CENTERBURG — Columbus Academy pulled away from a tight game in the second half to bump off Centerburg 36-14 in a Division V, Region 19 quarterfinal playoff game on Friday night.
Five interceptions doomed the Trojans’ hopes.
From a seeding standpoint, the verdict was an upset. The Vikings (now 5-5 overall) came in with a losing record and were seeded 13th, while Centerburg (9-2) was the fourth seed with homefield advantage.
Quarterback Tyler Johnson got the home team off on the right foot, tossing a 20-yard TD pass to Trevin Harris less than three minutes into the game.
But Jake Calodney’s 10-yard scoring run tied the game at 7-7 for Columbus Academy heading into the second quarter.
The Vikings nudged in front 14-7 on Justin Alpert’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Rex Whitney.
The Trojans fought back though, and again knotted the contest at 14 when Johnson hit Mason Turske with a 31-yard scoring strike.
Academy broke in front for good with Cole Spalding’s 6-yard touchdown run just 27 seconds before intermission to make it 21-14.
The Vikings’ defense dominated the second half, pitching a shutout. Meanwhile, Jake Calodney’s 10-yard TD bolt and ensuing two-point conversion made it 29-14 at the 5:23 mark of the third period.
Academy finished it when Cole Spalding connected with Emanual Jenkins on a 52-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings enjoyed a significant advantage on the ground, outgaining Centerburg 181-74. Academy had a 291-214 total yardage edge and a 14-11 margin in first downs.
Johnson threw for 140 yards and two scores, and added 42 yards rushing. Turske had four catches for 73 yards.
Columbus Academy returns to action next week at No. 5-seed Portsmouth West. The Senators are 10-1 after drumming 12th-seeded McDermott Northwest 49-6 on Friday night.
