Archbishop Moeller hangs on to beat St. Xavier: Live updates recap
Defense took center stage Friday night in the biggest Ohio high school football game of Round 2, as Archbishop Moeller outlasted St. Xavier in this playoff slugfest.
Moeller moves on to the regional semifinals after beating the rival Bombers 10-7 behind a symphony of a defensive performance led by sophomore linebacker Connor Cuozzo.
Cuozzo had an interception and recovered a fumble, and Michigan commit Jordan Marshall played through some pain to rush for 127 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries for the Crusaders.
No. 9-seeded Mason upset No. 1-seeded Milford 10-9 on Friday and will face Moeller in the regional semifinals next week at a neutral site.
Scroll below for a live-updates recap from Friday night's Moeller-St. Xavier game.
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FOURTH QUARTER UPDATES
INCOMPLETE! Barring something very wacky, Moeller will win this one 10-7.
Play of the game here. Fourth and 3 from the Moeller 37, 28 seconds left.
Bombers have 1:07 left from their own 37-yard line, first and 10.
St. Xavier forces the punt and will have a shot with just over a minute remaining, no timeouts.
Jordan Marshall gets the first down. Time is not on St. Xavier's side, 1:32 remaining.
Didn't get the first, and Moeller has the ball on its own 16 with 3:48 left, 10-7 Crusaders.
Big third and 4 coming up for St. Xavier on the Moeller 48.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Pass falls incomplete and Moeller coach draws an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty complaining about a lack of a pass interference call.
Big fourth and 6 coming up for Moeller at the St. Xavier 32. Timeout Crusaders to think about it with 5:43 left.
INTERCEPTION! Connor Cuozzo with his second turnover, picking off a Chase Herbstreit pass on third and long. Moeller ball on its own 36.
FIELD GOAL MOELLER! Crusaders take a 10-7 lead on a 23-yard Devin Orr field goal with 11:13 left in the game.
Quarter will begin third and 6 for Moeller at the St. Xavier 8-yard line.
THIRD QUARTER UPDATES
Quarter ends 7-7 with Moeller inside the St. Xavier 10, set up by a 30-yard Jordan Marshall run.
Brayden Reilly already has a pick, and now the sophomore blows up a third-down run in the backfield to force a Moeller punt. St. Xavier ball at its own 27 with 3:54 left.
Jordan Marshall back in the game for Moeller.
Fourth and 2 from its own 49, St. Xavier elects to punt. Moeller ball on its 22-yard line with 7:11 left in the quarter. Still 7-7.
Crusaders go three and out, and Jordan Marshall stays on the sideline. St. Xavier ball on its own 30 with 10:58 left.
Here we go! Moeller starts from its own 36 in what's shaping up to be another classic Bombers-Crusaders game.
SECOND QUARTER UPDATES
We'll see what the second half has in store after a defensive slugfest through two quarters. Moeller will get the ball first in the third quarter with the game tied 7-7. Jordan Marshall has 10 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown (plus a 25-yard TD called back by penalty). Jacob Britt has 103 total yards and a touchdown for St. Xavier.
TOUCHDOWN MOELLER! Marshall is fine and he scores from 2 yards out to tie the score 7-7 with seven seconds left in the half.
Moeller's ball inside the 5-yard line, second and goal with 13 seconds left in the half after a Jordan Marshall run, but Marshall is slow to get up.
TOUCHDOWN ST. XAVIER! Jacob Britt with a 49-yard TD catch from Chase Herbstreit on third and long. St. Xavier leads 7-0, 2:42 left in the half.
INTERCEPTION! Brayden Reilly picks off the pass and returns it to the St. Xavier 43-yard line.
Marshall's 25-yard TD run tiptoeing down the sideline gets called back by a holding penalty. Still 0-0.
FUMBLE! Connor Cuozzo recovers a Jacob Britt fumble and it's Moeller ball on the St. Xavier 24, less than five minutes left in the half.
Ted Hammond with a huge hit on Moeller QB Matt Ponatoski forces another fourth down and another punt. St. Xavier ball on its own 29.
Yet another punt. Moeller takes over at its own 48 with 6:56 left.
St. Xavier's first possession of the quarter will start at its own 10 after a Moeller punt.
Moeller will start the quarter with a first down at its own 37.
FIRST QUARTER UPDATES
Marshall finishes the quarter with a 25-yard run. We head to the second quarter still tied 0-0.
Robinson gives a thumbs-up to the crowd as he's stretchered off the field.
Moeller defensive back Drew Robinson is down on the field with an injury, fourth and 11 for the Bombers on their own 39 with 1:16 left.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS! St. Xavier stuffs Marshall on fourth down at the Bombers' 39-yard line, 3:07 remaining.
Yes, Jordan Marshall is playing, and he converts a first-down catch of 11 yards, then gets a 15-yard penalty for taunting.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Moeller gets the stop on fourth and 7 and will get its first possession starting on its own 30-yard line, 6:02 left in the quarter.
St. Xavier QB Chase Herbstreit gets a huge first-down conversion on fourth down and the Bombers are driving in Moeller territory, just under eight minutes left in the quarter.
We are underway! St. Xavier gets a first down on the first offensive play.
PREGAME UPDATES
Moeller running back Jordan Marshall is in uniform after missing two games with an injury. Moeller won the coin toss and deferred, so St. Xavier will get the ball first.
PREGAME READING
Archbishop Moeller beat St. Xavier 28-7 at home last year in the second round, and the Crusaders won 20-10 in the regular season this year.
Look for each team to try to control the game on the ground, with senior and Michigan commit Jordan Marshall carrying the load for Moeller, while the Bombers feature a two-pronged rushing attack of Daniel Vollmer and Jacob Britt.
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(Feature photo by Ben Jackson)
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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports
