NORFOLK – It was a medieval battle reminiscent of the Dark Ages when the Norfolk Catholic Knights hosted the Oakland-Craig Knights in high school football on Friday night, Sept. 17, in a game that was broadcast on 107.9 The Bull.
Norfolk Catholic ended up winning the fight 20-14 in overtime.
After the teams traded punts early on, Norfolk Catholic was the first team to score, a one-yard run by Karter Kerkman. The PAT made it 7-0 NC with 22 seconds left in the first.
Oakland-Craig started the next drive on their own 28 with 16 second in the first, and marched the 72 yards ending the drive on a 28-yard touchdown pass form Grady Gatewood to Connor Guill. The two-point conversion was good, and O-C led 8-7 with 4:39 left in the second quarter.
Norfolk Catholic got the ball with two minutes left before half, and drove down to the Oakland-Craig 38, before losing the ball on a fumble that looked like something you’d see on a blooper reel. The ball was popped into the air, and each team tried to catch it multiple times before it fell to the ground, then it was kicked and knocked around before Oakland-Craig was finally able to fall n and recover it.
Oakland-Craig would take their 8-7 lead into halftime.
Neither team scored in a third quarter that elapsed very quickly.
Norfolk Catholic took a 14-8 lead with 8:36 left in the game when Kerkman scored his second touchdown of the game, this time from four yards out.
Oakland-Craig responded on the next drive, going 69 yards in two and-a-half minutes, and scoring on a two-yard sneak by Gatewood. O-C elected to kick the extra point, but it hit off the right upright and missed, leaving the game tied 14-14 with 6:01 left to go.
Norfolk Catholic would work their way down to the Oakland-Craig 29, and attempted a 46-yard field goal, but it missed short.
Oakland-Craig took over with 3:31 left in the game, but were forced to punt.
NC got down to the O-C 40 before time ran out in regulation, sending the game into overtime, tied 14-14.
Oakland-Craig got the ball to start the extra period, but were unable to score.
Norfolk Catholic scored on their first play in OT, a 10-yard touchdown run by Kerkman.
Norfolk Catholic won the game 20-14.
Oakland-Craig is now 3-1 on the season, and travel to Aquinas Catholic next Friday.
