NEWTON, Ohio — What a difference three weeks can make. Miami Valley Christian Academy delivered one of its biggest wins of the season Friday night, rallying from a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat Summit Country Day, 17-16, at the MVCA All-Weather Field.
Three weeks after suffering a 47-7 loss to the Silver Knights, the Lions flipped the script in dramatic fashion. MVCA forced five turnovers, rushed for 195 yards and scored 17 unanswered points after halftime before Hans Erickson connected on a 44-yard field goal in the final minute to give the Lions their first lead of the night.
Then the defense finished it.
With Summit attempting one final heave as time expired, Jeremiah DesJardins came down with the interception to seal the victory and send the MVCA sideline into celebration.
The win improved the Lions to 5-3 overall and gave MVCA its first home victory of the season.
How It Happened
Summit struck immediately, returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead before the MVCA offense had even taken the field.
From there, however, the Lion defense settled in.
MVCA repeatedly kept the Silver Knights out of the end zone throughout the remainder of the first half. Summit added two points on a safety, but the Lions entered the locker room trailing just 9-0 despite being held scoreless offensively.
The game changed after halftime.
MVCA opened the second half with a touchdown drive to cut the deficit to 9-7 and immediately put pressure on the Silver Knights.
The Lions struck again later in the half, with Anthony-Jack "AJ" Ardizzone finding the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the night to give MVCA its first advantage, 14-9.
Summit answered to regain the lead, 16-14, setting up a tense final stretch.
With the Lions trailing by two and taking possession deep in their own territory, MVCA put together the drive it needed.
The Lions moved into scoring range and turned to Erickson.
With the game hanging in the balance, Erickson delivered from 44 yards out, splitting the uprights to put MVCA ahead 17-16 in the final minute.
Summit still had one final opportunity.
On the final play, the Silver Knights sent the ball downfield looking for a game-winning score. DesJardins tracked the pass and intercepted it as time expired, bringing an unforgettable night in Newtown to an end.
Defense Leads the Way
While the final moments provided the drama, MVCA's defense gave the Lions an opportunity to win throughout the night.
The Lions forced five Summit turnovers without committing one of their own.
MVCA recovered three fumbles and intercepted two passes, with DesJardins and Judah Walters each recording an interception. DesJardins' takeaway came on Summit's final offensive snap.
The Lions also finished with 61 tackles, six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
DesJardins was at the center of the defensive effort, finishing with 10 tackles, eight solo stops, two tackles for loss, two pass breakups and the game-sealing interception.
Erickson made an impact well beyond his game-winning kick. He matched DesJardins with 10 tackles while adding a sack.
Jonah Criste recorded nine tackles, while Walters added six tackles and an interception.
Ground Game Powers the Comeback
MVCA leaned heavily on its rushing attack and finished with 195 yards on 38 attempts.
Ardizzone led the way with 97 yards on 14 carries and scored both of the Lions' touchdowns.
DesJardins added 72 yards on 17 carries while directing the offense at quarterback. Bryson Jones contributed another 26 yards on seven attempts.
The Lions finished with 230 yards of total offense, but the most important number was zero — MVCA played the entire game without turning the football over.
Erickson Delivers
Few players impacted Friday night in as many ways as Erickson.
In addition to recording 10 tackles and a sack defensively, Erickson caught three passes for 24 yards and handled punting and place-kicking duties.
His biggest contribution came with the game on the line.
The 44-yard field goal in the final minute turned a 16-14 deficit into a 17-16 MVCA lead and ultimately proved to be the game winner.
By the Numbers
5 — Turnovers forced by the MVCA defense
0 — Turnovers committed by the Lions
195 — MVCA rushing yards
97 — Rushing yards for AJ Ardizzone
2 — Rushing touchdowns for Ardizzone
10 — Tackles each for Jeremiah DesJardins and Hans Erickson
44 — Yards on Erickson's game-winning field goal
1 — Game-sealing interception by DesJardins as time expired
A Dramatic Turnaround
Friday's victory represented one of the Lions' most impressive turnarounds of the season.
When the teams first met on Sept. 18, Summit defeated MVCA 47-7.
Twenty-one days later, the Lions held the Silver Knights to 16 points, forced five turnovers and found a way to win in the closing seconds.
MVCA has now won three of its last four games, with its only loss during that stretch coming in a 28-27 overtime thriller against Cincinnati Country Day.
The victory also pushed the Lions above .500 at 5-3 with two regular-season games remaining.
Postseason Race Intensifies
And the timing of the victory could hardly be bigger.
MVCA currently sits No. 14 in the unofficial Division VI, Region 24 computer rankings. The top 12 teams in the region advance to the OHSAA postseason, leaving the Lions within striking distance of a playoff berth with two games remaining.
That puts even more significance on MVCA's next matchup.
The Lions travel to face St. Bernard-Elmwood Place, which enters the week at 7-1. A victory over the Titans would give MVCA a valuable win against a successful opponent as the Lions attempt to climb into the top 12.
MVCA will then return home to conclude the regular season against New Miami on Oct. 23.
Up Next
Miami Valley Christian at St. Bernard-Elmwood Place
Saturday, Oct. 17
7:00 p.m.
Bron Bacevich Memorial Stadium
St. Bernard, Ohio
The Lions enter the final two weeks of the regular season at 5-3 with their postseason hopes very much alive.
