HARRELLS – Junior Devin Gardner and sophomore Ethan Spell came up with key plays Friday night as the Harrells Christian Academy Crusaders completed an undefeated regular season with a 21-15 victory over Trinity Christian. The HCA Crusaders win the NCISAA Big East Conference with a 5-0 league record and are 7-0 overall.
Trinity Christian marched 89 yards on their first possession and scored when senior quarterback Raymond Campos tossed a swing pass to senior Daquan McNeill who scooted 25 yards for the touchdown Campos tacked on the extra point for a 7-0 Trinity lead.
Harrells answered with a 90-yard drive of their own as Gardner pounded the defense with runs of 21 and 13 yards then charged 12 yards for an HCA touchdown. Spell booted the extra point to knot the score 7-7 in the 2nd quarter.
On the first play following a short Trinity punt, Spell darted around left end, eluded a trio of would-be tacklers then dashed 53 yards to pay dirt. Spell tacked on the point for a 14-7 Harrells lead.
Harrells later recovered a fumbled punt at the Trinity 7-yard line. Gardner bolted 7 yards up the middle on the next play for the touchdown that padded the lead to 21-7 following Spell’s conversion kick.
Trinity threatened in the third period, but junior James Cavenaugh’s pass interception halted one drive at the HCA 34, then a pair of fumbled snaps ended another Trinity drive that had reached the Harrells 25 yardline.
The visitors marched 70 yards in the closing minutes as Gabriel Galloway-Velasquez reversed his field on a 23 yard run to start the drive. McNeill darted 12 yards and was aided by a facemask penalty that moved the ball to the HCA 14. McNeill covered the distance with a pair of 7-yard runs. Galloway-Velasquez circled left end for the 2-point conversion that closed the gap to 21-15.
After Harrells recovered an onside kick, a pair of Gardner runs produced a first down. Trinity regained possession with 26 seconds left, and a long pass on the final play of the game was intercepted by Spell to clinch the victory.
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