Hayden Compton and all senior players will be missed next year. Sarah Neltner’20/Media
The CA football team closed its regular season with a 42-21 road win over Grandview Heights on Friday, October 26, but it wasn’t enough to secure a third consecutive postseason berth. The Vikes finished just outside the top 8 in the Division V, Region 19 standings.
In an attempt to grab the momentum early, the Bobcats tried an onside kick to begin the game. The decision backfired, and Academy set up shop in Grandview Heights territory. After burning several minutes off the clock, the Vikings struck first, as sophomore quarterback Brady Hess floated a jump pass to senior Chris Boyle for a 3-yard touchdown.
Though the Bobcats’ opening drive resulted in a punt, they immediately got another chance. Senior Dorrian Moultrie coughed up the ball on the return, and Grandview Heights recovered. The Bobcats capitalized, running it in from a yard out to pull even.
The two squads traded punts in the second quarter, as heavy rain slowed down both offenses. It was Grandview Heights that broke the scoring drought, as poor tackling by CA on consecutive plays allowed the Bobcats to rumble into the end zone. The Vikes couldn’t muster a response and trailed 14-7 at the break.
Chaos erupted to start the third period. Grandview Heights fumbled on the opening kickoff and freshman Drake Bellisari came up with ball, giving Academy possession with a short field. The Vikings cashed in just two plays later, as Hess crossed the goal line on a keeper from 2 yards away.
CA struck again on the ensuing drive. Bobcats quarterback Kyle Casey couldn’t corral a bad snap, and Moultrie scooped it up before bolting 62 yards to the house.
Suddenly down 21-14, Grandview Heights swung back seconds later, as Luke Lachey returned the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
The Vikes immediately threw another haymaker. On the first play of the following possession, Hess uncorked a deep ball to Moultrie, who hauled it in and sprinted to the end zone for a 70-yard score to put Academy ahead again. It was the fourth touchdown in 89 seconds of game time. Neither side put up any more points for the remainder of the quarter, and the Vikings carried their 7-point lead into the fourth.
It wasn’t long before CA doubled the advantage. Junior Andrew Swartz broke off a 56-yard run to move the Vikes into the red zone, and Moultrie did the rest. The Academy legend put the finishing touches on one of the greatest careers in program history, as he took a handoff, spun off a defender and darted into the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown, his third of the night.
The Bobcats looked for a spark, but only found more trouble. Casey fumbled another snap, and freshman Gyvnn Mendenhall pounced on it for the Vikings. On the very next play, Swartz delivered the dagger, bolting untouched for a 34-yard score.
CA got one last stop and then took to victory formation, closing the season with its third straight win.
Though the Vikes will be absent from the playoffs for the first time since 2015, their strong finish was impressive nonetheless. Academy will be losing an incredible senior class, but have the foundation in place for a bright future.
