Summit Country Day 35, Triad 27

CINCINNATI - It was an epic night for the Summit Country Day (11-0) football program as they overcome a 13 point second half deficit and earn the school’s first-ever playoff game in a 35-27 thriller over Triad (8-3). The Silver Knights defense got out of the box slow but propelled the team after halftime.

Triad built a 12-0 lead before Summit answered on a 64-yard touchdown pass from Antonio Woods to CJ Suggs less than a minute into the second quarter to cut it to 12-7. The Cardinals would score again to make it 19-7 at halftime. The 19 points would be the most that the Silver Knights had yielded in a game this season.

The SCD offense got the team re-energized when Woods would throw his second score of the game to Armand Walker with just under eight minutes left in the third quarter to cut the margin to 19-14. Triad connected on a slant pass and shoot down field 97 yards then convert a two-point try to open a 27-14 lead with 3:30 left in the third. With the defense looking down and out Michael Barwick came up with a big fumble recovery for Summit. It gave them the ball on the Cardinals 44 with six seconds left in the stanza. On the final play of the quarter Woods connected with Christian Kuethe for his third touchdown pass of the game making it 27-21.

On a fourth down and inches for Triad, Summit Country Day linebacker, Brooks Taylor came up with a strip and took it all the way back for a score. The Silver Knights took their first lead of the contest with the extra point, 28-27 with just over eight minutes left. Barwick came up with another fumble recovery on the next possession. It gave SCD the ball on their own 46. Woods went to work from there. The senior led a methodical drive that resulted in him scoring on a keeper with 2:49 left putting his team up 35-27. Triad marched right back down the field. Kuethe would come up big on defense with an interception in the end zone to kill the Cardinals drive with 1:25 to go.

Triad forced a Silver Knights punt and got the ball back with 0:25 seconds left. Barwick put an exclamation point on the victory with one final sack to end the Cardinals hope.

Summit Country Day will move on to play unbeaten Covington (11-0) in the second round of the Division V, Region 20 playoffs. The Bucs are led by a monstrous rushing attack behind AJ Ouellette and his 41 touchdowns.