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Falvey field goal gives Bucs win

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XENIA — He just treated it as if he were kicking another extra point, but Hayden Falvey’s 21-yarder with 19 seconds left to play meant a whole lot more than that.

Falvey’s field goal earned the host Xenia Buccaneers a dramatic come-from-behind 24-22 win over Troy, Oct. 25 at Doug Adams Stadium.

“I was pretty nervous, but at the end of the day it’s just like an extra point,” Falvey said, still wiping away tears after the win. “You just gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”

Xenia’s career placekicking leader converted three extra points, to go along with his game-winner.

“To do this on my Senior Night, it means so much. It was great!” Falvey added.

Troy had rallied from a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to come back and take a 22-21 lead with 3:15 left in the contest, when the Trojans Brayden Siler found Josh Mayfield in the right corner of the end zone for a 20-yard scoring pass. Troy went for a two-point conversion, but Siler was stopped a couple yards shy from the goal line.

Xenia caught a high ensuing kickoff on its own 44-yard line, then quarterback Brett Russell drove the Bucs the other 56 yards for the score. The key play in the eight-play drive came on second down and three yards to go, when junior running back Kevin Johnson exploded around the right side for a 20-yard gain.

A Troy personal foul after the play moved the Buccaneers down to the Troy 15-yard line. Six plays later, Falvey drilled his three-point “extra point” to win the game.

“That was a great game. Troy is a heckuva football team,” Xenia coach Trace Smitherman said. “They gave us everything … this is really something special. … No question, our kids fought their butts off. I’m so proud of them. All the work they’ve done, to get to where we are today.

“We’ve got one more. We’ve gotta go to Fairborn next week, and they’re gonna be ready for us.”

With the win, Xenia ups its record to 8-1 overall, 6-0 in Miami Valley League play. A win over Fairborn next week would almost assure the Buccaneers of earning a spot in the Division II postseason playoffs, the school’s first ever since the OHSAA playoff format has begun.

Xenia’s regular season finale with the Skyhawks will be played on Thursday night, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. in Fairborn.

Troy falls to 7-2 overall, 6-1 in the MVL. The Trojans will close out their regular season at home on Nov. 1 with a 7 p.m. game with Piqua.

Score By Quarters

Troy 0 3 7 12 — 22

Xenia 14 0 0 10 — 24

Scoring Plays

X — Andrew Pollander 2 run (Hayden Falvey kick)

X — Brett Russell 9 run (Falvey kick)

T — Tucker Raskay 21 field goal

T — Kevin Walters II 5 run (Raskay kick)

X — Pollander 3 run (Falvey kick)

T — Walters 21 run (run failed)

T — Josh Mayfield 20 pass from Brayden Siler (run failed)

X — Falvey 21 kick

Xenia quarterback Brett Russell (11) celebrates after scoring a first quarter touchdown, Oct. 25 at Doug Adams Stadium.
https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2019/10/web1_RussellTDX85_PS.jpgXenia quarterback Brett Russell (11) celebrates after scoring a first quarter touchdown, Oct. 25 at Doug Adams Stadium. John Bombatch | Greene County News

Xenia’s Kevin Johnson runs around the right side of the Troy defense for a first-half gain. A similar Johnson run in the fourth quarter set up Hayden Falvey’s game-winning field goal, Oct. 25 at Doug Adams Stadium.
https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2019/10/web1_KevinJohnsonRun_PS.jpgXenia’s Kevin Johnson runs around the right side of the Troy defense for a first-half gain. A similar Johnson run in the fourth quarter set up Hayden Falvey’s game-winning field goal, Oct. 25 at Doug Adams Stadium. John Bombatch | Greene County News

Members of the Xenia defensive squad come over to congratulate Xenia defensive back Chris Jones (27) after the senior swiped an interception, Oct. 25 in the first half of the Buccaneers win over visiting Troy.
https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2019/10/web1_X27Interception_PS.jpgMembers of the Xenia defensive squad come over to congratulate Xenia defensive back Chris Jones (27) after the senior swiped an interception, Oct. 25 in the first half of the Buccaneers win over visiting Troy. John Bombatch | Greene County News
Xenia rallies past Troy on late drive

By John Bombatch

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Contact John Bombatch at 937-372-4444, Ext. 2123.