DAYTON, Ohio – St. Xavier and Moeller—two familiar GCL South rivals—went toe-to-toe in a physical, back-and-forth battle that featured momentum swings, big plays, and plenty of drama. For the first 20 minutes, defense dominated as both teams managed only a field goal apiece. Each defense tightened in the red zone, forcing stalled drives and trading punts before the offenses finally broke through late in the half.
St. Xavier struck first with a composed, methodical scoring drive capped by a sharp 25-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Frey to Alex McClatchey with just over three minutes remaining before halftime. What looked like a momentum-shifting surge for the Bombers didn’t last long. On the ensuing Moeller possession, the Crusaders immediately answered when quarterback Matt Ponatoski capitalized on blown coverage and connected with Landen Adams for a 78-yard touchdown strike, pulling the game back even at 10-10.
Moeller nearly seized full control before the half. The Crusaders had one touchdown called back on a penalty, then saw another potential scoring play erased when a pass to the 1-yard line was negated by yet another flag. St. Xavier responded with a massive special-teams moment as John Vieth surged through the line to block a 46-yard Moeller field-goal attempt, preserving the 10-10 tie at intermission and giving the Bombers a spark.
Blitz 5: St. X 17 Moeller 13
The Bombers senior class, tormented by their arch rival over the past 3+ years, are still standing. The dramatic ending in Dayton: pic.twitter.com/VGlNj9MWpt
— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) November 15, 2025
Early in the third quarter, Moeller regained the lead. A 42-yard toss from Ponatoski to Reggie Watson set up a 29-yard field goal by Jack Mallabar, putting the Crusaders ahead 13-10 with 9:07 left in the period. But despite flashes of explosive offense, Moeller repeatedly hurt itself with penalties—11 flags for 153 yards—stalling drives and killing opportunities throughout the second half.
The Bombers kept grinding, leaning on their physical ground game and disciplined defense to stay within striking distance. With under a minute left in regulation, St. Xavier finally delivered the decisive blow. Running back Daniel Volmer punched in a 2-yard touchdown with 58 seconds remaining, giving the Bombers their first lead since early in the contest.
Moeller, who won the regular-season meeting 30-13, couldn’t find a final answer. The loss also marked St. Xavier head coach’s first win over Bert Bathiany after dropping the previous five matchups. In a rivalry defined by razor-thin margins, this installment belonged to the Bombers—earned through resilience, timely plays, and the ability to overcome Moeller’s explosive moments and self-inflicted setbacks alike.
SCORING BY QUARTERS
St. Xavier: 3-7-0-7-17
Moeller: 0-3-7-3-0-13
SCORING PLAYS
S: Owen Davidson 27-yard FG
M:Jack Mallabar xx-yard FG
S: Alex McClatchey 25-yard pass from Jackson Frey (Davidson kick)
M: Landen Adams 78-yard pass from Matt Ponatoski (Mallabar kick)
M:Jack Mallabar 29-yard FG
S: Daniel Volmer 2-yard run (Davidson kick)
RECORDS: St. Xavier (9-2, 2-2 GCL South); Moeller (8-4, 2-2)
UP NEXT: OHSAA Division I, Region 4 Final vs. Elder
Get the complete scores from all of this week’s action on the Underground Sports Shop Scoreboard at TriStateFootball.com/scores.
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