by Logan Andrew | FreeWire Magazine — Your News, Your Voice
NORTH ROBINSON – Colonel Crawford made a statement in their opening round of the OHSAA playoffs, rolling to a 35-7 victory over Reedsville Eastern on Friday night. The Eagles from Crawford County (No. 5 seed in NORTH ROBINSON – Colonel Crawford unleashed a balanced offense and stingy defense to defeat Reedsville Eastern 35-7 in the opening round of the Division VI football playoffs. After a slow start, the host Eagles (Colonel Crawford) exploded for 28 points in the second quarter and built a 35-0 lead by the third, triggering a running clock. The visiting Eastern Eagles averted a shutout with a late score in the fourth quarter.
Colonel Crawford’s first touchdown came late in the first quarter on a 37-yard strike from quarterback Brayden Holt to wideout John DeGray. In the second quarter, running back Connor McMichael took over, punching in three straight touchdown runs of 19, 12, and 1 yard to extend the lead to 28-0 by halftime. McMichael finished with 95 yards on 12 carries and three touchdowns on the night, spearheading a ground game that piled up 202 rushing yards.
The Eagles’ aerial attack was equally effective. Holt was nearly perfect through the air, completing 12 of 15 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns. He connected with Parker Weithman eight times, as the junior receiver amassed 131 yards and a touchdown. Holt’s 13-yard TD pass to Weithman early in the third quarter put Colonel Crawford ahead 35-0. Backup quarterback Peyton Baker also contributed, going 5-of-10 for 41 yards passing. In total, Colonel Crawford gained 435 yards of offense (233 passing, 202 rushing) while picking up 17 first downs.
On the other side, Eastern (7-4) struggled to sustain drives against Colonel Crawford’s swarming defense. Eastern was held to 226 total yards (88 rushing, 138 passing) and managed 11 first downs. Senior quarterback Braxton Yonker led Eastern with 138 yards passing (13-of-23, 1 TD, 1 INT) and 45 yards rushing. Eastern’s only points came with 5:35 remaining, when Yonker found Ethan Edwards for a 9-yard touchdown pass. Edwards was the top target for Eastern, hauling in six receptions for 80 yards and that fourth-quarter score. Fellow receivers Ronnie Golden and Parker Durst added 27 and 23 yards receiving, respectively.
Defensively, Colonel Crawford dominated up front and opportunistically forced three turnovers. The Eagles recovered two fumbles and grabbed one interception, smothering Eastern’s offense for most of the game. Eastern’s defense had two fumble recoveries of its own (capitalizing on Colonel Crawford miscues), but could not contain the home team’s balanced attack. In all, Colonel Crawford’s defense limited Eastern to just 88 yards on the ground and kept the visitors off the scoreboard until the final minutes.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter: CC — John DeGray 37-yard pass from Brayden Holt (Joe Zizzo kick), 2:20.
2nd Quarter: CC — Connor McMichael 19-yard run (Zizzo kick), 8:31; CC — McMichael 12-yard run (Zizzo kick), 5:36; CC — McMichael 1-yard run (Zizzo kick), 0:36.
3rd Quarter: CC — Parker Weithman 13-yard pass from Holt (Zizzo kick), 8:02.
4th Quarter: RE — Ethan Edwards 9-yard pass from Braxton Yonker (Hayden Wilcoxen kick), 5:35.
Team Statistics
Total Yards: Colonel Crawford 435 – Eastern 226
Rushing Yards: Colonel Crawford 202 – Eastern 88
Passing Yards: Colonel Crawford 233 – Eastern 138
First Downs: Colonel Crawford 17 – Eastern 11
Turnovers: Eastern 3 (2 fumbles lost, 1 interception) – Colonel Crawford 2 (2 fumbles lost)
Penalties: Eastern 5 for 45 yds – Colonel Crawford 7 for 51 yds
Individual Statistics
Passing: Eastern – Braxton Yonker 13/23, 138 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; Colonel Crawford – Brayden Holt 12/15, 192 yards, 2 TD; Peyton Baker 5/10, 41 yards.
Rushing: Eastern – Braxton Yonker 12 carries, 45 yards; Parker Durst 10-28; Ethan Edwards 6-17. Colonel Crawford – Connor McMichael 12-95 yards, 3 TD; Avery Powers 3-69; Roen Thew 5-35; Madden Tesso 4-15.
Receiving: Eastern – Ethan Edwards 6 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD; Ronnie Golden 3-27; Parker Durst 2-23. Colonel Crawford – Parker Weithman 8-131 yards, 1 TD; John DeGray 2-41, 1 TD; Connor McMichael 3-34; Roen Thew 2-15.
Defense: Colonel Crawford – Allowed 226 yards, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 INT; Eastern – Allowed 435 yards, 2 fumble recoveries.
The convincing victory sends Colonel Crawford (10-1) into the next round, where the Eagles will face No. 4 seed Mount Gilead. Meanwhile, Eastern’s season ends at 7-4 after a three-game winning streak was snapped by Crawford’s dominant performance. Colonel Crawford’s mix of explosive offense and tenacious defense proved too much in this playoff opener, as the home team moves on with momentum on both sides of the ball.
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