Madison Academy Falls In Overtime To End Playoff Run

MADISON- Losing a playoff game in high school football will be forever etched in memory for all involved with the program. Falling in a contest in which looked as though could be a victory is always a tough pill to swallow. For the Madison Academy Mustangs, the disappointment was even more so after dropping their second round game in overtime.

After leading by 14 at halftime, Madison Academy could muster only one score in the second half to send the game versus Sylvania into extra play only to see the visiting Rams post a touchdown on a five-yard run in overtime to earn a 48-45 victory over the Mustangs.

Domination was certainly the description of the Mustangs’ play in the first half scoring on all five of their first half possessions. Senior quarterback Carson Creehan posted touchdown passes of five and 54 yards, junior Ken Cherry ran for a 22-yard score and sophomore Joshua Williams added two scores on runs of 30 and five yards to post a 35-21 Madison Academy first half lead.

Sylvania revamped its defensive scheme in the second half handcuffing Madison Academy to just one score in the second half including no first downs in the third quarter alone.

The Rams scored twice in the third quarter and tied the game at 42 just under a minute remaining in the game, but the Mustangs wouldn’t sit on the ball. Instead, Creehan and the remainder of the offense marched downfield to a possible game-winning score only to see the Rams pickoff a Creehan pass in the end zone to send the game into overtime.

In the extra period, Madison Academy scored on a Neil Radak’s 33-yard field goal, but Sylvania’s running back Braden Thomas posted his fifth score of the game on a five-yard run to give the Rams a three-point overtime victory.

Sylvania (9-3) moves onto round three in the Class 3A playoffs while Madison Academy (9-3) ends its hopes of a 3A title in disappointing fashion.

Creehan finished the game in his final contest as a Mustang hitting 11 of 14 passes for 155 yards. Cherry posted 182 yards on 17 carries while Williams added 77 yards on the ground.