by BEREA, OH – On Friday night, the Berea-Midpark Titans hosted the North Ridgeville Rangers at George Finnie Stadium for their senior night. The Titans looked to bounce back off their loss to the Avon Eagles last week while the North Ridgeville Rangers looked to keep their momentum rolling following their win against the Midview Middies last week. The Berea-Midpark Titans beat the North Ridgeville Rangers, 35-21. It was a great team win by the Berea-Midpark Titans. The Titans were led tonight by senior quarterback Troy Shick, senior tight end Josh Medina and senior running back Hudson Devins.
Troy Shick set his offense up for success all night. His passes were accurate and his speed helped the Titans extend several of their drives. He threw a 43-yard completion to Austin Clay and rushed for 77 yards.
Josh Medina was electric on both offense and defense tonight. Medina had some crucial receptions that contributed to the Titans scoring drives. Medina had a 47-yard pick six that helped contribute to the Titans win.
Hudson Devins continued his amazing season tonight against the Rangers. He scored two of the Titans six touchdowns for the night. His speed also contributed to the Titans amazing performance.
While the Rangers had a frustrating night offensively, their defense made key plays to keep the Titans from scoring. Their defense was led by Kaleb Malone, Gavin Padgett, Xavier Compton and Connor Costin. Defensive lineman Kaleb Malone recovered a fumble when the Titans were in the end zone.
Senior cornerback Gavin Padgett intercepted Troy Shick as the Titans were getting closer to the end zone. Padgett kept the Titans from scoring and he also got the ball back in the Rangers’ possession.
Safety Xavier Compton also recovered a fumble tonight. Compton recovered a fumble by Troy Shick to keep the Titans from extending their lead before the end of the half.
Late in the game, senior safety Connor Costin intercepted Troy Shick at the goal line to give the Rangers the ball. The Rangers ended up capitalizing on this opportunity and scored on the drive.
The Titans came out strong and struck first. Troy Shick was nearly perfect on his opening drive. Shick opened the drive with a complete pass to Austin Clay for the first down. Shick moved the Titans downfield with a 6-yard completion to senior wide receiver Matthew Sensel.
Shick secured first downs on his next two plays. Shick threw an 11-yard completion to junior tight end Devyn Zahursky for a first down. He then followed that pass with another perfect pass to get the Titans first down.
Shick linked up with Austin Clay for a 12-yard completion to put the Titans into the red zone. Senior running back Hudson Devins capped off the drive by rushing right past the Rangers defense and into the end zone for a 6-yard rushing touchdown. Senior kicker Nikola Rabljenovic came on and secured the extra point for the Titans, putting them up 7-0 with 9:39 left in the 1st quarter.
After the Titans defense forced the Rangers to a quick three-and-out, the Rangers defense was crucial in keeping the Titans from scoring on their next drive. Shick linked up with Clay for a 43-yard completion to put the Titans in the red zone. Rangers defensive linemen Kaleb Malone recovered the fumble and returned the ball for 36 yards.
The Titans defense held the Rangers offense and kept them from capitalizing on the fumble.
The Titans bounced back on their next drive. Hudson Devins started the drive off for the Titans with an 18-yard carry. The Titans scored on this drive behind the teamwork of Hudson Devins and junior wide receiver, Brayden Cupach. Devins ran the ball 5 yards down the field before he handed it off to Cupach who finished the drive. Cupach’s speed helped him to evade the Rangers defense and he ran right into the end zone for a 47-yard rushing touchdown. Nikola Rabljenovic was perfect once again and scored the extra point for the Titans. The Titans put themselves up 14-0 with 11:49 left in the half.
The Titans could not be stopped this quarter. Both the offense and defense for the Titans scored during this half. Senior linebacker Josh Medina intercepted Rangers quarterback Brendan Watchorn and ran the ball 47 yards into the end zone for a pick six. Nikola Rabljenovic kicked the extra point, and the Titans extended their lead to 21-0 with 10:48 left in the half.
The Rangers defense stopped the Titans from potentially scoring twice in the half. Senior cornerback Gavin Padgett intercepted Troy Shick as the Titans were approaching the end zone. Padgett returned the ball for 6 yards following his interception. Rangers safety Xavier Compton kept the Titans from scoring on their next drive. Compton recovered the fumble by Shick to give the Rangers the ball back and keep the Titans from scoring.
The Titans offense kept rolling to begin the second half. Shick threw a 27-yard completion to Clay to put the Titans in the red zone. Shick put his speed on display and ran the ball for 10 yards to put the Titans at first and goal. Hudson Devins rushed his way through the Rangers defense and right into the end zone for a 6-yard rushing touchdown. The Titans extended their lead to 28-0 with 8:00 left in the 3rd quarter.
The Rangers bounced back on their next drive and answered. Junior running back Andrew Ennis returned the Titans punt for 37 yards to set the Rangers offense up for success. Sophomore quarterback Brendan Watchorn threw a perfect pass to senior wide receiver Connor Costin for a 39-yard touchdown pass. Sophomore kicker Austin DeShazo came on and scored the extra point for the Rangers, putting the score at 28-7 with 6:15 left in the 3rd quarter.
Shick continued his great night. He began the drive with a 10-yard completion to Clay for the first down. Junior running back Noah Silva sped past the Rangers defense to secure another first down for the Titans. Shick made an incredible throw to Clay for a 54-yard touchdown pass. The Titans extended their lead 35-7 with 3:04 left in the 3rd quarter.
The Rangers offense did not give up and played with grit and heart until the very end. Brendan Watchorn started the drive off strong. After some penalties on the Titans, Watchorn threw a 28-yard completion to senior wide receiver Mason Worcester. The Rangers found themselves in the red zone after Watchorn threw a completion to Andrew Ennis. Freshmen running back Zach Barnhart ran around the Titans defense and into the end zone for the touchdown. Austin DeShazo came on and scored the extra point putting the score at 35-14 with only 10:16 left in the game.
After the Titans threatened to score, the Rangers defense stopped them in their tracks. Senior safety Connor Costin intercepted Shick on the goal line and ran downfield with the ball to give the Rangers good field position. Watchorn and the Rangers offense capitalized on Costin’s interception. Watchorn threw a 21-yard completion to Costin to put the Rangers into the red zone. The Titans defense stopped the Rangers and kept them from scoring.
In the last few minutes of the game, the Rangers offense kept fighting until the very end. Brendan Watchorn threw a completion to get the first down for the Rangers. After a series of costly penalties by the Titans, the Rangers found themselves in the red zone.
Watchorn threw a complete pass to Costin for 10 yards which put the Rangers at first and goal. Zach Barnhart ran into the end zone scoring another touchdown for the Rangers. Austin DeShazo came on and scored the extra point for the Rangers, putting the score at 35-21 with 1:17 left in the game.
I feel that tonight’s player of the game was Titans quarterback Troy Shick. Troy Shick’s accuracy and speed helped contribute to the Titans win. He threw a 54-yard completion for a touchdown and threw a 43-yard completion during the game as well. Shick finished the night 20 for 27 and threw for 261 yards. He also had 12 rushes for 77-yards.
Next week the North Ridgeville Rangers look to bounce back as they host the Avon Lake Shoremen. The Berea-Midpark Titans look to secure another win as they travel to Olmsted Falls to take on the Bulldogs.
