ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — Lexington junior Joe Caudill is having himself quite a postseason party, and so is the Lexington football team.
The Minutemen simply refuse to let their season end, no matter where the schedule takes them.
For the second consecutive week, Lex upset a higher-seeded team on the road to advance in the Ohio High School football playoffs. This time it came via a virtuoso performance from their 6-foot-5, 225-pound quarterback.
Caudill ran for an incredible five touchdowns, and threw for two more scores to lead 12th-seeded Lexington to a stunning, 49-29 victory at Rocky River on Friday night in a Division III, Region 10 quarterfinal.
Caudill got Lexington (7-5) off to a strong start when he opened the game by scoring on a 4-yard dash for a 7-0 first-period margin.
The Pirates tied it on the first play of the second quarter when Ryan Taylor tossed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Josh Mommers. Rocky River (8-4) moved on top 10-7 courtesy of Stephen Cain’s 38-yard field goal with 8:38 showing in the half.
Caudill got loose again, this time for a 7-yard run to put Lex back in front 13-10 at the 2:04 mark after the PAT was blocked.
Cain’s 30-yard field goal knotted the seesaw affair at 13-13 heading into intermission.
The Pirates surged in front again when Taylor found Cam Bulkowski for a 19-yard score less than two minutes into the third quarter for a 20-13 advantage.
Rocky River pounced after a Lexington turnover when Taylor again hooked up with Bulkowski on a 16-yard TD pass for a 26-13 lead.
But Caudill’s legs brought the Minutemen back, and they dominated for the rest of the night.
The burly standout roared in on a 2-yard touchdown blast to make it 26-20 midway through the third period. Next he broke free on a spectacular, 80-yard TD jaunt and the ensuing PAT put Lex ahead 27-26 with 4:34 remaining in the third period.
Cain split the uprights on a 35-yard field goal to push the Pirates back in front 29-27 at the 1:48 mark of the third quarter to set up a frantic, final 12 minutes.
Caudill proved unstoppable yet again, this time scoring on a 1-yard plunge and Brayden Fogle’s conversion run made it 35-29 Lexington with 9:52 remaining.
Caudill then turned to the air, firing a 15-yard touchdown pass to Seven Allen. The duo connected on the conversion pass for a 43-29 Lex bulge with just under seven minutes to play.
Caudill finished it with a 26-yard touchdown strike to Fogle for the final points.
Lexington will meet top-seeded Toledo Central Catholic (10-1) in next week’s regional semifinal game. The location of that neutral-site affair will be announced Sunday by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
The Fighting Irish blasted ninth-seeded Revere 48-0 on Friday night. TCC is the defending state champions.