By Dean Eversole
MaxPreps.com
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Byrnes, S.C. - 21
Moeller, Ohio - 20
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Controlling the line scrimmage often leads to control of a football game. That was the case in the opening game of Saturday's Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge through three quarters for Cincinnati's Moeller against South Carolina's Byrnes Rebels, until the fourth quarter when the Rebels pulled out a 21-20, comeback win.
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Moeller used a 4-3 defense to bottle up Clemson-bound, all-everything quarterback Willy Korn for all but one drive. Korn, who finished the game 17 of 24 for 272 yards, saved his best for last.
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Down 20-14, Korn took his Rebels downfield with just over eight minutes to play and capped the drive with a one-yard plunge. The extra point made it 21-20, but the game was far from over.
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With two minutes to go the Crusaders started their own drive. Doing as they had all game, Moeller mixed in the pass and run, giving themselves an opportunity to complete the upset, but a field goal went just wide and Byrnes took the one-point victory.
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"This is the best team we have played in five years," Byrnes coach Bobby Bentley said. "We are a small town of 2,500 people and there was a sign in the barber shop window that read `Closed, Gone to Cincinnati.'"
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And what a trip it was for the Byrnes Rebels.
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Lakeland, Fla. - 25
St. Xavier, Ohio - 22
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The pairing of Lakeland, Fla., and St. Xavier, Ohio, was billed as the marquee game of the Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge - two nationally-ranked football machines facing off - and it did not disappoint.ÿ
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The squads knocked heads in a good ol' fashion smashmouth football contest, with Lakeland - MaxPreps preseason No. 1 - prevailing in overtime, 25-22.
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"It wasn't one of our better games, but I give credit to St. X, they are just so well coached and disciplined and I am just impressed with Ohio football," Lakeland coach Bill Castle said.
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In the first half the two teams played to near equality, except for one aspect, special teams. Lakeland's Chris Rainey took the opening kickoffÿ 97 yards for a score, the extra point failed, and it was 6-0 Dreadnaughts.
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St. X answered on its first drive of the game to take a 7-6 lead on Fred Craig's two-yard run. But again special teams created a score for the Florida team.
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Lakeland crossed the goal line for the second time in the game after blocking a Bombers' punt and setting up deep in St. X territory for a 14-7 halftime advantage.
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The second half went back-and-forth with both teams answering the other. The Bombers tallied the first two scores with a Danny Milligan field goal and a 32-yard bolt by star junior running back Darius Ashley, who piled up 120 yards rushing.
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Lakeland took back the lead when Jamar Taylor plunged in from 1-yard out. The two-point conversion made it 22-19.
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It stayed that way until 1:56 remaining in the game when the Bombers mounted one last desperate charge.
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From their own thirty yard-line, St. X moved the ball downfield, with Milligan connecting on his third field goal with just 12 ticks remaining, knotting things at 22-22.ÿ
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Lakeland had one last chance to avoid overtime, but after a long pass the clock struck zero and the Dreadnaughts were forced into overtime.
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Lakeland got the ball first in the extra stanza and after going backwards on three-straight plays, Matt Rodenberry connected on a 41-yard field goal that bounced off the cross bar and over.
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The Bombers had one last chance to extend the game with a field goal, or end it with a touchdown. The Ohio power set up shop at the Lakeland 25-yard line and on its first play, St. X quarterback Ryan Morris dropped back looking for his tight end, but the ball instead found the Dreadnaughts'ÿ Steve Wilks and the game was over.
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"Winners try to make plays and that is what Ryan tried to do and I love the kid for it," St. Xavier coach Steve Specht said.
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The win was Lakeland's 34th in as many games, and solidified its status as a legitimate national powerhouse after dominating the Florida scene over the past two seasons.
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Don Bosco Prep, N.J. - 21
Centerville, Ohio - 0
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It was the matchup of run versus the pass, the triple option of Centerville against the spread of Don Bosco Prep. It turned into a 21-0 Bosco victory as the Ironmen showed they could do more than pass with Matt Sims.
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Guy Germinario crossed the goal line twice in the game, leading a third-quarter surge that saw the Ironmen tally 14 points to blow open what was a 7-0 game at the half.
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"You have to mix it up against Centerville on defense and our offensive coaches did a great job keeping them off balance on defense and Germanario really stepped it up tonight," Don Bosco Prep coach Greg Toal said.
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Bosco quarterback Matt Simms, son of former NFL quarterback Phil Simms, connected on 12 of 17 pass attempts for 193 yards to lead the balanced Ironmen attack.
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De La Salle, Calif. - 56
Elder, Ohio - 38
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It didn't take long for Ohio to learn why De La Salle, Calif., once won 151-consecutive football games over a 12-year span.
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Using the Split-T offense, the Spartans rolled over Cincinnati Elder, 56-38, in the final game of the Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge. The game capped a difficult day for the Ohio squads, which lost all four games played in Cincinnati.
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The Spartans wasted little time in jumping on the Panthers, putting up 14 first quarter points. It was clear early on that the Spartans simply had too much speed for Elder to compete.
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Most of that speed, at least offensively, belonged to Spartan quarterback Mike MacGillivary, who ended up with six touchdowns on the night - four on the ground and two passing, in leading his team to the easy victory.ÿ
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Other Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge scores.
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Saturday, Massillon, Ohio
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St. Edward, Ohio - 49
Springdale, Ark. - 3
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Hilliard Davidson, Ohio - 17
St. Joseph's Prep, Pa. - 14
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Massillon Washington, Ohio - 35
Hamilton, Ariz. - 26