It was a warm Saturday morning, on the final weekend in August, and the Crestview Knights were taking on the Minster Wildcats, in their home opener of the 2026 season.
The Wildcats opened the game with the football, and after getting to a 3rd and 5, they connected on a 12 yard pass to convert.
A snap infraction penalty, had them behind the chains with 1st and 15. They ran a QB keeper and erased it all, with a 15 yard run. After an incomplete pass, another QB keeper run, took them all the way down to the 7 yardline.
Knights LB Noah Mosier would get a big TFL (tackle for loss), for a 3 yard loss on first down. Minster couldn’t capitalize on the field position, turning it over on downs.
Crestview would start their first drive at the 7 yardline. They get a 6 yard run, a pass to WR Wesley Wilt, and a 12 yard QB scramble. A holding penalty would erase a pass and make it 1st and 14. A quick 5 yard run, would make it 3rd and 8. A QB scramble converted for a first down. Minster would get an encroachment penalty, making it 1st and 5. An incomplete pass on 2nd down, would end the first quarter, with both teams knotted at 0-0.
The second quarter starts with a quick pass for no gain and a -4 yard run, would have the Knights staring at 4th and 9. They’d fail to convert the pass, and like Minster on their first drive of the game, turn the ball over on downs.
A QB keeper (they ran this play a lot in this game) for 2 yards on first down. They hit a 12 yard pass on 2nd down to convert. Another QB keeper, but they’d be stopped in the backfield by a host of Knights for a 1 yard loss, to make it 2nd and 11. A 6 yard pass would make it 3rd and 5. The Wildcats would connect on a slant pass and they’d take it to the house, for the first touchdown of the game. The PAT was blocked, and Minster had a 6-0 lead with 4:53 left in the first half.
Crestview would get a big gain on a reverse, but it would be called back by a holding penalty. An incomplete pass on 2nd down, made it 3rd and 14. The Knights would hit a 30 yard pass downfield, and now had a 1st and down at the 39 yardline.
A 4 yard run and a 3 yard pass would make it 3rd and 7. The Wildcats would get a big sack by #32, to make it a long 4th and 12. The Knights would call a timeout to take about it, with 1:10 seconds in the first half.
Crestview QB #15 Calin Baliet would break a few tackles and run for a hard 12 yards, and convert the first down. He’d throw an INT on the next play. Minster fumbled the football on the recovery, however, an inadvertent whistle blew the play dead. Minster would throw 3 straight incompletions to end the first half, with a 6-0 lead.
Crestview would get the ball to start the second half, and immediately go three and out. Minster would get the ball at the 33 yardline. A QB keeper for 6, and short run for 2, made it 3rd and 2. Another keeper would pick the first down. Back to back short runs, and an incomplete pass made it 4th and 4. The Wildcats would miss on a pass, and once again, turn it over on downs with 3:46 left in the third quarter.
The Knights would get a 4 yard run of first down, before a bad snap would lead to a 4 yard loss on 2nd down.
Snapping has been a serious problem for the Knights at both the JV and Varsity level the last 2 seasons.
Wildcat DL #68 would get the sack on third down. Another high snap on the punt, but Minster run “punt safe”, so it got off safely, all the way down to the 29 yardline.
Minster would get a false start penalty, and start with a 1st and 15. 3 straight incomplete passes, and they’d punt the ball right back.
The Knights would get run for -3 yards to end the 3rd quarter, trailing 6-0.
On 2nd and 13, Knights QB #15 Calin Baliet would hit #7 Bladin Scott, and he’d take it all the way for a Crestview touchdown. The PAT was good, and the Knights had their first lead of the game, 7-6, with 8:49 left in the game.
Minster would get the football at the 35 yardline. Runs of 7 and 2, had them at 3rd and 1. They get a short run for the first down. The Wildcats would then connect on a long pass, all the way down to the Knights 7 yardline for a 1st and goal.
A QB keeper for 6 yards, got them down to the 1 yardline. The Wildcats would call a timeout, with 4:35 left in the game. They’d run another QB keeper, and end up losing 2 yards. Now they were staring at a 3rd and goal from the 3.
They’d go back to the QB keeper well again, and they’d punch it in for a touchdown. The 2-pt conversion was good, and they had a 14-6 lead with 3:38 left in the game.
Crestview would throw an INT on the very first play of their possession. Minster would start at the 46 yardline, and get no gain on first down. They’d run for 17 yards, and then they would fumble the football on the next play, with the Knights recovering.
The Knights would get a pass for no gain on first down. On second down, they’d get a 10 yard pass, and move the chains. QB Calin Baliet would then throw his 2nd interception of the game on the next play.
Minster would start at the 38 yardline. A host of Knights would stop them for a 5 yard loss on first down, and Crestview would call a timeout. Minster would run for 5 yards to make it 3rd and 10, and Crestview would call their final timeout of the half.
The Wildcats would hit a 10 yard pass for first down, to seal a hard fought 14-6 victory.
– by Sean McKenzie
