Princeton is going to the regional final for the first time since 1993. The Vikings beat Archbishop Moeller 40-36 in an OHSAA Division I regional semifinal Friday night in front of a sold-out home crowd, with brothers Key’Sean and Monsanna Torbert connecting on the go-ahead touchdown with just over two minutes to play, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer’s game coverage.
The win was Princeton’s second over Moeller this season in the “King of the Block” rivalry — the teams also clashed at Paycor Bank Stadium in Week 1 — and it preserved the Vikings’ undefeated season. Moeller’s season ends at 8-4, having won its third GCL-South title in four years, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
The breakthrough carries real weight in Sharonville. Princeton had reached this round six years in a row without advancing, and its last regional final appearance came in 1993, a 33-year drought that hung over every November run, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Friday’s rematch also bookended the season: the rivalry opened the year on the Bengals’ home field in Week 1, and it will return there next week with a state semifinal berth at stake.
“It’s huge for the program,” Princeton head coach Andre Parker told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “We’ve been to this spot six years in a row, now we’ve got to take the next step.”
The fireworks started on the game’s opening play, when Monsanna Torbert took the ball 80 yards on the ground, and the first quarter produced six touchdowns in the first 12:05, including two special teams scores, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Moeller’s defense then forced three consecutive Princeton punts in the second quarter, and the Crusaders ground out an 11-play drive capped by a second Juice Glover-Brown score.
Princeton answered before halftime: Key’Sean Torbert hit Lorenzo McMullen in stride for a 60-yard completion, setting up a touchdown pass to David Fields in the waning moments of the half, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. The Vikings rode that momentum to reclaim the lead in the third quarter, but Moeller responded again, taking a three-point lead with eight minutes remaining on Reggie Watson’s third score of the game.
With the season on the line, the Vikings marched down the field and the younger Torbert found his elder brother for a 17-yard go-ahead touchdown with just over two minutes left. “We knew the moment was going to come eventually,” Key’Sean Torbert told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “We just had to answer. I told (Monsanna) I was going to go to him on the sideline.” Monsanna Torbert added, in The Cincinnati Enquirer’s reporting: “It’s that connection we’ve had since birth, just like we’ve been doing in our backyard.”
Moeller had one last chance and moved the ball downfield in a hurry, but Ka’ronn Daugherty punched the ball out as Reggie Watson appeared headed for another huge gain, and Key’Sean Torbert recovered the fumble to seal the win, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Key’Sean Torbert finished with 283 combined yards and four total touchdowns — 199 yards and three touchdowns passing, plus 84 yards and a score on the ground — while Monsanna Torbert added two touchdowns, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. “They’re so competitive and they want the big moments,” Parker told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “That’s something you can’t teach, you just have it.”
For Moeller, the loss closed a four-year run under head coach Bert Bathiany, who took over the program four years ago. “In a sense, I’m a senior too, so I’ll remember these guys forever,” Bathiany told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “These were my guys, I’m grateful for them.”
Princeton’s win was the night’s headline result in a regional semifinal round that also saw Anderson rout Troy 50-7 for its fifth straight trip to a regional final and, in Division III, Steubenville hold off Dover 21-14 on a late interception. The final score of Princeton-Moeller was also confirmed on The Columbus Dispatch’s statewide OHSAA third-round score list.
What happens next: Princeton faces Elder in the Division I, Region 4 final next week at Paycor Bank Stadium, with a trip to the state semifinals on the line. It is a revenge opportunity for the Vikings, who lost to the Panthers in double overtime last year. “We’re familiar with them, they’re familiar with us,” Parker told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “I expect fireworks.”
Photo: JonRidinger, CC BY-SA
[…] What is confirmed, from the Bengals’ own schedule announcement: kickoff is 8:20 p.m. Sunday at Paycor Stadium, on NBC, with Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark on the call. What is not known until tonight is the only thing that counts — the result. A game not yet played is never a result, and this one kicks off hours after this preview publishes. Ohio’s other Sunday game runs the afternoon leg, with Cleveland hosting Houston at 1 p.m. — the same Browns club Cincinnati visits Dec. 6. NewsForce247’s southwest Ohio football weekend also includes the high school playoffs, covered in our report on Elder’s 27-23 win over St. Xavier at The Pit and Princeton’s 40-36 win over Moeller. […]