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BEREA, OH – The Berea-Midpark Titans hosted the Nordonia Knights at George Finnie Stadium. The Titans were looking to bounce back this week following a disappointing loss during their home opener. After a thrilling back and forth game, the Nordonia Knights came out on top with a final score of 37-34. The Knights were led by senior quarterback, Joey Palinkas, senior wide receiver, Devin Tufts, and senior running back, Zach Zender.
After some tough drives at the beginning of the game, quarterback Joey Palinkas was able to find his footing and led his team to the win. The speed and athleticism of Palinkas was on full display tonight as he had a 26-yard touchdown run that helped contribute to the Knights victory. He also had a 40-yard completion that capped off another big drive with a touchdown. Palinkas’ leadership helped his team come back from a 14-0 deficit to get the win.
Senior wide receiver, Devin Tufts, made two crucial plays that were the deciding factor in the game. Tufts had a 40-yard reception to put the Knights into the red zone. He could not be stopped by the Titans defense or special teams tonight. His biggest play on the night was a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown to put the Knights within 3 points of the Titans.
Senior running back, Zach Zender, had several impressive runs that helped the Knights come back and win. Zender tallied 27 carries for 87 yards. His speed was on display tonight as he had several key carries that helped the Knights gain momentum.
While the game did not go the way that the Titans wanted it to, the Titans left it all out on the field and played with grit and heart up until the very last snap. Senior running back Hudson Devins had an impressive game. Devins had 24 carries for 143 yards. Devins was not only a weapon on offense but on defense as well. He had several sacks and tackles throughout the game.
Senior quarterback, Troy Shick, played well tonight. He went 15 for 28 and threw for 193 yards. Shick had some key targets that he hit to help the Titans put points on the board. Devins and Shick both had amazing games even though the Titans didn’t come out on top.
The Titans had a very strong start to the game scoring on their first drive. Hudson Devins rushed for 32 yards on the first drive. The combo of Shick and Devins helped the Titans strike first. Shick threw a 16-yard pass to junior wide receiver Chase Stackhouse for the first down. Devins then rushed for 9 yards into the end zone for a Titans touchdown. Senior kicker, Nikola Rabljenovic’s kick was good for the extra point to put the Titans up 7-0 with 9:14 left in the first quarter.
On the next three drives, the defense for both the Titans and the Knights shined. The Titans defense led by senior linebacker John Medina forced the Knights into a three and out for their first drive of the night. The Knight’s defense led by senior linebacker, Keiran Bell, then forced the Titans into a quick three and out following their explosive first drive.
The Titans were not silenced for long after fumble recovery by sophomore defensive tackle Masyn Zahursky. Zahursky’s recovery gave the Titans the ball and another chance to score. Troy Shick’s accuracy was on display this drive as he threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Austin Clay. Rabljenovic’s kick was good for the extra point to extend the Titans lead to 14-0 with 1:49 left in the first quarter.
The Knights offense came to life in the second quarter behind senior quarterback, Joey Palinkas. After two frustrating downs for the Knights, Palinkas showed off his speed as he ran for 26 yards to get the first down for the Knights and put them in the red zone. The Knights put their first points on the board when Palinkas threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver, Nolan Cribbs. Junior kicker, Connell Rafferty’s kick was blocked to make the score 14-6 with 8:55 left in the half.
The Titans capitalized on an interception by junior defensive back Noah Silva and scored on their next drive. Shick and Devins both made stellar plays that allowed the Titans to score. Shick rushed for 10 yards to put the Titans at first and goal. Devins had a 9-yard run for a touchdown and followed by a perfect kick by Nikola Rabljenovic for the extra point, the Titans extended their lead to 21-6 with 4:19 left in the half.
The Knights started to take stride in the last few minutes of the half due to the teamwork between Palinkas and Tufts. Palinkas threw a 40-yard completion to Tufts to put the Knights at first and goal. Joey Palinkas carried the ball 2-yards for the touchdown. Rafferty unfortunately missed the extra point which put the score at 21- 12 with 1:58 left in the half.
Tufts continued to have a stellar night on the Knight’s next drive. He returned a punt for 60-yards and scored a touchdown for the Knights. The Knights got the extra point from a perfect kick by senior, Craig Aiken. The score at the end of the half was 21-19 with the Titans still hanging onto their lead.
The Knights kept their momentum going into the second half following an interception and 8-yard return by senior defensive back, Tucker Rusk. The Knights took the lead when senior Zach Zender threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver, Mike Ebert. Senior kicker, Craig Aiken got the extra point to put the Knights up 26-21 with 7:48 in the third.
The Titans answered back and took the lead back on their next drive. Austin Clay got the offense going with a 44-yard punt return. Shick linked up with junior tight end, Devyn Zahursky for a 15-yard completion to give the Titans a first down. Shick’s two completions put the Titans at first and goal and they scored on a rushing touchdown by Noah Silva. Rabljenovic continued his perfect night with a good kick for the extra point and put the Titans up 28-26 with 4:56 left in the third.
Following a drive at the end of the third quarter, the Knights were able to get themselves into field goal range. Craig Aiken made a 25-yard field goal to put the Knights on top 29-28 with 11:57 left in the fourth quarter.
The Knights continued to keep the momentum rolling with a fumble return for a touchdown. Zach Zender rushed for the 2-point conversion to put the Knights up 37-28 with 8:18 in the fourth quarter.
The Titans came out on their next drive and they fought right back. After a couple frustrating drives, Shick handed the ball off to Hudson Devins for a 16-yard carry to get the first down for the Titans. Schick threw a 30-yard completion to Austin Clay for the touchdown. After a failed 2-point conversion attempt, the score was 37-34, Knights on top, with only 4:10 left in the game. Unfortunately, for the Titans, the comeback stopped there and the game concluded with a final score of 37-34.
Tonight’s player of the game was senior wide receiver, Devin Tufts. Tufts 60-yard punt return was the moment the Knights started to take charge. Tufts made many important plays that changed the course of the game and helped the Knights win.
Next week, the Berea-Midpark Titans travel to Columbus in search of their first win and play St. Francis DeSales. The Nordonia Knights look to keep their momentum going and get another win when they host Mayfield next week.
Very descriptive. You covered everything.
Great reporting .