Late touchdown lifts Cadet football team past NFV

WEST UNION - Attention future Crestwood football opponents - never, EVER, count out the Cadets!

Trailing by three points late in the fourth quarter, Crestwood quarterback Alex Loden raced 18 yards for the game-winning touchdown with only 1:32 left to help the Cadets post a thrilling 21-17 win over North Fayette Valley on Friday, Oct. 3 in West Union.

The win improved Crestwood’s overall record to 4-2 and 3-0 in Class 2A District 3 and clinched a playoff berth for the Cadets.   Crestwood and No. 7 Osage are both tied for first place in the district with identical 3-0 records. 

Crestwood will host Osage on Friday, Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. and will host Waukon on Friday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the final regular season game. Waukon is second in the district with a 2-1 mark.

Cadet Head Coach Justin Denner was thrilled to see his team battle back in the second half after NFV took the lead in the third quarter.

“We had a lot of drives during the game,” Denner noted. “We had two drives in the red zone (inside the 20-yard line) where we didn’t score. I give kudos to our guys for continuing to battle all game long.

“Our defense did a great job with about five minutes left in the game to get a (defensive) stop on NFV. We benefited from their punt and executed from there (for the game-winning score). Our offensive line did a great job on our last drive of blocking the, which allowed Alex to score and our defense did an outstanding job to finish the game,” Denner said.