PRICE HILL - With its season, its home playoff winning streak and another trip to Paycor Stadium hanging in the balance, the Elder High School defense needed one final stop Friday night.
Then it needed another.
The Panthers denied St. Xavier's Aiden Newdigate on consecutive direct-snap runs from near the goal line, with the clock expiring after the second stop, to preserve a thrilling 27-23 victory in an OHSAA Division I regional semifinal at The Pit.
The dramatic finish sent thousands of Elder fans pouring onto the field and gave the Panthers a measure of revenge after two consecutive heartbreaking losses to their Greater Catholic League South rival.
Senior quarterback Kaden Estep delivered one of the finest performances of his decorated Elder career, rushing 16 times for 227 yards and three touchdowns while completing 20 of 28 passes for 141 yards and another score.
Estep also surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season and set Elder's career total-offense record with more than 9,400 yards.
Elder improved to 10-2 and advanced to play undefeated Princeton in the regional championship at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at Paycor Stadium. Princeton defeated Moeller 40-36 in the other regional semifinal.
For Elder, however, the celebration Friday was about surviving one more classic against St. Xavier.
The Bombers took possession at their own 20-yard line with 2:18 remaining and Elder protecting a four-point lead. St. Xavier converted a fourth-and-7 near midfield and later used a screen pass to move deep into Elder territory.
With less than 20 seconds remaining, the Bombers reached the Elder 2-yard line. Newdigate, who had already scored twice on direct snaps, took the ball on second down but was stopped short.
St. Xavier hurried to the line and tried Newdigate again. The Panthers' defensive front held its ground one more time, stopping him before the goal line as the final seconds disappeared.
It was a fitting finish for an Elder defense that had spent much of the evening trying to contain St. Xavier's powerful running game.
The Panthers trailed 23-21 early in the fourth quarter but shut out the Bombers over the final 12 minutes. Elder's defense forced a missed 29-yard field-goal attempt, produced two sacks on St. Xavier's last possession and finished the night with the defining goal-line stand.
Junior linebacker Brody Turner led Elder with 14 tackles, while junior linebacker Pete Fortkamp added 13. Senior defensive lineman Major Kittles made one of the biggest plays on the final drive, sacking St. Xavier quarterback Thomas George for a four-yard loss.
Junior linebacker Brayden Tepe forced a crucial third-quarter fumble by Bombers running back Aiden Graham, and junior defensive back Caleb Curry emerged from a scramble with the recovery.
That turnover came at an especially important moment. St. Xavier had taken a 23-21 lead on a safety and was driving toward another score when Tepe knocked the ball loose. The Panthers did not score on the ensuing possession, but the takeaway prevented St. Xavier from extending its advantage.
Estep eventually put Elder back in front.
After St. Xavier missed its 29-yard field-goal attempt with 4:08 remaining, Elder began at its own 20. A pass-interference penalty gave the Panthers a first down at the 35, and Estep connected with senior Drew Wauligman for another first down.
Estep then broke loose for a 48-yard run down the right sideline, carrying the Panthers to the St. Xavier 6. He scored three plays later on third-and-goal from the 1 with 2:19 remaining, giving Elder a 27-23 lead.
The two-point conversion failed, leaving St. Xavier within one touchdown. Elder's defense made sure the four-point margin was enough.
The finish capped a back-and-forth game in which neither team led by more than eight points.
Elder struck first after its defense forced a three-and-out on St. Xavier's opening possession. On the Panthers' second offensive snap, Estep found a crease and raced 49 yards for a touchdown. Senior Tyler Homan's extra point made it 7-0 with 9:03 left in the opening quarter.
St. Xavier immediately responded with a long drive. Newtigate scored on a one-yard direct snap, but a bad snap prevented the extra-point attempt and left Elder ahead 7-6.
The Panthers then put together a 13-play, 80-yard drive that extended into the second quarter. Junior Jake Bier caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Estep, and Homan's extra point increased the lead to 14-6.
Bier played an expanded role with senior receiver Andrew Lyman unavailable. He finished with six receptions for 43 yards and the touchdown.
The Bombers again answered with the type of deliberate possession that had been expected from them entering the game. St. Xavier drove 72 yards in 15 plays while taking more than eight minutes off the clock. George found Ethan Cole for a touchdown, then went back to Cole for the tying two-point conversion.
Elder and St. Xavier went to halftime tied at 14.
The Panthers received the second-half kickoff and needed only five plays to regain the lead. Estep ran 45 yards for his second touchdown of the night, and Homan's extra point made it 21-14.
St. Xavier needed only five plays of its own to answer. A long kickoff return gave the Bombers favorable field position, and Newdigate scored on a five-yard direct snap. The extra point tied the score at 21.
A special-teams mistake then gave St. Xavier its first and only lead. A bad Elder punt snap sailed out of the end zone for a safety, putting the Bombers ahead 23-21 with 7:07 remaining in the third quarter.
Elder's defense kept the deficit at two.
Graham rushed 26 times for 124 yards, but the Panthers limited him to 45 yards on 11 second-half carries. St. Xavier had entered the game after scoring 93 points in its first two playoff victories, including a 51-14 win over Lakota West in which Graham ran for more than 250 yards.
George completed 19 of 24 passes for 227 yards and one touchdown, but St. Xavier was held scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Wauligman led Elder with a career-high seven catches for 37 yards. Bier added his six receptions, senior Chase Walpole caught four passes for 44 yards and sophomore tight end Jason Forte made two catches for 15 yards.
Elder's victory came in the 112th meeting between the longtime rivals and their ninth postseason matchup. It also avenged a 31-29 regular-season loss on Sept. 25, when St. Xavier won at The Pit on a field goal in the closing seconds.
The Bombers had also ended Elder's 2025 season at Paycor Stadium. This time, the last-second finish belonged to the Panthers.
Friday marked Elder's final home game of the season, and the victory kept the program perfect in home playoff games. The Panthers are now 21-0 in postseason contests at The Pit.
After the final stop, the Elder student section raced toward the end zone, and the Panthers celebrated together on the field. Long after the game ended, Elder's seniors remained at The Pit, walking arm-in-arm and taking in their home stadium one final time.
They will now get another opportunity on a much larger stage.
Princeton advanced by beating Moeller for the second time this season. The Vikings also won the teams' season opener, 31-24, and will bring an undefeated record and a speedy offense into Friday's regional final.
Kickoff between Elder and Princeton is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at Paycor Stadium. The winner will advance to the Division I state semifinals.
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