by Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio – The CVCA Royals closed out the regular season with a 17-6 victory over Akron Manchester at CVCA Stadium Friday night.
CVCA came into Friday night’s matchup ranked 8th in Division III, Region 9, according to JoeEitel.com. Akron Manchester came in ranked 2nd in Division V, Region 17, according to JoeEitel.com.
It was a defensive battle throughout the first part of the game, and scoring was at a premium. Early on, Akron Manchester came up with a pick thanks to senior defensive back Cam Shoenly. The Panthers would drive down to the CVCA 21, but could not get any closer, turning the ball over on downs.
Midway through the second quarter, CVCA put together the game’s opening scoring drive. Junior quarterback Charley Levak connected with classmate Brayden Harris for a pair of first down receptions. The latter helped keep a Royal drive alive on fourth-and-six. One play later, Levak would drop back to pass. He didn’t find a receiver, but did find an opening and scrambled to the end zone for a touchdown. The ensuing point after was good, and CVCA led 7-0 with 4:24 left in the second quarter.
Akron Manchester responded with a scoring drive of their own as Yadin Sharp found Malachi Cintron for a long reception to put the Panthers into CVCA territory. Three plays later, Sharp found senior Evan Kusmits for a 20-yard touchdown reception. The extra point was no good, and the score stood at 7-6 in favor of CVCA with 1:17 left in the half.
It didn’t take long for the Royals to respond, doing so with some trickery. Charley Levak handed the ball off to Joey Kopec, who then tossed the ball downfield to a wide open Brayden Harris for a 65-yard touchdown. CVCA would increase their lead to 14-6.
The Royals also came up with a turnover, as a hit from Ky’Ron Fikes jarred the ball loose after a reception. Freshman Tommy Kopec would recover. However, Manchester came up with an interception (nullified due to offsetting penalties) and a sack by Evan Kusmits to keep the score 14-6 at the half.
Zac Anderson recovered the loose ball on a pooch kickoff to begin the third quarter, putting the Royals back in business. However, they went three-and-out, being forced to punt. CVCA would come up with a defensive stop of their own, as Tommy Kopec came up with a huge tackle for loss on fourth down.
On the ensuing drive, CVCA went all the way down to the Manchester 2, but a holding penalty set them back. They eventually had to settle for a 27-yard field goal off the leg of senior Calvin Warren. The Royals would lead 17-6 with 2:34 left in the third quarter.
The CVCA defense forced three turnovers in total Friday night. Two of them came in the fourth quarter, as Joey Kopec came up with an interception, as did freshman and younger brother Tommy Kopec. Tommy’s interception would ice the game and continue the Royals’ longest winning streak in school history.
CVCA finishes the regular season at 8-2. They await their first-round opponent, which will be revealed once the playoff brackets are revealed Sunday afternoon.
Akron Manchester finishes the regular season at 9-1. They await their first round opponent, which will be revealed once the playoff brackets are revealed Sunday afternoon.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Joey Kopec (Jr.) and Tommy Kopec (Fr.)
Both brothers had a great performance Friday night. Joey threw a touchdown pass and had a fourth-quarter interception. Tommy came up with a fumble recovery and an interception of his own.
Check back later for extended video footage from tonight’s game.
