Photo by Nick Henthorn River’s Maddox Mozena attempts a stiff arm while running down the sideline against the Colonel Crawford Tigers during their week-one Thursday night game.

HANNIBAL — The football season wasted no time getting fans on the edge of their seats, with Thursday’s matchup between the River Pilots and Colonel Crawford Eagles coming within a single point, the Pilots coming up a two-point conversion short in a 21-20 defeat.

Though River took an early 14-0 lead, Colonel Crawford had stormed back to tie the game by halftime and jump ahead 21-14 midway through the third quarter

The Pilots burst into the fourth quarter with a 31-yard misdirection run by Lucas Dennis the first play of the frame, and Finn Bowers caused the River home crowd to erupt with a rumbling 20-yard run into the endzone to bring the Pilots within one point, 21-20, with 10 minutes left in the game.

River elected to go for two, and an end-around toss out of a tight formation was cut down at the line of scrimmage to turn cheers into groans in the stands.

The Pilots defense bent but did not break the ensuing drive, aided by a third-down holding penalty which set back the Colonel Crawford attack and led to a punt.

With seven minutes in the game, and starting from their own 15, the Pilots had a chance to march down the field and take the lead.

The drive started well, with a 15-yard rush off the edge by Dennis, who led the Pilots in both rushing and receiving Thursday, and Maddox Mozena hauled in a nine-yard third-down conversion on an out-breaking route a few plays later.

The next play, though, went backwards 10 yards for the Pilots though, a knock backwards which proved fatal. An incompletion on third down brought up fourth-and-20, and a desperate quarterback scramble from Kabel Isaly couldn’t pick up the necessary yardage.

Colonel Crawford was able to pick up a couple first downs to salt away a hard-fought week one contest.

“We played a division-six powerhouse out of North Robinson, who drove about three hours here,” River head coach Mike Flannery said. “I knew we were in for a dogfight, I’ve watched them on film all summer, we knew what we were getting into. I’m really proud of our kids, we showed a lot of grit to keep coming back with everybody cramping up. Without watching the film, we made some critical mistakes. If you can’t learn from mistakes — as a coach, I’ve got to learn, and the players’ got to learn.”

River had six injury stoppages, all in the second half, as many of their players were struggling with cramps.

Lucas Dennis made his mark on the first week of football, catching four passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, and rushing six times for 69 yards. Kabel Isaly threw for 127 yards and a score, while netting 17 yards on nine carries, being sacked three times and rushing for a touchdown.

Maddox Mozena recorded 23 receiving yards on two catches, and 21 rushing yards on two carries. Kaden Johnson rushed for 20 yards while Finn Bowers rushed for 45 and a score.

Isaly’s counterpart, Colonel Crawford QB Trevor Vogt, had an explosive day on the ground, rushing 16 times for 146 yards and a touchdown, while passing for 53 yards.

“No. 5 is an All-Ohio basketball player, he’s an All-Ohio football player, and he’s an All-Ohio track hurdler,” Flannery said of Vogt.

“I could say something similar about our guy, too. You had two of the best quarterbacks to watch in division seven and six in the state go up against each other,” he added.

It was River who struck first with 9:11 showing in the first, quarterback Kabel Isaly connecting on a deep fade to Lucas Dennis for a 30-yard touchdown catch.

Colonel Crawford, meanwhile, was stuck in the mud early, not getting much push and failing to record a gain greater than 10 yards in the first quarter.

The Pilots’ own offense was not as troubled in the early goings, and Isaly got involved in another touchdown with 3:28 to play in the frame, running in a score from 12 yards out on a rollout to the pylon.

The first quarter ended with River ahead 14-0.

Things looked to be rolling River’s way to start the second quarter, a Pilot punt pinning the Eagles at their own four yard-line, but it was with their backs against the wall– and their own end zone– that Colonel Crawford started to pick up steam, and never stop.

The Eagles drove 94 yards to the house, highlighted by a 37-yard touchdown run by Vogt.

Colonel Crawford tied the game right before halftime, staying cool while playing in the red zone with under a minute to play in the half and without any remaining timeouts.

Eagles runningback Tyler Smith took three carries with time running out, the third one breaking the plane and knotting the score at 14 with only a few seconds on the clock.

Smith scored his second touchdown in the third quarter, a two-yard score which capped off an impressive offensive drive, to give the Eagles their first lead of the game, and all the points they’d need in the end.

“They didn’t do anything different than what we thought they’d do,” Flannery said. “We’re learning– at one time tonight we had four sophomores on defense. What you get from that is guys learning on the run, a lot of guys learning on the run, and I’m proud of the kids.”

River hosts another Div-VI household name next Friday in the Trimble Tomcats. Flannery is confident his players can respond in week two.

“I’d still say we’ve got one of the best combinations of two backs, with Finn Bowers and Kaden Johnson. Then you add [Lucas] Dennis to it, then you add Maddox Mozena– he made a heck of a block tonight on that last touchdown, that doesn’t get your name mentioned– our line did a heck of a job on some of those big runs. The pressure’s off, can’t go undefeated now, but just keep getting better, keep playing.”

“Our kids will respond.”