The varsity football team hosted their rival, the Springboro Panthers, in the OHSAA Regional Quarter-Finals on Friday night. Earlier in the season, the Elks had defeated Springboro easily on the road. This time, however, the game was anything but easy, as Centerville had to dig deep for a hard-fought 14-7 victory. The Panthers played well all night long and gave the Elks a great game.

In the first half, Springboro’s defense kept the Elks’ offense under control, limiting Centerville to just two long field goal attempts, both of which missed. Meanwhile, Springboro scored the only points of the half, taking a 7-0 lead into halftime.

Centerville’s defense, however, stayed strong all night, forcing three crucial turnovers. Quinten Robinson and Andrew Erwin each grabbed an interception, and Jacob Taylor recovered a fumble to keep the Elks in the game. Their defense was able to shut out the Panthers entirely in the second half.

The Elks’ offense finally came alive in the fourth quarter. With 9:20 left in the game, quarterback Shane Cole broke loose for a 26-yard touchdown run to tie the score at 7-7. Then, with just over three minutes left, the Elks’ defense made a key stop on fourth-and-2 from their own 31-yard line, giving the ball back to the offense.

On the following drive, running back Parker Johnson pulled off a 41-yard touchdown run with 2:05 remaining in the game, using a skillful spin move to dodge a Springboro tackler and give the Elks a 14-7 lead. The defense then held strong to secure the win for Centerville.

Johnson finished with 87 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Cole added 68 yards on the ground and a touchdown of his own. Cole was also effective through the air, completing 11 of 15 passes for 115 yards. Senior Brady Seeley anchored the defensive line, helping to control the game at the line of scrimmage. The entire defense played a crucial role, keeping the Elks in the game and shutting down Springboro in the second half.

This win improves Centerville’s season record to 9-3 and sends them to the Regional Semi-Finals, where they’ll face a very hot Dublin Coffman team that easily defeated Lebanon in their own quarter-final matchup. The Elks’ next game will be on Friday, November 15, at 7 p.m. The location is still to be determined. Tickets for the game will be available online at Click Here or for cash at the gate. Prices are $11 for adults and $5 for students.

The Elks hope to keep their season alive with another strong performance next week!