CRESTLINE — The Bulldogs of Crestline High School were on their home field at Hutson Stadium on Friday, October 11 to play hosts to the visiting Cory-Rawson Hornets in Blanchard Valley Conference gridiron action. Friday’s week seven contest also served as the annual homecoming game for Crestline.
After the first quarter of play, Crestline held a slim, 7-0 lead and would eventually see their squad fire on all cylinders, taking a 38-13 lead into halftime. The Bulldogs would not look back from that point en route to a lopsided, 51-20 victory. With the win, the Bulldogs improved to 3-4 overall, including 2-3 in BVC games. Cory-Rawson falls to 0-7 on the season with a 0-5 mark in conference clashes.
The hosting Bulldogs would have four total possessions in that first quarter, eventually finding a rhythm on their final drive of the opening frame as quarterback Kaden Ronk found the endzone on a 14-yard run. Logan Parrella tacked on the extra-point attempt to give the home team a 7-0 advantage.
After Cory-Rawson scored on their opening drive of the second, Austin Silverwood gave the ‘Dogs a short-field scenario thanks to a 50-yard kickoff return. Crestline, beginning their drive at the Hornets’ 20-yard line, needed just one play from scrimmage as running back Enyce Sewell punched in the score and with Parrella’s PAT, the home team pushed their lead to eight at 14-6. This would be the start to a high-scoring second as Crestline picked up possession after a Cory-Rawson fumble and started another drive in the opposition’s territory. After two plays, Ronk threw a bomb to Calvin Reed, who proceeded to ramble in for a 44-yard touchdown catch. The two-point conversion attempt failed but the Bulldogs led 20-6. The Hornets had other plans though as they took the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for the special teams score and tacked on the PAT to bring the score to 20-13. However, that would be Cory-Rawson’s final points in the half while Crestline went to work on both sides of the ball.
On their eighth possession of the back and forth first half, Crestline began on their own 32-yard line but wasted no time finding the endzone as Ronk found Reed for a deep aerial strike again, this time from 55 yards. The PAT by Parrella missed but the Bulldogs pushed ahead; 26-13. Following a solid punt return, the home team began their final possession of the opening half in Cory-Rawson territory yet again. After Ronk was sacked for a loss of 12 yards, he would once again hit Reed, this time in triple coverage, for an 11-yard touchdown to go up 32-13 with 55 seconds remaining. That would prove to be plenty of time as, on the ensuing Hornets’ possession, Ronk intercepted a pass and took it the distance for a “pick-six” as time expired to send the Bulldogs into the locker room up by a score of 38-13.
The visitors received the half-opening kickoff and consumed a large portion of the clock in the third quarter but came up empty handed as they fumbled the ball away with 4:05 left. Later in Crestline’s drive, Sewell would march his way in for a four-yard touchdown run and with Parrella’s PAT, the ‘Dogs activated the “continuously clock rule” going up by a score of 45-13.
In the final quarter, Cory-Rawson would reach the endzone for a third time and convert the extra-point to cut into Crestline’s lead and push the clock back to normal operation; 45-20. The Bulldogs saw Ronk rush into the endzone for their final score of the evening and, with 4:33 remaining in the contest, take the game to its eventual final score of 51-20.
Crestline finished the evening with 372 yards of total offense; 186 through the air, as well as 186 on the ground. Cory-Rawson managed 268 yards in the loss (55 passing, 213 rushing) but their five turnovers (4 fumbles lost, 1 INT) proved to be costly.
Ronk lit up the stat sheet on Friday, finishing the contest at 8/11 passing for 186 yards and three touchdowns while also gaining 63 yards on 10 rushing attempts for two touchdowns. Ronk also had the “pick-six”, bringing his touchdown total to six on the night. Reed was the primary target for Ronk, catching five of those eight completions for 159 yards and all three touchdowns thrown. Sewell finished with 102 yards on 14 carries for the ‘Dogs in their win while finding the endzone twice.
Other scores around the BVC in week seven were: Leipsic (7-0, 5-0) 42, Van Buren (2-5, 1-4) 7; McComb (7-0, 5-0) 61, North Baltimore (3-4, 2-3) 13; Liberty-Benton (6-1, 5-0) 49, Riverdale (3-4, 2-3) 0; Arlington (5-2, 3-2) 41, Arcadia (3-4, 3-2) 0 and Pandora-Gilboa (3-4, 2-3) 55, Vanlue (2-5, 0-5) 6.
Crestline will be on the road in week eight to clash with the Riverdale Falcons while Cory-Rawson returns home, looking for their first win of the season against Vanlue.
