Bombers Fall to Moeller, Suffer First Loss of Season
In a hard-fought GCL South battle at RDI Stadium, the Bombers came up short against rival Archbishop Moeller, dropping their first game of the season in a 30–13 defeat.
The game started with fireworks on both sides. After Moeller struck first on a 9-yard Dante Ware touchdown run, St. X answered in dramatic fashion. With just one second left in the first quarter, quarterback Jackson Frey hit Cameron Taylor on a 28-yard strike to tie the game at 7–7.
Moeller regained momentum in the second quarter behind quarterback Matt Ponatoski and wideout Reggie Watson. A 16-yard touchdown connection gave the Crusaders a 14–7 lead, but the Bombers quickly responded. Frey engineered a 65-yard drive capped by a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jake Britt, pulling St. X within one. A missed PAT left the Bombers trailing 14–13 at the half.
The second half, however, belonged to Moeller. Early in the third quarter, Paxton Dodswort intercepted a Frey pass and returned it inside the 5-yard line, setting up a short touchdown run for Tyler Josleyn. From there, Moeller's defense tightened, forcing multiple sacks and stalling Bomber drives. The Crusaders added three field goals to steadily extend their lead to 30–13.
Despite the loss, the Bombers had strong individual performances. Frey threw for two touchdowns, Taylor continued to be a reliable deep threat, and Britt contributed both in the run game and as a receiver. Defensively, Alex McClatchey recorded an interception, and linebackers Daniel Vollmer and Brayden Reilly were active in slowing down Moeller's rushing attack.
With the setback, St. Xavier moves to 4–1 on the season and 0–1 in GCL South play. The Bombers will look to regroup quickly as they continue their conference schedule next week back at home vs Elder.
