Steubenville Catholic Central lost a second round playoff game to Corning Miller 36-20 on Saturday evening at Harding Stadium. The Crusaders took advantage of a fumble on the opening kickoff to score first on a three yard pass from Matthew Sprochi to Rahim Mitchell to lead 6-0 after a failed XP attempt. The Falcons responded two minutes later, taking a lead at 7-6 that they would not relinquish. Miller scored again in the second quarter, before Central trimmed the lead to 14-12 with nine seconds left in the half as Noah Hough caught a tipped pass in the end zone from Sprochi. Miller scored another two TDs, the second on a 93-yard drive, to bump their lead to 29-12. The Crusaders still had life and countered with a nine yard rushing touchdown by Sprochi and a two point conversion by Tommy Pergi, making the score 29-20. Central threatened immediately after a successful onside kickoff return put the ball on the Falcon 27, but the drive was stopped, and Miller put the game away with one last TD at the one minute mark of the game. Central closes the season with an 8-4 record.

Steubenville Central won an amazing overtime first round playoff game at Harding Stadium over River, 28-22, where the lead changed three times in the last six minutes of regulation. The Pilots dominated the first half, running 41 plays to the Crusaders' 12, but managed only a 6-0 lead at halftime. River converted a long punt return early in the third period to Central's 10 into another TD to bump the lead to 14-0. But Central immediately answered with their first score of the game, marching 46 yards and culminating with a one yard run by Jimmy Hernon and two-point conversion by Tommy Pergi, cutting the margin to 6 at 14-8. Several drives stalled and there was no further scoring until midway through the fourth quarter, when the Crusasders found themselves pinned on their 18 yard line, but Matthew Sprochi pulled off an 82 yard run to tie the score, and a Peyton Rauch two-point conversion on a fake XP kick gave Central its first lead of the game. Then things got really interesting.

River appeared to turn the ball over on downs on a fourth down play near midfield but found new life on a personal foul after the pass attempt fell incomplete. Then they drove down inside the five before being stopped and attempted a field goal which missed the mark, but a roughing the kicker penalty gave them another shot. This time they scored to retake the lead 22-16 at the 2:36 mark. The Crusaders had one more chance, and drove steadily downfield, finally tying the game on a three yard run by Pergi. The extra point attempt barely missed, and it was on to overtime.

Central won the coin toss and elected to go on defense. This time River was called for several penalties, and coupled with back-to-back sacks by Peyton Rauch, lost 22 yards in the process. The Crusaders wrapped it up quickly, first with a nine yard run by Hernon and another six yards by Pergi. Hernon punched it in from two yards out to win the game.

The teams combined for nearly 560 yards of offense. Central improves to 8-3 and takes on Corning Miller (9-2) next Saturday at Harding Stadium in the second round.

Steubenville Catholic Central held on to defeat Pittsburgh Carrick, 26-18, Saturday evening at Harding Stadium in a game that went down to the wire. After a scoreless first quarter, the Crusaders capitalized on a Raider turnover as Tommy Pergi fell on a fumble at the visitors' 41. Pergi then took it in on the next play for the first score. Central added to their lead in the final seconds of the first half on a one yard Jimmy Hernon run, set up by a 27 yard Rahim Mitchell reception from Matthew Sprochi, putting the score 14-0 halftime. Carrick returned a punt 39 yards to cut the lead to 14-6, but Central responded with a seven minute drive, capped off by another Hernon TD from one yard out. The Raiders scored again to cut the lead to 20-12, but Central responded with Hernon's third touchdown of the game, this time from 40 yards. Carrick fought back to trim the lead to eight once again at the 4:02 mark, and then got one more chance after recovering a Central fumble. Driving quickly down the field, they reached the 15 yard line before Peyton Rauch sacked the QB on a key third down with seconds remaining. A fourth down pass fell incomplete as time ran out. The Crusaders improve to 7-3 and clinch the fourth seed in Region 27, ensuring them of a home game in the first two rounds. They will play #13 seed Hannibal River next Saturday at Harding Stadium.