CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS, Pa. – The life of a kicker can be a lonely road.

Just ask Eisenhower’s Jake Venman.

After two missed extra points that left the Knights down late, Venman drilled a 25-yard field goal with :02 left to propel Eisenhower to a thrilling 29-27 road win at Cambridge Springs.

“It was a tough night for him,” Ike Coach Jim Penley said. “That’s the redeeming moment.”

With the way the game started, the Knights certainly needed some redeeming moments.

Cambridge Springs won the toss, took the ball and scored on three plays – chunk gains of 12 and 48 set up a Trenton Wheeler five yard touchdown plunge.

And the Blue Devils extended the lead to 13-0 later in the first on a 55 yard catch and run and then to 20-0 with three minutes left in the first on a 45 yard touchdown pass.

Owen Trumbull and the Eisenhower offense shook off some early mistakes and started to roll in the second.

Trumbull took it himself from two yards out to get Eisenhower on the board at the 10 minute mark of the second quarter and found Dillon Benson for a 35 yard touchdown strike with 3:41 left in the half to cut the lead to a touchdown.

Another Trumbull run from six yards out – with a missed extra point – tied the game at 20 midway through the third quarter and the score held there until Cambridge Springs pulled a rabbit out of a hat on third and 26 and turned it into a 65 yard touchdown to go back up 27-20 with 10 minutes left in the fourth.

Two minutes later, the Knights struck back. Zane Alexander took it to the house from 10 yards out but another missed extra point left the Knights down a point, 27-26.

After forcing a turnover on downs with 2:55 left at their own 15, the Knights bucked down and got back to work. Benson and Caleb Robinault hauled in catches and a late hit on Robinault resulted in a free 15 yards.

A Trumbull 16 yard scramble took the ball to the 7. The Knight quickly spiked the ball.

And Venman nailed the kick.

“It’s a really tight knit group of guys (that) believe in each other,” Penley said of his squad, which picked up its second win.

Trumbull threw for 217 yards and totaled three touchdowns while Alexander finished with 123 yards on the ground and 29 more in the air.

Benson had a monster receiving night with 10 catches for 159 yards.

The Knights have been stung in many close games like this over the last couple years.

It didn’t happen Friday.

“To make that kick in that situation… couldn’t be any better at any level,” he said.

Penley said 20 points ties the biggest comeback in school history.

“We’re always going to fight,” he said.

– – –

By Quarters

Eisenhower 0 14 6 9 – 29

Cambridge 20 0 0 7 – 27

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

C – Trenton Wheeler 5 run (Wheeler kick) 10:54

C – Wheeler 55 pass (Jared Taylor kick blocked) 4:30

C – Garrett Hodak 48 pass from Wheeler (Wheeler kick) 3:24

Second Quarter

E – Owen Trumbull 2 run (Jake Venman kick) 10:19

E – Dillon Benson 35 pass from Trumbull (Venman kick) 3:41

Third Quarter

E – Trumbull 6 run (kick failed) 7:48

Fourth Quarter

C – Taylor 65 pass from Wheeler (Wheeler kick) 10:29

E – Zane Alexander 10 run (kick failed) 8:09

E – Venman 25 field goal :02

Team Stats

E C

First Downs 17 8

Rushes-Yards 35-172 32-112

Passing Yards 217 185

C-A-I 17-29-0 6-22-1

Total Yards 389 297

Fumbles-Lost 1-1 0-0

Penalties-Yards 15-147 12-98

Individual Stats

Rushing: Eisenhower – Trumbull 8-(minus)1, Alexander 17-123, Benson 10-50; Cambridge Springs – Wheeler 16-38, Taylor 9-59, Kania 1-(minus)3, Hodak 6-18

Passing: Eisenhower – Trumbull 17-of-29, 217 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; Cambridge Springs – Wheeler 6-of-22, 185 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

Receiving: Eisenhower – Robinault 2-14, Benson 10-159, Alexander 3-29, Welker 1-11, Beers 1-6; Cambridge Springs – Givens 1-9, Taylor 3-129, Hodak 1-48, Byrne 1-(minus)1