Just when you thought the rivalry was fading, Friday night’s game proved that the fierce competition between the Little Giants and Sandusky is far from dead. In a thrilling contest, the Little Giants held off a late surge from the Blue Streaks to secure a 21-14 victory in front of a packed home crowd.
The Little Giants struck first, with Zalen Harris powering through the defense on a 6-yard touchdown run. However, their momentum was briefly stalled when Sandusky blocked the extra point, leaving the score at 6-0. The Blue Streaks quickly responded with a scoring drive of their own. A well-executed jailbreak screen turned into a 65-yard touchdown, thanks to a series of missed tackles by the Little Giants’ defense. The successful PAT gave Sandusky a 7-6 lead as the first quarter came to a close.
Both teams struggled to find their offensive rhythm in the second quarter. That changed when Little Giants quarterback Karson Kayden connected with wide receiver Jadrian Brown for a stunning 40-yard touchdown. A successful two-point conversion extended the Little Giants’ lead to 14-7 at halftime.
The third quarter saw the Little Giants seize control of the game. Senior running back Elijah Ysaguirre took advantage of a hole in the Sandusky defense and bulldozed his way into the end zone on a 6-yard run, pushing the lead to 21-7. But the Blue Streaks were not ready to concede. They quickly answered with a scoring drive, narrowing the deficit to just seven points.
With time running out and no timeouts left, Sandusky pulled off a trick play – the classic hook and ladder – gaining significant yardage and putting them in striking distance. In a tense final sequence, the Sandusky quarterback launched a deep pass toward the end zone, only for it to fall incomplete. On the very next play, Jadrian Brown came up with a crucial interception, sealing the Little Giants’ hard-fought 21-14 win.
The Little Giants will look to carry this momentum into next week as they travel to Perrysburg to face the Yellow Jackets on Friday. The rivalry might be back on ice for now, but games like this prove it’s always just one spark away from reigniting.