Spark Kestrels 25, Citadel Rams 20
Week 5 · Regular season · round 15 · Wednesday 28 October 2026
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTD Citadel Rams | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 20 |
| SPK Spark Kestrels | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 25 |
Game recap
The Spark Kestrels edged the Citadel Rams 25-20 in a one-score game in round 15 of Week 5. The lead changed hands 2 times.
The Kestrels opened the scoring with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Eli Varga-Stone to Ulric Hargrove with 1:50 left in the first quarter. At the break the Kestrels were up 13-7. In the fourth quarter: a 12-yard touchdown pass from Augustin Mercer-Hale to Desmond Ashcroft for the Rams (3:44 left, 19-14); a 49-yard field goal by Orson Jovanovic for the Kestrels (1:50 left, 22-14); an 18-yard touchdown pass from Augustin Mercer-Hale to Orson Ashford for the Rams (1:15 left, 22-20); a 31-yard field goal by Orson Jovanovic for the Kestrels (0:20 left, 25-20).
The biggest swing of the game came with 1:15 left in the fourth quarter: a failed two-point conversion attempt. It moved the Kestrels' chance of winning from 34% to 84%.
The standout was Bastien Radcliffe (WR, Kestrels), with 6 catches for 112 yards and 1 TD. Elsewhere, Eli Varga-Stone (Kestrels) had 23 of 38 passing for 307 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; Jaylen Osei (Kestrels) had 6 catches for 76 yards and 1 TD; Augustin Mercer-Hale (Rams) had 27 of 37 passing for 318 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT; 3 carries for 32 yards; Ulric Draven (Rams) had 10 carries for 53 yards and 1 TD; 1 catch for 8 yards.
Before kickoff, the Kestrels' game plan was on offense: attack the zones, take shots deep, target Jaylen Osei; on defense: bracket Desmond Ashcroft (Jaylen Osei finished with 6 catches for 76 yards and 1 TD). Meanwhile, the Rams' game plan was on offense: quick game vs the blitz, attack the zones, target Orson Ashford; on defense: bracket Jaylen Osei (Orson Ashford finished with 7 catches for 96 yards and 1 TD).
The Kestrels move to 6-8-1 and the Rams to 5-10 this week. The coaches went for it on fourth down twice, converting 2. Injuries: Hector Jovanovic (DT, Kestrels) ankle injury.
Scoring summary
| Time | Team | Play | CTD-SPK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 1:50 | Kestrels | An 11-yard touchdown pass from Eli Varga-Stone to Ulric Hargrove (extra point missed) | 0-6 |
| Q2 1:48 | Rams | A 7-yard touchdown run by Ulric Draven (extra point) | 7-6 |
| Q2 0:12 | Kestrels | A 1-yard touchdown pass from Eli Varga-Stone to Jaylen Osei (extra point) | 7-13 |
| Q3 1:04 | Kestrels | An 11-yard touchdown pass from Eli Varga-Stone to Bastien Radcliffe (2-pt try failed) | 7-19 |
| Q4 3:44 | Rams | A 12-yard touchdown pass from Augustin Mercer-Hale to Desmond Ashcroft (extra point) | 14-19 |
| Q4 1:50 | Kestrels | A 49-yard field goal by Orson Jovanovic | 14-22 |
| Q4 1:15 | Rams | An 18-yard touchdown pass from Augustin Mercer-Hale to Orson Ashford (2-pt try failed) | 20-22 |
| Q4 0:20 | Kestrels | A 31-yard field goal by Orson Jovanovic | 20-25 |
Team stats
| CTD | SPK | |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 421 | 415 |
| Passing yards | 318 | 307 |
| Rushing yards | 103 | 108 |
| Completions | 27 of 37 | 23 of 38 |
| Offensive plays | 61 | 60 |
| Third downs | 4 of 7 | 3 of 10 |
| Fourth downs | 1 of 1 | 1 of 1 |
| Turnovers | 5 | 2 |
| Sacks allowed | 8 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 7:52 | 8:08 |
Citadel Rams box score
Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augustin Mercer-Hale | 27/37 | 318 | 2 | 3 |
Rushing
| Player | CAR | YDS | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulric Draven | 10 | 53 | 1 | 9 |
| Augustin Mercer-Hale | 3 | 32 | 0 | 13 |
| Bastien Hargrove | 3 | 18 | 0 | 8 |
Receiving
| Player | REC | YDS | TD | TGT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orson Ashford | 7 | 96 | 1 | 11 |
| Ivo Yardley | 9 | 91 | 0 | 11 |
| Zane Delacroix | 6 | 73 | 0 | 6 |
| Desmond Ashcroft | 3 | 36 | 1 | 5 |
Defense
| Player | TK | SK | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bram Brennan | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pavel Falkner | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Gideon Falkner | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cyrus Norcross | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cyrus Ingram | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Valen Oyelaran | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | FG | LNG | XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adrien Garrow | 0/0 | 0 | 2/2 |
Spark Kestrels box score
Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Varga-Stone | 23/38 | 307 | 3 | 2 |
Rushing
| Player | CAR | YDS | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yannick Delacroix | 5 | 56 | 0 | 16 |
| Malachi Reed | 13 | 48 | 0 | 33 |
| Lazlo Zamora | 2 | 4 | 0 | 11 |
Receiving
| Player | REC | YDS | TD | TGT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bastien Radcliffe | 6 | 112 | 1 | 10 |
| Jaylen Osei | 6 | 76 | 1 | 11 |
| Ulric Hargrove | 6 | 48 | 1 | 8 |
| Malachi Reed | 2 | 41 | 0 | 2 |
Defense
| Player | TK | SK | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasimir Castellan | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Valen Pellegrini | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ulric Ashford | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Bastien Oyelaran | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Dorian Kincaid | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tariq Brennan | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | FG | LNG | XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orson Jovanovic | 2/2 | 49 | 1/2 |
Watch the replay
Every play of this game can be replayed on the big screen, with the play calls, the win probability and the commentary: replay Spark Kestrels 25, Citadel Rams 20 on Snapline. More about the teams: Spark Kestrels · Citadel Rams.