Nick Henthorn BACK TO THE PASS — Toronto quarterback Zeb Kinsey hauls in a pass against Wheeling Central in Friday night’s game at Clarke Hinkle Stadium.

TORONTO — In the Maroon vs. Red Knights matchup, it was visiting Wheeling Central that earned a close road victory Friday at Red Knight Stadium, 29-27.

Central quarterback Nico Kusic and an explosive group of receivers pushed just far enough to earn the road victory and improve to 7-2 on the season with their sixth straight W. Toronto ends its season at 7-3 and with a bittersweet senior night. as they now look to their own playoff futures.

“I loved our fight tonight from our team,” » said Toronto head coach Jaret Aubiel. “We fought hard, we played well. Sometimes you fail and tonight was an example of that. This has to be quick because we have to prepare for Week 11 and the playoffs. I don’t know who we’re going to get or where we’re going, but the rapid recovery begins tomorrow morning.

The unofficial playoff rankings at joeeitel.com have Toronto seventh in Division V, Region 21, hosting either Smithville or Leavittsburg, both 7-3 themselves.

Kusic scored four touchdowns for the Maroon Knights, ripping a 46-yard touchdown run and throwing touchdown passes of 62, 39 and 33 yards. All three scores involved serious yards after the catch from the trio of Kade Koroneos, Braden McWreath and Joey Hall.

Wheeling Central took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter, but trailed 14-13 at halftime. They regained the lead with a McWreath touchdown run late in the third quarter and held on to maintain their winning streak.

Central took a 7-0 lead on the fourth play of the game, with Kusic finding Koroneos deep up the middle and Koroneos receiving a key downfield block from Max Olejasz to go the rest of the way to the end zone.

Braden McWreath recorded a pass breakup on a Toronto fourth-and-7 play to spark a turnover on downs. Central continued its momentum with another score in the first quarter, a 46-yarder from Kusic on a read option at the 2:25 mark. The extra point was blocked, however, giving Central a 13-0 lead.

Toronto went on a nearly six-minute drive after Central’s score and eventually faced a fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line with nine minutes left in the second quarter. The Red Knights went for a QB sweep, and Wheeling Central’s Dustin Sanner was able to fire into the backfield and beat Toronto quarterback Zeb Kinsey behind the goal line for another Toronto turnover.

The momentum quickly returned to the Red Knights, recovering a fumble at the Wheeling Central 32-yard line.

In a flash, Toronto’s Aiden Filby had a 33-yard catch and Drake Boucher finished the drive with a three-yard touchdown run.

The Red Knights were back on offense with little time left before halftime, but Mason Marchbank cashed in Toronto’s final drive of the half with a 21-yard touchdown run, recovering the catch around the line from 10 yards and plowing two attempts. Brown tacklers in the end zone.

With the extra point, Toronto took a 14-13 lead at the break.

Wheeling Central responded, however, first on defense, then on offense. The Maroon Knights forced an incompletion on fourth-and-goal from the 20-yard line for another Toronto turnover. Kusic found McWreath for a 39-yard score on the ensuing drive, and Kusic completed a two-point conversion for a 21-14 lead at 3:57 of the third quarter.

Marchbank recorded his second touchdown of the game with less than a minute to play in the third, a 15-yard slant, but it was Wheeling Central’s turn to block an extra point, and the Maroon Knights stayed ahead, 21 -20, before the match. fourth trimester.

Central was able to keep the pressure on with a fourth quarter touchdown, in a situation where the pressure was on them. Facing a fourth-and-10, Kusic came out of the pocket and found Hall for an improbable 33-yard pitch-and-catch, and Kusic delivered a pass to Wyatt Brady for a two-point conversion that pushed the Maroon advances at two. possessions, 29-20.

Toronto came close with time to spare, Kinsey threw a strike to Boucher that traveled 61 yards to the Central five yard line, Boucher finished the drive with a run on the next play – but Toronto n ‘recovered the ball only at four o’clock. There were seconds left on the clock.

Kinsey’s hail mary attempt was incomplete to end the match. Toronto’s QB finished with 244 yards and two touchdowns on a 13-34 passing run. Boucher was the Red Knights’ leading rusher with 90 yards and two touchdowns on 11 totes.