Football Passes Through Liberty in Round 1
On Friday, November 8th, #15 Jesuit faced off against #26 Liberty in round one of the football playoffs. Jesuit came in with a different offensive approach to the game, as the Crusaders showcased a revamped offense that utilized the passing game, rather than the usual smashmouth running game. The new-look offense led to a 41-12 victory for the Crusaders.
Jesuit wasted no time establishing their offense, as Quarterback Treynor Cleeland led a strong first drive down the field, ending in a 4-yard touchdown pass to Joe Stimpson. The following drive, Liberty responded with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Dalla Ochoa to Maliq Smith, but a missed extra point kept the Falcons from leveling the score. Grant Valley would not hesitate to put up more points for the Crusaders, as he returned an 80-yard kick return to the house, vastly shifting the momentum towards Jesuit.
The second quarter would look almost identical to the first, but Jesuit came out with a trick play, resulting in Stimpson throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Cleeland. Liberty’s Ben James found himself in the endzone after a 22-yard pass from Ochoa, but once again, the Falcons failed to convert the extra point. Shortly after, the Crusaders found themselves in the end zone as Grady Keljo caught a 69-yard bomb from Cleeland, giving Jesuit a 28-12 lead over the Falcons.
Entering the second half with a comfortable lead, Jesuit looked to control the momentum for the rest of the game. Cleeland added to his solid game with a 10-yard touchdown run, but the extra point was missed. The fourth quarter saw Cleeland connecting with Valley for a 55-yard touchdown pass, capping off Jesuit’s scoring for the night.
Treynor Cleeland proved why he was chosen as the Metro League Offensive Player of the Year, as he threw for 256 yards and three touchdown passes, caught a touchdown pass from Stimpson, and ran in a touchdown. Valley finished the game with 201 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. Keljo and Stimpson added to the score with a touchdown each. Kicker Parker Heydet went 5 for 6 on extra-point attempts.
Jesuit’s defense looked strong throughout, only giving up two touchdowns. Stimpson added to his stats with an interception. Quinn Wicklow and Jaden Hedges each recovered a fumble.
Demonstrating an excellent passing game throughout, Jesuit’s 41-12 advances them into the second round of the playoffs, where they will be facing off against #18 West Salem.
