Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Columbus Crusaders walked away with it. They put the hurt on the Cincinnati Eagles with a sharp 35-14 victory on Saturday. Columbus Crusaders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matchups by 21 points or more this season.
Columbus Crusaders' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ezekiel Bowie led the charge by rushing for 185 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 8.4 yards per carry. Bowie didn't just play on offense: he also made six total tackles and defended one pass. Braden Miller did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 112 receiving yards.
Columbus Crusaders didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Cincinnati to a completion percentage of just 47.4%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from four players: Bowie, Jonathon Wolfe, Joe Kamara, and Micah Jones, who each logged one passes deflected. Columbus Crusaders wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 88.9%.
Cincinnati's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jordan Jacobson, who rushed for 145 yards. Jacobson is becoming a predictor of the Eagles' success: when he posts at least 80 rushing yards the team is 6-2 (and 1-2 when he doesn't). Peyton Salyer was another key player, picking up 55 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Columbus Crusaders
| 10/25/25 vs Cincinnati | 35-14 |
| 10/18/25 vs Noblesville L | 51-0 |
| 10/11/25 @ C4 E | 25-12 |
| 10/04/25 vs Cincinnati | 32-14 |
| 09/27/25 @ Noblesville L | 49-0 |
| + 4 more games |
The win (which was Columbus Crusaders' ninth in a row) raised their record to 9-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 4.4 points on average over those games. As for Cincinnati, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-4.
Columbus Crusaders does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Cincinnati, they will take on Illinois C at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
