Centerville falls on game’s last play

Quarterback Maxwell Cummings scored on a 2-yard run as time expired to give Lincoln High School a 26-24 victory over Centerville in Gahanna on Friday in Week 3 of the high school football season.

Lincoln started the winning drive on its own 20-yard line with 1:49 to play and converted several fourth downs on the way to the winning score, while also taking advantage of two penalties.

One of the penalties was a pass-interference call at the goal line with one second to play. Centerville senior linebacker Grant Martin suffered a leg injury on that play and was taken off on a cart to an ambulance with an inflatable cast on his leg. Coach Brent Ullery said they would know more later in the evening.

Martin’s injury resulted in a long delay before the final play, and the Elks had to quickly turn their attention from their injured teammate to getting a stop to preserve the victory. But Cummings ran to his left and then cut inside to reach the end zone as the Elks (2-1) lost for the first time this season.

“They’re emotional,” Ullery said. “It’s an emotional game. This team is very close. They stick together.”

Centerville, which had beaten Fairfield and Mason, was trying to reach 3-0 for the first time since 2017. That season, the Elks won their first seven on the way to a 10-2 season.

Against Lincoln, Chase Harrison completed 15 of 26 passes for 216 yards. He threw three touchdown passes: two to Ryan Keifer in the first half and one to Cameron Smith with 4:51 to play. Smith’s 33-yard touchdown gave Centerville a 24-20 lead.

Harrison, who committed to Marshall in March, entered as the leading passer in the Greater Western Ohio Conference with 374 yards and three touchdowns. Smith caught nine passes for 140 yards and now leads the GWOC with 295 yards.

Until Smith’s touchdown, Centerville’s only score of the second half came on a 37-yard field goal in the third quarter by Jackson Courville, who kicked a game-winning 46 yard-field goal with 15 seconds remaining to beat Mason 15-14 in Week 2.

“Our offense is really good,” Ullery said. “We had trouble finding rhythm. When we’re in rhythm, we’re tough to beat. Same thing goes for our defense.”