LCC downs Knights in 42-21 win

Van Wert independent sports

LIMA – Lima Central Catholic used the big play to carve out a 42-21 Northwest Conference victory over the visiting Crestview Knights on Friday night.

The Thunderbirds had three plays over 45 yards on the night as they compiled 460 yards of offense and held Crestview to 264 yards, mostly through the air.

The Knights couldn’t get their running game untracked, mostly because of LCC’s stifling defense, forcing Crestview to go to the air for all three of its touchdowns. LCC ran the ball for 296 yards three touchdowns while quarterback Colin Stolly had a good night, both on the ground and through the air, running for one touchdown and passing for three others, including a 54-yarder in the third quarter that proved to be the winning score.

The T-Birds started the scoring with a 29-yd pass from Stolly to Sam Huffman with 6:33 remaining in the first quarter. Stolly hit the first of his six point-after kicks and it was 7-0, LCC.

Crestview returned the favor a little over three minutes later when Knight quarterback Trevor Roop found Malcolm Oliver for a 21-yd TD pass with 3:13 remaining in the first stanza. Kameron Grubaugh kicked the first of his three PAT kicks and it was all tied at 7 apiece.

LCC owned the second quarter, scoring twice during the quarter while holding the Knights scoreless in the period. Stolly again connected with Huffman on a 26-yd pass at the 11:46 mark and kicked the extra point to make it 14-7, T-Birds. Stolly ran in the next score when he got lose on the Crestview 48 and rambled in for the touchdown. The PAT kick made it 21-7 at the half.

Crestview came back in the third to score first on a 20-yard scoring strike to Venice Roberts and Grubaugh kicked the PAT to bring the Knights within a score, 21-14, with 6:51 left in the quarter. But LCC was up to the challenge, scoring twice in the quarter, with the first score coming on a 54-yard pass from Stolly to Lee Stewart with 5:18 remaining, and the second an 85-yard run by Jonathon Washington with a minute left in the third quarter for a 35-14 lead with one period remaining.

Crestview scored once more on an 11-yard pass from Roop to Alex Brown with 10:13 remaining in the game to make it 35-21, but the T-Birds had one more TD in them, as Mykale Rogers ran it in from the Crestview 30 for the final margin of victory.

Roop was the Knights’ top rusher, with 61 yards on 17 carries, while Washington’s 85-yard TD run gave him top rushing honors for the game with 136 yards on 12 carries. Stolly also ran for 56 yards on five carries.

Stolly was 8 of 11 for 164 yards and three touchdowns on the passing side of things, while Roop completed 8 of 21 passes for 124 yards and three TDs.

Crestview, now 1-1 on the season and 0-1 in the NWC, will host Wayne Trace, which is 2-0 after a 54-7 victory over Lima Perry on Friday night.