Under the lights of Paycor Stadium, in front of a roaring 22,375 fans and a sideline lined with stars, including former Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn, 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, St. Xavier delivered one of the great comeback wins in program history.

Trailing 27–7 late in the first half, the Bombers rallied behind explosive offense, special teams brilliance, and a fourth-quarter defensive stand to defeat Elder 42–34 in a GCL showdown that lived up to its venue.

FIRST QUARTER

Elder opened with a grinding 12-play scoring drive, but St. X answered just four snaps later. Jackson Frey hit Logan Von Holle on a 54-yard strike, electrifying the St. X crowd and giving the Bombers a brief 7–6 lead.

Elder responded with a 74-yard catch-and-run to make it 13–7.

SECOND QUARTER

Two Elder touchdowns stretched the deficit to 27–7, forcing St. X to dig deep.

They did, and fast.

A short-field strike from Frey to Von Holle (12 yards) pulled St. X within 27–14. Then the turning point came:

Kobe Clapper burst through and blocked a punt, and Chad Perkins scooped it and scored, slashing the margin to 27–21 and shifting the momentum entirely.

THIRD QUARTER

Elder capitalized on an interception with a quick 21-yard touchdown to make it 34–21, but it was the Panthers' final points of the night.

 

St. Xavier responded with its longest drive of the season: 15 plays, 80 yards, over seven minutes. Frey found Von Holle for their third TD connection, cutting the deficit to 34–28 heading into the fourth.

FOURTH QUARTER

The final quarter belonged to St. X.

Behind a surging offensive line, the Bombers opened the frame with a short field and Daniel Vollmer powered in from 2 yards, giving St. X a 35–34 lead — their first since the opening quarter.

After the defense forced a punt, the offense went right back to work. A methodical 9-play, 50-yard drive ended with another 2-yard Vollmer touchdown, extending the lead to 42–34 with 4:19 left.

But Elder still had life, until the secondary shut it down.

With the Panthers driving near midfield and the stadium hanging on every snap, senior defensive back Brayden Reilly broke on an out route and intercepted the pass, sealing the game and sending the Bombers' sideline into a frenzy.
It was the final exclamation point on a defensive clinic that shut out Elder for the last 19 minutes.

DEFENSIVE LEADERS

• Kobe Clapper: 9 tackles, INT, PBU, blocked punt

• Brayden Reilly: Game-sealing interception

• Jax Hendon: 9 tackles

• C. Bareswilt: 6 tackles

• Chad Perkins: 5 tackles + blocked-punt touchdown

• Nick Klee: sack + TFL

• Team: 58 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 TFL, 2 INT, 1 blocked punt, 1 defensive TD

• Second-half points allowed: 7 total — and 0 in the fourth quarter
  
  

OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS

• QB Jackson Frey: 223 yards, 3 TD

• WR Logan Von Holle: 5 receptions, 115 yards, 3 TD

• RB Daniel Vollmer: 91 yards, 2 TD — both in the fourth quarter

• Offensive line: took over the game late, controlling the final 10 minutes
  
  

FINAL: St. Xavier 42, Elder 34

A comeback on the biggest stage in the city.
A rally seen by more than twenty-two thousand witnesses.
And a finish worthy of the venue, and the rivalry.

The Bombers walked out of Paycor Stadium with a win that will be remembered for years.





Bombers Advance to the OHSAA State Final Four to take on the Middletown Middies @ Welcome Stadium.