by The North Ridgeville Rangers played host to the Valley Forge Patriots in their 2024 home opener. The Rangers were in control of this game from the jump, as they cruised to a 49-13 victory. A balanced rushing effort, dominant defense, and big plays on special teams paved the way for the big win.
After forcing the Patriots to punt on their first drive, a big return from Carter Clark set the Rangers up with great field position. Zack Barnhart would then get the Rangers on the board first with a 16-yard rushing score. On the Patriots next drive, they would find themselves backed up inside their own 10-yard line. Rangers defensive back Brian Strippy then intercepted Patriots quarterback Sean Frank and returned it for a touchdown to make it a 14-0 game. A 29-yard rushing touchdown from Ryan Anderson extended the Rangers lead to 21-0.
Early on in the second quarter Carter Clark had another big punt return that set up another long North Ridgeville touchdown. This time it was Ta’vion Swain who broke free for a 27-yard score to make it 28-0. On the Rangers next drive, Zack Barnhart found the end zone for the second time in the game, this time from 29 yards out. Barnhart scored again the next drive to make it 42-0 North Ridgeville.
Valley Forge finally got a stop on defense late in the first half, forcing a Rangers fumble. However, on the very next play the Patriots ended up fumbling themselves, and Brett Lienerth of the Rangers scooped it up and took it back for a touchdown. North Ridgeville would take a 49-0 lead into halftime. It was a truly dominant first half for the Rangers, as they rushed for 160 yards, held the Patriots offense to zero completed passes, and scored two defensive touchdowns.
On the Patriots first drive of the second half, Sean Frank would connect with sophomore Lucas Schillinger for a 35-yard reception. The big play set the Patriots up at the 3-yard line, where Schillinger would run it in for their first touchdown of the night. Schillinger found the end zone again on their next drive, making the score 49-13.
The Rangers had three different running backs combine for 5 rushing touchdowns. Zack Barnhart led the way with 75 yards and 3 touchdowns. Ta’Vion Swain added 45 yards on the ground and Ryan Anderson had 31. It was an all-around effort for the Rangers, as they improve to 2-0 on the season.
Player of the Game: Zack Barnhart 5 RUSH 75 YARDS 3 TD
