It was a cold, rainy night, and the Academy football team had traveled to Newark Catholic for a showdown between two undefeated teams. Unfortunately, it was the Green Wave that came out with the victory, grinding out a 34-26 win over the resilient Vikings.
The hundreds of Newark Catholic fans on hand were expecting to watch their team easily dispose of the underdog Columbus Academy. As the Green Wave carried a 14-0 lead into halftime, it looked as if the fans were correct. The Vikes looked tired and had showed few signs of life on offense in addition to giving up two touchdowns.
They refused, however, to go down without a fight. On the opening kickoff of the second half, Newark Catholic learned the hard way not to kick the ball to junior Jerome Buckner, as Academy’s most dangerous playmaker returned the kick 87 yards to the house. But, despite this momentum swing, the Green Wave were unfazed, as they immediately responded with an 87-yard passing touchdown to boost their lead back up to 14.
Instead of backing down, the Vikes swung back, as junior running back Herman Moultrie barreled his way into the end zone for a CA touchdown on its next possession. On the ensuing drive, Newark Catholic was marching down the field for what looked like another score when junior linebacker Davis Friedman read Newark Catholic quarterback Hunter Chapman’s eyes, picking off his pass and returning it 65 yards for a Vikings touchdown. Wanting to capitalize on the momentum, the Vikes decided to go for 2 to try to take the lead. Academy was denied, and Newark Catholic protected its one point lead.
The Green Wave then extended their lead to 8 after a 70-yard rushing touchdown, sending their nervous crowd into hysteria. But Academy refused to go away, as Moultrie again crossed the goal line for his seventh touchdown in his first three games. The Vikes couldn’t tie it up, though, as another failed 2-point conversion kept them behind. Newark Catholic then drained several minutes off the clock before scoring what looked to be a game-sealing touchdown. However, the Green Wave kicker missed the extra point, keeping it an 8-point game and giving Academy one last chance. But, Newark Catholic intercepted a desperation throw by Academy, and finally secured a victory over the tough Vikings, 34-26.
Although the Vikes are disappointed by the loss, they did manage to hang tough with the heavily favored Green Wave. So, despite the blemish that will appear on their record, the fact that the Vikings almost pulled off an upset over a great team is still a very positive sign moving forward. Academy will have a chance to redeem itself on Friday, September 16, at Grandview Heights.
