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Moeller wins shootout vs. Elder

CINCINNATI — After dropping a pair of low scoring affairs in GCL South play the previous two weeks, Moeller made up for lost time Friday offensively, outlasting rival Elder 49-42 in a big-play, wild shootout in front of a sellout crowd at The Pit.

With the win, the Crusaders (3-4 overall, 1-2 GCL-South) kept alive their postseason chances. Elder (5-2, 1-1 GCL-South) was on solid footing coming into the game, may take a hit in the seeding but will still be safely in the field when the new projections are released next week.

Elder got off to a fast start when senior quarterback Peyton Ramsey found senior wide receiver Nick Hall from 24-yards out with 7:59 left in the opening quarter, an eight play, 80-yard drive.

After forcing a Moeller punt, the Panthers struck again with another 80-yard drive, capped when Ramsey hit junior wide receiver Garren Messmore for a touchdown pass that covered 15 yards to put Elder up, 14-0 with 2:25 left in the first quarter.

Moeller countered two plays later when senior quarterback Thomas MacVittie went around left end and took it to the house from 70 yards out to cut the Panthers’ lead to 14-7 with 1:21 left in the quarter.

The Crusaders seized momentum two plays and 42 seconds later later when junior linebacker The-Moor Kelly picked off a Ramsey pass at the 29 and went untouched to the end zone to tie the score at 14, which is how the first quarter ended.

After trading touchdowns, the second pivotal play in the game happened near the end of the half. Backed up to third-and-18 from the Moeller 37 following a holding penalty, MacVittie found Kyle Butz behind the defense and the senior wide receiver outran the Elder defense to put the Crusaders up 28-21 with 0:59 left in the half, a lead that would stand into the break,

Hughes extended the Moeller lead to two scores when he took a short pass from MacVittie and tight-roped the right sideline from 27-yards out to put the Crusaders up 35-21 with 8:04 left in the third quarter. From that point on, Elder was playing catch-up.

Hall cut the lead back to one score when he caught a pass on third down on a two yard pass play to make it 35-28 with 3:43 left in the third.

Moeller answered again on the first play of the fourth quarter, capping an 80-yard, nine play drive when MacVittie found wide receiver Cole Ashmore from 25-yards out to make it 42-28 with 11:54 left in the game.

Ramsey and Elder answered quickly, finding junior wide receiver Adam Schwallie from 25-yards out just 80 seconds later to make it 42-35. Moeller answered quickly, when sophomore running back Cole Thurman broke loose on a 53-yard run that found pay-dirt to make it 49-35 with 8:37 left in the game.

The Crusaders defense then came up big, forcing a turnover on downs in Elder territory when Ramsey threw an incomplete pass on fourth down but Hughes lost a fumble fighting for extra yards at the Panthers’ 13 to give Elder new live.

Ramsey capped off a 12-play, 87-yard drive with his sixth touchdown pass, finding Hall for his fourth touchdown reception from eight yards out with 1:57 left in the game. After Moeller recovered the onside kick, Elder’s defense then forced a three-and-out and got the ball back with 1:05 left.

Elder drove to the Moeller 44, but Ramsey was sacked by Bradley Packer,and fumbled, recovered by Jack Meyer.

MacVittie ran for 106 yards and a touchdown, and threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns. Butz led the receiving corps with four catches and 82 yards and a touchdown. Hughes backed MacVittie’s rushing total with 88 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown, along with his receiving touchdown. Packer led the Moeller defensive effort, sacking Ramsey three times on the evening.

Moeller's Thomas MacVittie.

Moeller’s Thomas MacVittie.

Ramsey, who has pledged to sign with Indiana in February, had video-game type numbers, completing 27-of-45 for 409 yards and six touchdowns and the one interception. For good measure, he had 138 rushing yards on 21 carries Hall’s receiving numbers were equally impressive, hauling in 13 catches for 200 yards and four touchdowns.

The biggest beneficiaries on the night, aside from Moeller, would be St. Xavier, which clinched a share of the GCL South crown by knocking off La Salle, 24-14 in other conference action. Elder can earn a share of the crown if it knocks off La Salle on Oct 30.

Moeller will try to keep their playoff hopes alive when they travel to Dublin to take on St. Ignatius on Saturday, while Elder will try to get back on the winning track when they to Winton Woods next Friday.

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