Preview: 2-2 Allen East at 2-2 Crestview

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

CONVOY — Last Friday night was a rough one for Crestview. Not only did the Knights lose the NWC opener 28-21 to Fort Loramie, a pair of starters went down late in the game and head coach Cole Harting feared the worst.

Now, the Knights (2-2, 0-1 NWC) are back home to face Allen East (2-2, 0-1 NWC) on Friday, but Harting is being coy on the status of quarterback-linebacker Bryson Penix, who suffered a shoulder injury on the final defensive series, and defensive back Braxtyn Counts, who went down on the same series, as well as running back Braxton Leeth, who was injured in Week No. 2.

“We originally thought the worst for them but after the dust had settled, it appears that we will get them back sooner than we thought,” Harting said.

Just how soon remains to be seen. In the meantime, what’s the plan if one or both aren’t back for Friday’s game against the Mustangs and possibly beyond?

“Navigating through injuries can be one of the most challenging things a team can do, but we have a lot of very good and very capable players that will step up and contribute,” Harting said without divulging more details.

So far this season, Penix has completed 63-of-94 tosses for 782 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception. Huxley Grose has connected on 3-of-7 passes for 26 yards. Penix also leads the team in rushing (42-220, four touchdowns) and is Crestview’s leading tackler, with 23. Counts has caught three passes for 12 yards and has accounted for 15 tackles.

In addition to the injuries suffered by Penix and Counts, Leeth has been sidelined since the opening drive of the second game of the season, when he went down with an ankle injury deep in McComb territory.

“He’s getting closer to returning every day,” Harting said.

With or without three key starters, the Knights enter Friday’s game averaging 384 total yards per game. The offense has remained balanced, with 202 coming through the air and 182 on the ground. Isaiah Barton and Hayden Perrott have combined for 46 catches through four games. Those numbers have caught the attention of Allen East head coach Joel Billings.

“Crestivew is a very solid football team,” he said. “They have battled some injuries but have solid guys stepping up and filling roles. They have multiple receivers with a mix of size and speed that present a challenge to us.

Crestview’s defense has been stingy, giving up just 242 total yards per game. In fact, during Friday’s loss to Fort Loramie, the Knights had a 383-289 advantage in terms of total yards.

“Defensively, they are aggressive and play fundamentally sound football and have size at the defensive end spot causes many teams issues,” Billings said.

Allen East opened the season with wins over Toledo Scott and Newark Catholic but have dropped two straight since then, 28-21 to Indian Lake and 35-7 to NWC newcomer Lima Central Catholic. The Mustangs are averaging 30 points and 318 total yards per game, including 191 rushing per outing. Quarterback Jackson Thompson leads the attack with 365 yards passing (27-of-53, four touchdowns, two interceptions) and 364 yards rushing (61 carries, seven touchdowns). Keegan Jones got the nod at quarterback against Lima Central Catholic and completed 11-of-22 passes for 132 yards with two interceptions. Miles McDorman has added 190 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 36 carries and Hunter Nickels is the top receiver with 11 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown.

“Offensively, they have shown two different quarterbacks who can both bring separate challenges,” Harting said. “Jackson Thompson has seen the majority of reps this year and has shown to be a big physical runner who can also make plays through the air. Keagan Jones saw all of the action last week and he is very quick and elusive.”

“Their line does a great job of creating holes for their backs to get through,” he added.  “We will have to be sound up front and tackle well in space.  They are more than capable of putting up points, we need to limit their big plays and make them earn everything.”

In terms of defense, the Mustangs are allowing just 247 total yards per game, including just 100 through the air. However, Allen East is giving up 26 points per game.

“Defensively, they have a bunch of very athletic players who can fly around and make plays,” Harting said. “They aren’t the biggest team that we have seen, but they make up for it with quickness and athleticism. We will have to do an excellent job of blocking this week.”

“I am pleased with the team as a whole,” Billings said. “They play together and play with solid effort. We need to continue to focus on the basics defensively, making sure we have solid reads and tackle fundamentally sound. Offensively we need to have a solid run game and lean on a veteran offensive line group.”

The Knights won last year’s game 51-28, making it Crestview’s first victory over Allen East since the 2018 season.