Last Friday night, #6 St. Xavier continued their playoff berth as they traveled down the road to #3 Winton Woods. The night consisted of a thrilling game that saw both teams battle for field position and take advantage of scoring opportunities. Here's how the action unfolded:
The game kicked off with Winton Woods taking an early lead thanks to a 24-yard field goal by Bryan Knighten. The drive covered 71 yards in 4 plays, taking only 2:19 off the clock. However, St. Xavier responded late in the first quarter with a 35-yard field goal by Owen Davidson, capping off an 8-play, 56-yard drive that lasted 4:24. The score was tied at 3-3 as both teams traded field goals to close out the opening frame.
St. Xavier continued to control the pace in the second quarter. At 11:48, they added another field goal from Davidson, this time from 36 yards out, after a 6-play, 17-yard drive that took just 1:51 off the clock. As the half drew to a close, Davidson drilled a 26-yard field goal with 00:00 left on the clock, extending St. Xavier's lead to 9-3 heading into halftime.
Coming out of the break, St. Xavier extended their lead further in the third quarter. With 2:22 remaining, senior Matthew Hoerst caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chase Herbstreit, though the two-point conversion attempt failed. This 8-play, 82-yard drive, which took 4:32, gave St. Xavier a commanding 15-3 advantage.
Winton Woods wasn't ready to go down without a fight. With 7:30 left in the game, they answered with a 1-yard touchdown run by Bryshawn Brown. Knighten's extra point made it a 12-play, 65-yard drive that chewed up 4:30 of clock, pulling Winton closer at 22-10.
Despite the late surge, Winton Woods could not mount a comeback, and St. Xavier held on for the upset victory, securing the win with a final score of 22-10.
With the win, the St. Xavier Bombers will play #2 Lakota West in the OHSAA Regional Semi-Final this Friday, November 15th at 7:00pm. The game will take place at Princeton High School.Â
Tickets: https://www.ohsaa.org/tickets (Click Division 1 -> Region 4)
Parking: There will be a $5 parking fee upon arrival (Please bring cash!)
Full Tournament Bracket:Â https://tinyurl.com/2j6a8z49
OHSAA Football on Spectrum News 1 Livestream:Â https://www.ohsaa.org/Sports-Tournaments/Football/Football-2024/2024-OHSAA-Football-on-Spectrum-News-1
