The St. Xavier Bombers opened their OHSAA Division I Regional Quarterfinal with a dominant all-around performance Friday night, rolling past Lakota East 42–7 to punch their ticket to the Regional Semifinal.
After the Thunderhawks struck first midway through the opening quarter, St. Xavier quickly found its rhythm... And never let go.
Lakota East's lone touchdown came on a 27-yard pass from Nile Knutson to Jayden Seay at the 6:01 mark of the first quarter. The Bombers' response was immediate. On the next possession, Daniel Vollmer burst through the middle and sprinted 59 yards for the equalizer, knotting the game at 7–7.
From there, the Bombers' offense and defense took full control.
Early in the second quarter, Vollmer capped another drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to put St. X on top. Moments later, Jackson Frey connected with Alex McClatchey on an 11-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 21–7.
The defensive unit then delivered one of the night's biggest moments. Junior defensive back Jax Hendon read the quarterback perfectly, jumping a route and returning an interception 37 yards for a touchdown, giving St. Xavier a commanding 28–7 lead heading into halftime.
The Bombers continued to make game-changing plays after the break. In the third quarter, Brayden Reilly turned a missed Lakota East field goal into instant offense, returning it 65 yards for a touchdown, igniting the home crowd and stretching the advantage to 35–7.
Vollmer put the finishing touch on the victory with his third rushing touchdown of the night — a 2-yard score in the fourth quarter — sealing the 42–7 final.
By the Numbers
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Daniel Vollmer: 13 carries, 83 yards, 3 TDs
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Jackson Frey: 7-of-12 passing, 102 yards, 1 TD
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Top Receivers: Aidan Newdigate (3 catches, 50 yards), Logan Von Holle (27-yard reception), Alex McClatchey (2 catches, 9 yards, TD)
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Team Offense: 219 total yards (117 rushing, 102 passing)
Defensively, the Bombers were relentless — recording 7 sacks and forcing three interceptions.
St. Xavier's defense held Lakota East to just 86 rushing yards and came up with big plays in key moments, including seven sacks for 58 yards lost.
Special teams also played a critical role, highlighted by Owen Davidson's perfect night (5-for-5 on PATs, 7 kickoffs for 410 yards) and Reilly's 65-yard missed field goal return touchdown.
What's Next
With the win, St. Xavier improves to 8–2 and advances to the OHSAA Division I Regional Semifinal next Friday night. They travel to University of Dayton to take on the Moeller Crusaders in Welcome Stadium.
Purchase Tickets to the Regional Semifinal game -> https://www.ohsaa.org/tickets
