Crestview's Jake Noling scores a touchdown.

HANOVERTON — Both the Crestview Rebels and the United Eagles have started off the 2025 season with two solid victories. So, the collision between the two teams on Friday night promised to be a great early-season match-up between top league and playoff contenders.

However, it was the Rebels who controlled much of the contest between the two squads. They built a 27-0 halftime lead and then held on for a 34-7 victory over the Eagles to improve to 3-0 on the year.

“This was big, we haven’t been 3-0 since 2015, and we talked about that with the kids,” Rebels head coach Dom Perry said. “But we are taking it week by week and getting better.”

“This is a huge win. It gives us some playoff points. They were 2-0 coming into this game,” Rebels senior quarterback Jake Noling said. “It was a big game, and a big win.”

With the loss, the Eagles fall to 2-1 on the season, and their second consecutive setback to the Rebels. The Rebels won the matchup 30-7 in 2024.

“We ran into a buzzsaw,” Eagles head coach DJ Ogilvie said. “That (Crestview) is a really good team. I told Coach Perry and our staff all week that, in the past eight years, that is one of the top three teams I have seen in the regular season that we played.”

The Rebels utilized a solid ground attack while adding a few big passing plays to build a 27-point lead by halftime. The Rebels accumulated 275 yards in the first half, with 106 of them on the ground. At the same time, the Rebels’ defense held the Eagles to just 66 total yards in the first half and 153 yards in the contest.

“It is hard to defend us because we have skill players all over the place. Our quarterback (Noling) carries us, but if they want to key on him, we have back and receivers,” Perry said.

Crestview quarterback Jake Noling, rushed for 86 yards with two touchdowns and connected on 7-of-10 passes for 169 yards with three touchdowns. He also had an 81-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Booth in the first quarter nullified by a holding penalty.

“I give credit to the 10 guys around me,” Noling said. “My line, my receivers, my running backs, if we all do our one-eleventh of our part, then it works out.”

Following a 41-yard pass from Noling to Booth to grab an early 7-0 advantage, the Rebels looked to seize a two-touchdown lead on their next possession as they drove to the Eagles’ 1. However, a bad snap led to a fumble recovery by the Eagles at the 7.

With the Eagles facing a fourth and two at their own 26, Eagles head coach DJ Ogilvie took a gamble that they could pick up the needed yardage to keep the driving going. However, the Rebels’ defense came up with a big stop as they stopped Eagles quarterback Tom Brown a yard short of the needed first down.

“Hindsight is 20-20. We shouldn’t have done that. I get it,” Ogilvie said. “In the past, we have gambled like that when it was just two yards, and I have faith in our football team that we can get two yards any time. It was too early in the game, and I get that. You can second-guess that, but it wasn’t going to change the outcome.”

The Rebels didn’t let the opportunity pass them by as they scored 10 plays later on a sneak by Noling up the middle to power his way into the end zone for a Rebels touchdown and a 14-0 lead. That score came at the 9:26 mark of the second quarter.

From there, the floodgates opened up for the Rebels as they scored again on their next possession with a 40-yard pass down the right sideline from Noling to Caidyn McElhaney, pushing their advantage to 21-0. The score came with 4:09 left in the first half.

The Eagles fumbled the ball at their own 37 on the first play of their ensuing possession, once again setting the Rebels up in good field position. And they took advantage of the opportunity again, this time on a 37-yard pass from Noling to Ethan Kane down the left sideline to make it a 27-0 game with 3:39 remaining before halftime.

“We knew our defense was going to be good this year,” Perry said. “They have carried us some, but we have a phenomenal coaching staff that gets these guys ready each week, and guys are buying in. That’s all we can ask.”

The Eagles’ miscues continued to start the second half when punter Quentin Taylor had to go to a knee to field a low snap, providing the Rebels with the ball at the Eagles’ 38 on the Rebels’ first drive of the third quarter. Two plays later, Noling raced around the right end for 20 yards and another Rebels touchdown. With a 34-0 lead at the 8:28 mark of the frame, the running clock was activated.

But the Eagles kept fighting as they drove 74 yards on 6 plays with Kota Shasteen scoring on a 15-yard run with just 53 seconds remaining in the contest to reach the final score in the game.

“We know have a long way to go. We are good, and we know we have a long way to go to be really good,” Ogilvie said

With the victory, the Rebels will look to carry their momentum into league play next Friday when they travel to Liberty to face the undefeated Leopards. The Eagles will try to bounce back next Friday when they take on the Columbiana Clippers at Firestone Park.

C: 7-20-7-0–34

U: 0-0-0-7–7

SCORING

CR-Kyle Booth 41 pass from Jake Noling (Danny Novak kick)

CR-Noling 1 run (Novak kick)

CR-Caidyn McElhaney 40 pass from Noling (Novak kick)

CR-Ethan Kane 37 pass from Noling (kick blocked)

CR-Noling 20 run (Novak kick)

U-Kota Shasteen 15 run (Liam Jones kick)

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C U

First downs 15 8

Total Yards 354 153

Rushes-yards 33-185 29-139

Passing 169 14

Comp-Att-Int 7-10-0 2-3-0

Punts 0-0 2-40.5

Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-1

Penalties-Yards 5-40 9-55

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INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

RUSHING–Crestview, Jake Noling 12-86, Mikey Proctor 7-42, Trevor McElhaney 4-26; UNnited, Kota Shasteen 2-33, Braden Schwartz 4-27, Tom Brown 13-25, Will Gunderson 2-23.

PASSING–Crestview, Jake Noling 7-10-144-3-0; United, Tom Brown 2-3-14-0-0.

RECEIVING–Crestview, Ethan Kane 5-63, Kyle Booth 1-41, Caidyn McElhaney 1-40; United, Quentin Taylor 2-14.

FUMBLE RECOVERIES -Crestview, Mikey Proctor; United, Rohan Kelly.