by In the second week of the playoffs, the 12-seeded Lexington Minutemen looked to continue their upsetting trends, following a 28-13 victory at Maumee, as they visited the 4th-seeded Rocky River Pirates.
The Minutemen started with the football, and QB #17 Joe Caudill started the party with a QB sneak TD. River would take until their second possession to respond on the opening play of the second quarter as River QB #6 Ryan Taylor found his leading man Josh Mommers in the end zone to tie the game at seven a piece. Another quiet Caudill touchdown and two lengthy River field goals saw the game tied at 13-13 at the halftime break, with the momentum and points split right down the middle.
River began the second half with the football and picked up the offense heavily in the third quarter. Taylor earned his second touchdown of the contest with a 19-yard touchdown to the back corner of the end zone to take a 7-point lead just a minute and seven seconds into the second half. River used some luck on their next defensive possession as Lexington’s main back, Markale Martin, coughed up the football on the drive’s second play. River capitulated with a TD and took a 13-point lead at 13-26.
All was going well for the Pirates until Joe Caudill took over in the third quarter, leading a 3-minute TD drive and taking his opening play of the next drive 80 yards on his own to give Lexington a 1-point advantage.
The scoring would halt until Martin fumbled for the Minutemen deep inside his half. Lexington’s defense held Rocky to just 3, and the Pirates took a 29-27 advantage into the final 12 minutes of the contest. Another Minutemen march saw Caudill sneak in for his fifth rushing TD of the contest. River failed to find their offense on the next drive, and Caudill led the Minutemen to their first passing TD to increase their advantage to two scores. A fumbled kickoff from River sealed their fate, as Caudill achieved his seventh all-purpose TD on a short pass to TE #8 Brayden Fogle.
The Lexington Minutemen would claim their second upset 49-29 over the Rocky River Pirates. Next up for Lexington is a shot at the defending champion and #1 seed Toledo Central Catholic in the Sweet 16 next Friday at a to-be-determined location.
