by Logan Andrew | FreeWire Magazine — Your News, Your Voice
Friday’s games brought a bit of everything for Crawford County teams – from blowouts to nail-biters – as conference play kicked off. Bucyrus struggled with turnovers against Buckeye Central, Wynford ran into a buzzsaw in Seneca East, Colonel Crawford mounted a thrilling comeback at Mohawk, Galion dueled state-ranked Shelby in a shootout, and Crestline delivered late-game heroics on the road. Here’s how Week 4 unfolded across the area:
Bucyrus Redmen vs. Buckeye Central Bucks
Final Score: Buckeye Central 34, Bucyrus 13 (at Bucyrus HS). Buckeye Central capitalized on four Bucyrus turnovers to pull away in this Northern 10 opener. The Bucks jumped out to a 14–0 lead early in the second quarter after recovering a fumble and striking on a 29-yard fourth-down touchdown pass from Jack Phillips to Collin Perry.
Bucyrus answered with freshman quarterback Isaac Makeever marching 80 yards and finding his brother, Wyatt, for a 15-yard score to trim the deficit to 14–7. But Buckeye Central seized back momentum just before halftime – Phillips hit Hunter Caudill for a 16-yard TD with 45 seconds left to put the Bucks up 21–7.
After the break, Buckeye Central’s defense continued to stifle the Redmen. Phillips connected with Perry again for an 18-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to extend the lead to 28–7. Makeever’s one-yard keeper in the fourth brought Bucyrus within 28–13, but any comeback hopes were dashed when Phillips – playing safety – intercepted a pass and weaved 40 yards to the end zone for a pick-six in the final minute.
It was the exclamation point on a standout night for the Bucks’ senior quarterback, who accounted for four total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing, one interception return) and threw for 173 yards. “We had a bad week last week... We put that behind us well and put a good game together,” Buckeye Central coach Jordan Phillips said, praising his team’s energy on a short week after a tough loss.
Bucyrus coach Jon Butchko, meanwhile, lamented his squad’s lack of fire: “Buckeye Central came out and they were excited to play and we weren’t… They’re finishing blocks and we weren’t,” he remarked of the physicality gap. The Redmen (1–3, 0–1 N10) were held to 219 total yards and saw a promising start to the season continue to slip away. Buckeye Central (3–1, 1–0) starts league play 1–0 and will host Colonel Crawford next week, while Bucyrus faces a formidable Mohawk team still smarting from a close loss.
Wynford Royals vs. Seneca East Tigers
Final Score: Seneca East 62, Wynford 8 (at Wynford HS). Seneca East, projected as a league title contender, lived up to the billing by steamrolling Wynford in a lopsided conference opener. The Tigers’ high-powered spread attack hit early and often, roaring to a 41-0 halftime lead and never letting up en route to 62 points.
Wynford’s defense, which had allowed 46 points the week prior, again found itself on its heels as Seneca East amassed big plays on the ground and through the air. Tigers dual-threat quarterback Nicholas Parks and his backfield mates gashed the Royals repeatedly – a stark contrast to Wynford’s hope of controlling the clock with its run game.
Offensively, Wynford (1–3, 0–1 N10) struggled to sustain drives against a Seneca East defense that had been allowing under 10 points per game coming in. Senior running back Bryce Locker, the N10’s leading rusher entering the night, was held in check, and the Royals’ lone score came on a late touchdown to avoid a shutout. By then, Seneca East (3–1, 1–0) had emptied the bench with the outcome well in hand. It’s a statement win for the Tigers to kick off league play, while Wynford will have to regroup after one of the toughest losses in recent memory.
Colonel Crawford Eagles vs. Mohawk Warriors
Final Score: Colonel Crawford 24, Mohawk 21 (at Mohawk HS). In a battle of unbeatens, Colonel Crawford (4–0, 1–0 N10) overcame a 21–10 fourth-quarter deficit in thrilling fashion to knock off defending league champion Mohawk.
The host Warriors led 7–3 at halftime and 14–10 entering the final period, powered by three short touchdown runs from quarterback Andon Clouse. Mohawk (3–1, 0–1) appeared to seize control with another TD run early in the fourth (going up 21–10), but the Eagles’ playmaker Parker Weithman swung the momentum instantly by returning the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to the house. The stunning special-teams score cut the margin to four, energizing Colonel Crawford’s sideline.
On the very next possession, the Eagles drove into the red zone and senior quarterback Peyton Baker punched in a 22-yard keeper for the go-ahead touchdown with under 5 minutes remaining. The Colonel Crawford defense made that 24–21 lead stand, shutting down Mohawk’s final drives with stout coverage and tackling.
It was a gutsy road win for Coach Jake Bruner’s squad, which showed resilience despite being flagged for 115 yards in penalties on the night. The Eagles outgained Mohawk by a wide margin (315 to 71 in total yards) but had to overcome their own mistakes and a few big plays by the Warriors. Bruner credited his players for not folding when down two scores in the fourth, noting the team “rallied effectively to claim the win” despite the miscues.
Colonel Crawford’s balanced offense was led by running back Connor McMichael (103 yards on 25 carries), while Mohawk’s Clouse was held in check through the air but did damage with his legs (three rushing TDs). In the end, a little “shake and bake” magic from Weithman and Baker made the difference, keeping Colonel Crawford perfect on the season and giving them a huge early edge in the N10 title race.
Galion Tigers vs. Shelby Whippets
Final Score: Shelby 45, Galion 34 (at Shelby HS). Galion (3–1, 0–1 MOAC) went toe-to-toe with state-ranked Shelby for three quarters before the Whippets pulled away late in this MOAC showdown.
The visiting Tigers came out strong, jumping ahead 14–6 after one quarter and holding a 21–20 lead at halftime. When Galion opened the third quarter with a long touchdown to extend the lead to 28–20, an upset seemed within reach. But Shelby (4–0, 1–0) responded like the seasoned contender it is – the Whippets scored 17 unanswered points to grab their first lead early in the fourth quarter and never relinquished it.
Shelby’s senior quarterback Brayden DeVito, an Air Force commit and one of Ohio’s top playmakers, put on a show for the home crowd. DeVito accounted for five touchdowns (three rushing, two passing), using both his arm and legs to torment the Galion defense. He twice answered Galion scores with keeper runs, and his pair of TD passes – to Michael Shepherd and Avery Lambert – helped the Whippets surge ahead 38–28 by mid-fourth quarter. Shelby’s defense also stepped up with a huge safety in the final period to pad the lead.
To their credit, the Tigers kept battling behind quarterback Ayden Schmidt and receiver Jacob Chambers. Chambers hauled in three touchdown receptions on the night, including a 50-yarder that stunned the Shelby secondary early on. Galion closed the gap to 45–34 with a late score but ran out of time in their comeback bid.
It’s the first loss of the year for Galion, despite a valiant effort against a Shelby team that has now won 12 straight games dating back to last season. The Tigers will look to bounce back next week, having proven they can trade blows with one of the region’s elite.
Crestline Bulldogs vs. St. John Heralds
Final Score: Crestline 28, St. John (Ashtabula) 21 (at Lakeside Stadium, Ashtabula). In a long road trip up north, Crestline (2–2) pulled out a dramatic victory with last-minute heroics.
The Bulldogs and the Fighting Heralds were deadlocked 14–14 entering the fourth quarter after trading punches all night. St. John (1–3) struck first in the final quarter – quarterback Anthony Benedict found Anthony Severino down the sideline for a 40-yard touchdown, putting the Heralds up 21–14 with just under 12 minutes to play.
But Crestline refused to quit. Quarterback Kody Lawhorn, who had been quiet for much of the first half, caught fire when it mattered most. Lawhorn lofted a 23-yard touchdown pass to Weston Clark midway through the fourth, tying the game 21–21 and silencing the home crowd. After the Bulldogs’ defense forced a stop, Lawhorn got the ball back and delivered again – this time hitting Jayden Lozier behind the defense for a 29-yard score with just 48 seconds remaining. The clutch touchdown stunned St. John and proved to be the game-winner, as the Heralds’ final drive fizzled out in the waning seconds.
Both teams leaned on their ground games throughout the contest, each featuring a workhorse running back. St. John’s Chase Newsome pounded out 130 yards rushing and two TDs to lead the Heralds’ offense. Crestline’s answer was bruising back Quentin Kapp, who matched that output exactly with 130 yards and two rushing scores of his own. The two backs traded touchdown runs in the first half – Newsome opened the scoring with a 13-yard TD for St. John, and Kapp answered with an 8-yard rumble for Crestline – and again in the third quarter to set up the 14–14 tie.
In the end, though, it was Lawhorn’s arm that provided the decisive difference. While the run game defined much of the night, Crestline’s late-game passing proved to be the difference. The Bulldogs return home with a hard-fought win, having shown poise under pressure to steal one in the final minute.
Disclaimer: Stats and recaps are compiled from multiple public sources, including Crawford County Now, Richland Source, MaxPreps, YSN Live, and others. FreeWire works to ensure accuracy, but game details and player totals may vary from official school or league reports.
