NORTH ROBINSON — Micah Thomas powered for 162 yards and two touchdowns to spearhead a strong rushing attack that propelled Colonel Crawford to a 24-16 playoff win over Seneca East on Friday night.
The Eagles gained 295 yards rushing to key the victory in a Division VI, Region 22 playoff opener.
(Photos by Diane Bemiller)
C.C. jumped on top in the first period when Thomas scored from 10 yards and Braxton Morton’s PAT gave the home squad a 7-0 edge.
Connor McMichael added a 1-yard blast in the second period, and Morton drilled a 45-yard field goal to push the margin to 17-0 at halftime.
Thomas tacked on a 7-yard scoring jaunt in the third quarter for what seemed to be a comfortable 24-0 gap.
But the Tigers responded with two touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions to make things interesting in the fourth quarter. However, the rally ended right there.
McMichael also ran for 103 yards as the Eagles fashioned a 295-43 advantage on the ground.
Yet Seneca East stayed in the game by throwing for 260 yards to just 43 for the Eagles. Colonel Crawford led in first downs (21 to 11) and total yards (338-303).
A key part of the game was C.C.’s defense in the clutch, stopping the Tigers cold on third down. Seneca East was 0-of-7 on third-down conversions.
The third-seeded Eagles (10-1) will host No. 6 seed Ottawa Hills on Friday night in North Robinson. C.C. will bring a five-game winning streak into that contest. Its lone loss was a 27-7 decision at Carey on Sept. 22.
The Green Bears are 10-1 and have a seven-game winning streak. Their lone defeat was a 26-21 verdict to Whiteford (Mich.) on Sept. 8.
Seneca East finished the campaign with a 5-6 record. This marked the second time this season Colonel Crawford got the better of the Tigers. The first time was a 29-14 decision on Sept. 15.