the postseason and head coach Cole Harting admitted there were some anxious moments while waiting for results of other games.

“All of the projections had us in, but of course there were some nervous moments,” Harting said. “Some of the other teams who were close to us had their scores put in which dropped us below them and then when I saw that Wayne Trace lost to Paulding, I knew it was going to be close. But when the dust started to settle, it all worked out.”

Looking back, the Knights played against four state ranked teams during the regular season – McComb (as high as No. 4, Division VII), Bluffton (fifth, Division VI), Columbus Grove (ninth, Division VI) and Leipsic (as high as No. 15, Division VII).

“We were very fortunate to play a tough schedule and our league has helped prepare us for what lies ahead,” Harting stated. “In the playoffs, things aren’t always going to go your way, teams who have faced adversity and can handle it will come out on top.”

Bryson Penix led all Northwest Conference passers with 188 attempts, 114 completions and 1,722 yards. He tossed 13 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Beau Eggleston was the NWC’s leading receiver with 44 receptions for 598 yards and five touchdowns. The Knight ground game is led by Braxton Leeth, who has 162 carries for 967 yards and 16 touchdowns.

“Historically they’re a good football team,” Calvert head coach Steve Reser said. “They do a nice job of spreading the ball out and the offensive line has nice size and they make it difficult for you.

Like Crestview, the Senecas (8-1) dropped their regular season finale, falling to No. 1 seed Hopewell-Loudon 19-7. The Chieftans are ranked third in the state, behind Marion Local and Ansonia.

Calvert scored on the first play of the game against Hopewell-Loudon when Jacob Rombach sprinted 68 yards for a touchdown, He finished with 115 yards rushing as the Senecas piled up over 200 yards rushing in the game but were kept out of the end zone after the opening play. Calvert threw just 10 passes in the loss. Through 10 games, quarterback Harry Shultz has completed 84-of-139 passes for 1,319 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. The leading receiver is Billy Clouse, who has 31 receptions for 554 yards and five touchdowns. Romach and Cal Warnement have split rushing duties, with Rombach accounting for 731 yards and eight touchdowns on 87 carries and Warnement logging 768 yards and 11 scores on 98 carries.

“Our strength has been running the ball and with our size up front we try to control the line of scrimmage,” Reser said. “Defensively we’ve been okay…we’ve done a good job of not letting people run up and down the field with big plays on us, but we’ve had drives where we’ve given up 10 or 15 plays.”

“Calvert has had a great season and when you see them on film you know why,” Harting said. “They are very big up front on both sides of the ball and they have very good athletes to go along with that. They want to run the ball behind their big offensive line, but they are also more than capable of passing that ball as well.”

“Their quarterback is a great athlete who can make plays with his arm as well as his legs,” Harting added. “We will have to be sound in our run fits as well as our coverage. Defensively, they do a great job of using their size to stop the run. Their linebackers and backs do a great job in coverage and swarm the football. They do a great job of not giving up big plays. We need to execute our assignments and take care of the football in order to have success.”

As far as the previous two playoff meetings between the two teams – Crestview was the underdog in both games but won both matchups, 54-20 in 2016 and 50-13 in 2020.

The winner of Friday’s game will face the winner between Ayersville and Lima Central Catholic in the regional quarterfinals.