Fairview nips Col. Crawford in heartbreaking fashion

NORTH ROBINSON — Colonel Crawford’s 16 seniors finished their respective high school football careers with a valiant, but heartbreaking finale on Saturday night in North Robinson.

The Eagles suffered their first loss of the season courtesy of a last-minute touchdown and two-point conversion by Sherwood Fairview during a 35-34 thriller at the Division VI, Region 22 semifinal.

Colonel Crawford (8-1) jumped to a 14-0 first-quarter lead and owned a 27-14 halftime advantage. But coach Ryan Teglovic’s team had a possession end just inches short of the goal line as time expired in the second period, a key break that proved to be a harbinger.

To that point, it seemed like C.C. had the game in hand, piling up nearly 300 of their 400 rushing yards before intermission. Running back Tristan Cross finished with 250 yards on 36 carries and three touchdowns. Cade Hamilton ran for 163 yards and a pair of scores. And yet it still wasn’t enough.

The tide turned in the second half and the Apaches offense proved just as unstoppable in the final two quarters as Colonel Crawford’s was in the first two.

Fairview eventually tied the game at 27-27 in the fourth quarter before Cross capped a long drive with a 3-yard touchdown to give his team a 34-27 edge with less than three minutes remaining.

But the Apaches responded, driving the length of the field for a score of their own, then hitting the conversion pass with just over a minute to play to claim the victory.

Fairview will take a 9-0 record into next week’s regional title game against fourth-seeded Columbus Grove, who beat top-seeded Archbold 34-20 in the other semifinal.