by Streetsboro, Ohio – Sophomore quarterback Broc Lowry had a big game Friday evening, rushing for two scores and tossing another, as the Canfield Cardinals defeated host Streetsboro, 24-6, in Division III, Region 9 action.
Early in the first, Lowry found Ethan Fletcher for a big gain, and Fletcher looked to take it to the house, but Richtell McCallister forced a fumble inside the five, and the ball rolled into the back of the end zone.
Both defenses stepped up to the plate, and the first quarter was scoreless as a result.
Canfield got on the board halfway through the second.
After a Mike Crawford run put the Cardinals in the red zone, Broc Lowry did the rest, punching it in from ten yards out to give Canfield the lead, 7-0, with 6:02 left in the half.
The Rockets marched down the field, attempting to knot things up, and got to the 35-yard line, but the Cardinal defense held firm and stopped Streetsboro on downs.
Canfield would add to their lead before the half expired.
Broc Lowry took to the air and found senior wide receiver Ethan Fletcher for a six-yard touchdown reception before the half to extend the Cardinal lead to 14-0. Fletcher had four catches for 88 yards and a touchdown.
“It was only our second game on the road, and we came out swinging. And getting points right before the half was big.” said Fletcher.
The Cardinals also had the ball to begin the second half, and Broc Lowry added another touchdown run to increase the lead to 21-0 with 7:25 left in the third.
The Rockets drove down the field once again, looking to cap off a nearly five-minute drive with points on the board. They got down to the Canfield 17, but the Cardinal defense turned them away.
“I couldn’t even put into words how great this was. It was a fun experience coming out here. It took 11 of us to get the win.” said Chris Sammarone. Sammarone was one of several key players that came up with huge plays on defense.
Jonathan Schmidt added a 34-yard field goal early in the fourth to increase the Cardinal lead to 24-0 with 10:02 left.
Streetsboro put together their first successful scoring drive of the game on the ensuing possession.
Maysun Klimak broke free for a big game to put the Rockets in the red zone once again. This time, they would capitalize.
Tyler Bodovetz would for a 12-yard touchdown to put the Rockets on the board. But the ensuing two-point try was unsuccessful.
After a defensive stop, Streetsboro got to the red zone once more, but junior Conor Hritz picked off Klimak’s pass to effectively seal the deal.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our team. Our kids played lights out all night long. We had a great week of practice and it showed on the field.” said Canfield head coach Mike Pavlansky.
Canfield improves to 9-0 and advances to the Division III, Region 9 regional final to take on Chardon.
“We’re blessed to have the opportunity to begin with. If you look at our regular season, it was fantastic.” said Streetsboro head coach Pete Thompson. “Canfield was the more physical and more disciplined team, and we had a lot of penalties. Against a good football team, that will come back to bite you. What these juniors and seniors have accomplished these last two years is special.” he added.
Junior quarterback Maysun Klimak went 12 of 24 passing for 129 yards, and had 14 carries for 55 yards.
Streetsboro concludes their season at 8-1.
PLAYER OF THE GAME – Broc Lowry (Canfield) 8-11 passing for 153 yards and a touchdown. Also 15 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
The sophomore quarterback/linebacker made a huge impact Friday night. He ran for two scores, and threw for another, helping to aid the winning effort for the Cardinals.
