Senior Night wasn’t kind to the Crescent Tigers, who lost their first game of the season 42-32 against Minco on Friday night.
The War on Highway 74 wraps up the regular season in Cashion this Friday night, where not only is it Senior Night for the hosts but the outcome of this rivalry game will have major playoff implications for both teams.
Crescent (7-1, 3-1) will be district champs with a win as it holds the tie-breaker over Christian Heritage (8-2, 4-1) on the head-to- head differential. Cashion (4-5, 2-2) is in fourth place in the district. If Cashion wins, there will be a three-way tie at 3-2 between Minco, Crescent and Cashion.
Minco (7-2, 3-2) jumped all over the Tigers on Friday night, taking a 20-0 lead 13 minutes into the game. The visitors scored on an 88-yard pass play, a 19-yard run and a 64-yard pass play.
The Tigers bounced back on a Kade Varner-to-Boston Cox pass and then a Tanner Rice run to get within 20-14 in the second quarter. Minco then added another score on the last play before halftime and it was 28-14.
Minco had 428 yards of total offense compared to 272 for the Tigers. The Bulldogs also controlled the clock with 32 of the 48 minutes.
Of the 55 plays the Bulldogs ran, 46 of them were on the ground that netted 192 yards. Eight big pass plays accounted for 236 yards.
The Tigers had 54 plays, with 32 of those netting 110 yards from the running game.
Varner was 16-for-23 for 162 yards. Luke Descher was Crescent›s leading rusher with nine carries for 41 yards. Rice was the leading receiver with six catches for 74 yards.