Crooksville closed its regular season with a fourth-quarter rally on Friday, erupting for 20 points in the final period to beat Morgan 42-28 in a Muskingum Valley League road win that lifted the Ceramics to a 5-5 final record.
Crooksville trailed 28-22 after three quarters before the comeback took hold. Senior Brayson Hill powered the surge with touchdown runs of 7 and 9 yards in the fourth quarter, and junior Andrew Dorsey capped the scoring spree with a 32-yard touchdown run as the Ceramics scored three times in the final stanza.
Morgan had built its lead behind junior quarterback Gage Roberts, who completed 14 of 27 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Casen Foley was his top target, pulling down seven catches for 97 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Raiders.
Junior Charles Hockman led the Morgan ground attack, carrying 18 times for 92 yards and two touchdowns. His emergence as a reliable runner in recent weeks gave the Raiders balance, and for three quarters it looked like it would be enough to close the season with a home win.
Instead, Crooksville’s defense stiffened when it mattered and the offense found its rhythm late, turning a six-point deficit into a two-score win. The 20-point fourth quarter was the Ceramics’ best closing stretch of the season and a fitting finish for a senior group led by Hill.
Morgan finishes the season 2-8, while Crooksville’s .500 finish marks a step forward for the Ceramics in the MVL. Both teams now turn their attention to the offseason, with Morgan building around a young core that includes Roberts and Hockman.
For Crooksville, the finale offered a clear picture of what the program wants to be: a team that keeps playing through the fourth quarter. On Friday night in McConnelsville, that identity delivered a comeback win to take home to Perry County.