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The football team continued its midseason turnaround on Friday, September 25, defeating rival Bexley 20-0 on Hondros. Playing in front of a packed home crowd following the Charlie David Dinner, the Vikings earned their third consecutive victory and improved to 4-2 and 2-0 in conference play. The win ended Bexley’s three-game winning streak and marked Academy’s second shutout of the Lions in the last three seasons.

The game began as a defensive battle, with neither offense finding much success. Bexley opened with a drive that took nearly four minutes off the clock but ended in a punt. Its first possession was even shorter, as an uncharacteristically rough series sent the Vikings off the field after a minute and a half. The defense quickly responded by forcing another Bexley punt, however, giving Academy possession at the Lions’ 38-yard line with four minutes remaining in the quarter.

From there, the Vikings turned to their running game and kept the ball on the ground for the entire 38-yard drive, steadily working their way toward the goal line. With two minutes left in the opening quarter, senior Benji G. punched the ball into the end zone to break the scoreless tie. A missed extra point kept the advantage at 6-0, but the touchdown gave Academy control after a tightly contested opening stretch.

While the offense extended the lead, Academy’s defense defined the night. Bexley entered the matchup averaging more than 17 points per game and had scored 42 in its previous game against Whetstone, but the Vikings prevented them from scoring at all. Academy added two more touchdowns to pull away for a 20-0 victory, securing its first shutout of the season and holding Bexley scoreless for the second time in their last three meetings.