WESTWOOD — Down by 2 with 56 seconds remaining at Xaverian, Central Catholic senior quarterback Caden Smith masterfully delivered the drive of a lifetime.
Smith, who torched the three-time defending Division 1 champion all night, had more than enough time to unveil his final act. He methodically directed the Raiders 68 yards before classmate Drew O’Keefe drilled a 29-yard field goal with five seconds left to seal a scintillating 52-51 Central Catholic triumph Friday night.
“That’s the top,” Smith said, when asked where this game ranks all-time. “There’s nothing better than a shootout like that. You can’t script it any better. That’s an unbelievable win for this team, for this program, and this school.”
The Bentley-bound Smith finished 16-for-22 passing for 237 yards and five touchdowns, and added 149 yards rushing and a score to fuel the sixth-ranked Raiders (2-2).
He traded blows all night with Penn State-bound Will Wood, who completed 13 of 22 passes for 259 yards and five touchdowns, along with 86 rushing yards and a TD for the No. 3 Hawks (2-2).
In a preposterous instant classic that featured 103 points, 11 lead changes, and more than 700 yards of offense, it felt like whichever team had the ball last would prevail. O’Keefe, a seasoned four-year kicker, delivered in the clutch to seal a win for the ages.
“I’ve never felt more pressure in my life, but I got it done,” O’Keefe said.
It became abundantly clear early on that neither team had much of a chance of stopping the other. The teams combined for nine touchdowns in the first half.
Xaverian struck first on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Wood to Sargent Chizmadia, then Smith hit Jeremiah Mateo Mora for a 24-yard reception to tie it at 7 through one quarter.
Wood found Michael Kimmelmann for a 27-yard TD and Smith immediately answered with a 46-yard rushing score. Xaverian jumped back in front on a 45-yard scamper from Wood, yet once again, the Raiders responded as Smith and Athaniel Urena connected on a 26-yard strike to tie it at 21.
Xaverian senior Jonathan Santosuosso returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards to the house. Smith, eternally unfazed, hit Mateo Mora for six more on a 28-yard pass.
A defensive stop finally came when the Raiders recovered a fumble off a high snap in the final minute. Smith fed O’Keefe in stride from 35 yards out on the next play to give the Raiders a 35-28 halftime advantage.
“The scoring just kept going back and forth, back and forth,” said Central Catholic first-year coach John Dubzinski. “It was two great high school football teams with two prolific offenses and two great quarterbacks.”
After a shockingly scoreless third quarter, chaos commenced in the fourth. Teddy Connolly drilled a 33-yard field goal for Xaverian, then Wood hit Richie Edgehille from 26 yards out. Central Catholic’s Cody Arsenault answered with an 83-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, then Wood found Kimmelmann on a 53-yard pass to give Xaverian a 45-42 advantage.
Smith delivered a dart to Peter Thomas from 6 yards out to vault Central Catholic ahead, 49-45, with 1:25 left. Wood and Chizmadia connected for a 51-yard strike to make it 51-49, Hawks, but a blocked extra point paved the way for Smith and O’Keefe’s heroics.
As exhilarating as it was, Smith said this was “nothing out of the ordinary” for the Raiders, who also outlasted Xaverian by a single point last year.
“Whether they’re the three-time state champs or the 15-time state champs, we go in with the same mind-set every game that we’re going to punch them in the mouth,” Smith said.
Trevor Hass can be reached at trevor.hass@globe.com. Follow him on X @TrevorHass.