Big plays lift Crestline over Buckeye Central in season opener, halts 29-game skid

NEW WASHINGTON - Nobody on Crestline's roster was around when the Bulldogs last won a game.

That was on Nov. 1, 2020 to thwart a winless season, but from that point on the Bulldogs lost game-after-game-after-game ending last season on a 29-game losing streak — 22nd longest in OHSAA history.

All that changed Friday night in Dutchtown as a revitalized Crestline team responded to early Buckeye Central touchdowns before pulling away in the second half for an impressive 44-27 win.

"I'm just happy for the kids," first-year coach Hastings Robinette said. "These seniors were 0-29 and this was our goal from six months ago when I was hired. This is for these guys who put the work in, and it paid off."

Coincidentally, Buckeye Central endured its own winless streak not too long ago. The Bucks lost 35 consecutive games from Oct. 21, 2016 to Sept. 18, 2020 before beating rival Bucyrus . After that, they had a 21-game losing streak in conference play, ironically starting right after that notable win. Who did they snap it against? Bucyrus.

So Jordan Phillips, in his first season as head coach following seven years as an assistant, knows the feeling.

"I was on a staff that went three straight years, almost a whole presidential term, without winning a game," Phillips said. "From the community's perspective, it feels like you're getting a monkey off your back. But it didn't really feel like that in the locker room. A lot of it is you're finally getting a taste of winning and what it's like to play winning football. We really disliked the amount of — Are you gonna break the streak? When are you gonna break the streak? That adds a lot of stress on a young person."

It was a new face at Crestline that led the way Friday night in senior Cian Glennon. He rushed for 222 yards and three touchdowns including a 40-yard dagger late to put the game out of reach.

"He was kind of under the radar because he was in Lexington and he transferred over here," Robinette said. "We're blessed to have him."

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Glennon didn't know what it felt like the last three years at Crestline losing every single game; and luckily, he never will.

"I just transferred to Crestline and I love this experience," Glennon said. "It's a great team, great coaching staff, everything's amazing."

The Bulldogs ran the sweep countless times which is where Glennon accumulated most of his production. And he did it while dealing with cramps throughout the night having to come off the field several times.

"After the first one I saw it was open and I was like — coach, we gotta run sweeps more. It's there every play," Glennon said. "I gotta make sure I'm hydrated more. Cramps definitely got the best of me, but I tried to run hard and low and power through it."

The ability to power through started in the offseason.

"Our staff started in February in the gym with these guys before we even did any football," Robinette said. "We got them to buy in before we even touched the football field. And I that's key.

"We're not satisfied, but first win in almost four years — we'll take it."

Sophomore quarterback Kody Lawhorn was equally as impressive in the win rushing in one touchdown and throwing four more — two to senior Parker Bowman, two to junior Kieran Barnett.

"Kody had some dimes," Robinette said. "He has come so far from the first day of camp until now. He's a sponge to the game, and he's only a sophomore, so I feel like the sky's the limit if he keeps going."

The Bucks, fielding almost an entirely new look team, struggled at times which was expected with such a young roster.

"We struggled to tackle," Phillips said. "We really got bit by the cramps and we really had to move guys around in spots they weren't very comfortable in which didn't help. But we definitely have to clean up the tackling.

"I was largely positive with the guys. They really competed hard through a lot of adversity and we got it to a one score game with a chance to get a stop and get the ball back with a chance to take the lead. We're really young, so we just gotta keep improving."

Crestline is also young, and that gives the program plenty of time to get back to winning ways. When Robinette took over his first goal was to dramatically change the culture. So far, he's doing a good job of it having already surpassed the total points scored in 2023 (34) in just a single game.

"It's definitely a good step," Robinette said. "We were down a point at half time and our guys could have shut down and been done with it. But they didn't, they came back out … and I couldn't be happier for them."

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This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Big plays lift Crestline over Buckeye Central in season opener, halts 29-game skid