ST. PAUL — Crest couldn’t hold a double-digit lead when they fell at St. Paul Friday, 26-20.
Mental mistakes and poor communication between the Lancers caused St. Paul to stage a second half comeback after leading 14-0 at halftime. Crest ultimately gave the ball back with only a minute left in the game which was when St. Paul scored a 14-yard touchdown for the win.
Crest head coach Nick McAnulty laid the blame on a lack of being mentally prepared to play.
“We never got anything going, even when we scored. We should have been up 20 points and we were up eight. If you let teams hang around they’ll come back and get you.”
Denton Ramsey scored Crest’s first touchdown when he burst in for a five-yard touchdown and the 8-0 early lead.
Gentry McGhee scored two of Crest’s three touchdowns in the game, his first a 14-yard touchdown catch to make it 14-0 at halftime.
McGhee rushed in a two-yard touchdown for the 20-0 lead in the third quarter.
The Lancers stalled on a number of drives that ultimately resulted in Hartford taking control, including 49- and 10-yard touchdown runs and an 18-yard touchdown pass.
With 30 seconds on the clock, Hartford scored, for the 26-20 victory. scored a 10-yard touchdown run for the 26-20 lead.
“They had one timeout left and if we had got a first down or two the game would have been over,” McAnulty said. “I think we got a blocked punt and we didn’t finish. We never showed up and at no point did we have anything going.”
With only 11 seconds to go, Crest was unable to mount a comeback.
“We’re going to find out who wants to play football,” McAnulty said of this week’s practices. “It’s going to be a hard week of practice and they know it,” said McAnulty. “It’s going to be a mental week. We’re going to figure out who we really are as a football team.”
Crest will host Marmaton Valley on Friday at 7 p.m., a Three Rivers League local matchup.
