On Friday night, the Crimsons defeated the Saint Xavier Tigers with a last-minute touchdown. The final score was 37-36.
First Half:
The game started with a kickoff from the Crimsons to the Tigers. On the first play of the game, Davis Yates (#26, 12) scored for the Tigers. The extra point was complete and the score was 7-0.
The Crimsons then got the ball and Gerian Traynor (#34, 10) scored for the Crimsons on their first set of downs. The extra point was completed and the score was tied 7-7.
The Manual defense was able to hold off the Tigers. The Crimsons were stopped on fourth down and opted to kick a field goal, making the score 10-7.
Kyle Krupp (#2, 11) scored a touchdown for the Tigers on the next drive, which made the score 14-10, Saint Xavier leading.
Manual was not able to score on the next drive and gave the ball up to the Tigers, who were able to score a field goal. The score was 17-10.
However, right before the end of the half, Zeek Washburn (#22, 12) was able to score for the Crimsons. The game was tied 17-17 going into halftime.
“No matter what the score was or what quarter it was in, the energy was positive,” Head Coach Josh Gillispie said.
Second Half:
The Crimsons got the ball to start the second half but were not able to score. The Tigers were able to get a field goal, making the score 20-17.
When the Tigers got the ball again, quarterback Trevor Havill (#10, 12) ran for a touchdown, extending their lead to 27-17.
However, the Crimsons began to catch up, with a touchdown, making the score 24-27. The Tigers also scored another field goal so the score was 24-30.
With three minutes left in the game, Traynor scored again for the Crimsons and the extra point was good, making the score 31-30.
The Tigers got the ball back for one final possession and converted for a first down. Havill connected with Marlon Harbin (#6, 10) for a touchdown with 33 seconds left in the game. The Tigers went for a two-point conversion but were unsuccessful, meaning the score was 31-36.
The Crimsons got the ball back with around 30 seconds left and Creech was able to connect with tight end Cameron Jessee (#19, 11) for a 20-yard pass. The Crimsons were inching closer to the end zone, when a holding was called, setting them back to the 15-yard line.
A few plays later, pass interference was called on the Tigers’ defense, so the Crimsons got a first down with 0.9 seconds left. Creech connected with Washburn for a game-winning touchdown.
“It really means a lot to me because in my four years of playing high school football, we have never beat Saint X,” Washburn said about scoring the game-winning touchdown.
Manual goes on the road next Friday, Oct. 13 to face off against PRP at 7:30 pm.
