Columbus Crusaders clip the wings from Cincinnati Landmark Christian Eagles 27-7

Tagged under: Beyond The Keystone, Game Photos, Gameday Hub, News

David Burnworth | October 8, 2023

Last night I made the short drive to Huffaker Community Sports Complex in Grove City, Ohio to watch the home team Columbus Crusaders battle Cincinnati Landmark Christian. The two teams battled early this season with the Crusaders winning a tight game 27-22 on a Hail Mary pass. The stadium is a good place to catch a day game but as far as night games go the lights are older and there are not a lot of them so it can appear somewhat dark.

Going into this one the Eagles were banged up as much as any team I have watched in a long while. They have due to injuries lost all five captains. Overall they have lost their top four wide receivers, the top four linebackers, their number one captain, and a few linemen, that list now includes Peyton May, who was injured in the game.

Columbus got things going with a 59-yard catch from Mykell Anderws on a nicely thrown ball from Austin Bauer if not for a good tackle from Noah Bryant the play would have gone for a touchdown. The three-play, 87-yard drive came to an end on a 4-yard touchdown run by Sa’Mauri Tutston. Luis Chavez hit the first of his three point-after kicks to make this a 7-0 game with 8:26 left in the quarter.

The Eagles would get a 24-yard catch from Jacob Newton on a crisp pass from Caleb Vetter. A short time later Vetter was sacked by Alexander Fries for a loss of eight. Vetter shook the sack off by hitting Byrant on fourth and five for a gain of fifteen. The drive came to an end with zero points being scored as the Columbus defense rebounded very well after they allowed the fourth down conversion.

This would become a 7-7 game after a pick-six by the Eagles from Nigel Wright and a point-after kick by Andrew Hoke. The quarter came to a close with Wright just missing a diving interception.

At the 9:28 mark of the second quarter, Andrews recovered a fumble by Vetter giving Columbus a first and goal at the four-yard line. From there Tutstone punched it in making this a 14-7. On the ensuing Eagles drive, Vetter was picked off by John Walters.

John Dehner would sack Austin Bauer for an 11-yard loss on the following Columbus drive then on the Eagles next drive Dezjuan Noaks picked off Eagles quarterback Vetters. Coming into the game Vetter had a 70% completion rate. The offense for Columbus would get a 9-yard shake-and-bake run from their talented back Jericho Etok. Tutstone ended the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run making this a 20-7 game with 2:27 left in the half.

The Eagles would have to move their D-1 lineman prospect Luke Williams all over the field including linebacker and fullback where he still had 10 tackles and two sacks would pull off a fake punt on fourth and two that worked perfectly when Wright galloped to a 19-yard gain. The halve ended before the Eagles could do any more.

The third quarter had 8:44 remaining when Bauer found Etok for a gain of ten on fourth and five. Eleven seconds later Bauer showed he is a multiple threat quarterback when he blasted off for a 34-yard touchdown to make this a 27-7 game. The third quarter produced two more big plays. The first came in the form of a sack by Daniel Pacheco and Nicolas Lopez on Vetter. The second came on a Bauer to Brayton Walker 31-yard pass.

The fourth quarter would see Bauer find Andrews for 10-yards. A fumble recovery by Daniel Hoke came when Ezekiel Bowie coughed the ball up. Vetter was sacked by Fries for a loss of eleven with 10:30 left in the contest. The final two plays that stood out in the final frame were a fumble recovery by Eli Luken for Landmark and then an interception by John Walters on a pass thrown by the Eagles backup quarterback AJ Skoog.

If Landmark can rebound and find a way to beat rival Middletown Christian they could face Columbus for a third time in what would be for the league crown. Columbus hosts a tough Noblesville team out of Indiana

My Stats

Cincinnati

47 plays

100 yards

Passing

4-17 3 Ints

Columbus

58 plays

365 yards

Passing

6-16 1 Int