WAYNESVILLE — Luke Creditt has thrown a school record 49 touchdown passes during his two-year varsity career at Waynesville.

None of them was as important as his 49th.

Trailing by three, Creditt scrambled and lofted a 50-yard scoring strike to Ty Black with 8:24 remaining, lifting the Spartans to a 21-17 win over visiting Milton-Union in the first round of the Division IV, Region 16 playoffs Saturday night.

It was Waynesville’s second playoff win ever and propelled the Spartans (11-0) to the next round to face Chaminade Julienne at a site to be determined.

“It was a broken play. I looked at Ty’s side first and nothing was there, but didn’t want to throw the ball away since it was third down,” Creditt said. “Ty saw I was scrambling, broke off his hitch route and took off to the end zone.

“It was amazing to make a play like that when we needed it. We haven’t trailed a lot this year, and it was getting a little nervous there on the sideline.”

Black intercepted a Bulldog pass on the ensuing possession and the Spartans ran out the final 6:23, aided by a roughing-the- punter call with just under three minutes remaining.

“That roughing-the-punter was a tough call. If we don’t get that call, we get the ball back with a chance to go win the game,” Milton-Union coach Bret Pearce said. “We made a lot of plays tonight, but we were just one play short.”

The Bulldogs (8-3) converted three Waynesville fumbles into 14 points — a 27-yard scoring pass from Coy Hollon to Tyler Brown and a 28-yard TD run by Jake Finfrock (108 yards rushing on 20 carries). Milton-Union took the lead with 10:08 to go in the game on a 35-yard field goal by Nick Fields.

“This was a special win by a special team,” Waynesville coach Brandon Philpot said. “We overcame a lot of adversity tonight with injuries, turnovers and penalties, but we were able to survive and advance.

“That last touchdown wasn’t the play we called, but it was two great athletes doing what great athletes do in the big games, make the plays that matter.”

Creditt passed for 209 yards and ran for 105. Black caught four passes for 116 yards and two scores.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4526 or shayes@coxohio.com.