COLUMBUS, Ohio – With its playoff chances on the line and its starting quarterback lost for the year, Moeller turned to Plan B Friday night and may have saved its season.
The 4-4 Crusaders relied on a running attack and shocked undefeated Cleveland St. Ignatius, the No. 2 team in the AP Division I poll, by a lopsided score of 41-20 at Otterbein University.
Senior running back Colin Thurman rushed for 227 yards and two touchdowns, and Ignatius contributed three turnovers that enabled Moeller to end a three-game losing streak since junior QB Miles McBride went down with a dislocated foot.
The Wildcats never knew what hit them. They threw two interceptions and fumbled four times, losing one.
Thurman ripped off a 76-yard TD run in the third quarter that wrapped up the win.
Moeller jumped from 11th to eighth in the Division I Region IV playoff projections by expert Steve Shuck.
But the Crusaders still have their work cut out for them in order to make the playoffs. Moeller has to play at unbeaten Lakewood St. Edward next week and finish against 7-1 Winton Woods.
