by Macedonia, OH: Senior Riley Edgehouse nailed a 30-yard field goal with less than five minutes remaining to lift Nordonia (8-3) past Suburban League rival Twinsburg (6-5) 27-24. Connor Whapham did it all for the Knights, finishing with 203 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries, along with two catches for 20 yards. Lucas Kienzlen led the way for the Tigers with 142 total yards and two touchdowns.
First Half
Nordonia received the opening kickoff and marched right down the field, helped by a 26-yard scramble from quarterback Steven Fakult. Facing fourth and goal, Fakult took the QB sneak five yards up the middle to give the Knights a 7-0 lead.
With their backs against the wall early, Twinsburg responded in a big way. Starting on their own ten, the Tigers marched 90 yards in 16 plays, tying the game at 7-7 on a one-yard plunge from Lucas Kienzlen.
Both teams would punt on their next possession, and Nordonia would begin their third drive early in the second quarter. Two plays after crossing into Tiger territory, Fakult hit Dominick Jackson on a screen pass and he took it 44 yards to the house, giving Nordonia the lead at 14-7.
Late in the quarter, Twinsburg started their drive near midfield. The Tigers would drive inside the redzone, but the Nordonia defense forced an incomplete pass on third down. With less than 20 seconds remaining in the half, Mason Boerner hit a 34-yard field goal. After one more play, the Knights took a 14-10 lead into halftime.
Second Half
After their defense forced a turnover on downs, Nordonia began their first possession of the half at the Tigers’ 34. A completion from Fakult to Whapham moved the Knights inside the ten and, two plays later, Whapham took it eight yards up the middle to extend the lead to 21-10.
After neither side found success on their next possession, Twinsburg took over on their 42 with just over three minutes to go in the third. On the first play, Dylan Fantone connected with Kienzlen for 36 yards, moving the ball deeper into Knights’ territory. Facing third and ten, Fantone hooked up with RJ Ruffin, who made a beautiful catch, for a 22-yard touchdown. The extra point sailed through the uprights, and Nordonia led 21-17 late in the third.
The Knights answered, driving into Tigers’ territory before Riley Edgehouse drilled a 41-yard field goal to extend the lead to 24-17. Less than a minute into the fourth, Twinsburg began their ensuing drive on their 20-yard line.
A 26-yard run by Kienzlen moved the ball into Nordonia territory, and a personal foul moved the ball all the way to the Knights’ 13. Two plays later, Fantone found Lucas Kienzlen for an 18-yard touchdown, tying the game at 24-24 with just under eight minutes remaining.
Starting on their own 20, Nordonia pounded the rock to move the ball downfield. A big run by Fakult moved the ball to the Twinsburg 25. The Knights would pick up one more first down but nothing more, settling for a 30-yard field goal by Edgehouse to give them the lead at 27-24 with under five minutes to go.
Backed up on their own 17, the Tigers could not find momentum, especially after a holding call backed them up even further. Facing fourth and long, Twinsburg elected to punt instead of keeping the offense on the field.
Needing a couple of first downs to ice the game, Nordonia would face a 4th & 3 from the Twinsburg nine. Instead of kicking another field goal, Fakult found Whapham wide open in the flat. With no defenders in front of him, Whapham slid down at the one, allowing the clock to run out. When the final whistle sounded, Nordonia came away with a hard fought 27-24 victory.
Keys to the Game
Senior running back Connor Whapham had himself a ball game, finishing with 203 yards and a touchdown. While the yardage catches eyes, his ability to carry the ball 34 times allowed Nordonia to control the pace of the game when it mattered most. His decision to go down at the one and allow the clock to run out is not one a lot of high school players would take, especially with no one in front of him.
The ability to rely on a kicker is not something a lot of teams have, but the Knights do. Riley Edgehouse was good from 30 and 41 yards and perfect on extra points. As the weather gets colder and the competition more instense, Nordonia has a weapon at their disposal that not many teams do.
Next Week
Nordonia advances to next Friday’s regional quarterfinal, where they will take on the #2 seed Walsh Jesuit Warriors (8-1). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm at Conway Memorial Stadium in Peninsula.
Top Performers
Twinsburg Tigers
Dylan Fantone: 20-37 282 yards 2 TD
Lucas Kienzlen: 19 carries 73 yards TD 3 catches 69 yards TD
Nordonia Knights
Connor Whapham: 34 carries 203 yards TD 2 catches 20 yards
Steven Fakult: 7-19 109 yards TD 5 carries 69 yards TD
Riley Edgehouse: 2-2 FG (30, 41) 3-3 XP
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
Nordonia 9:22- Steven Fakult, 5-yard run (kick good)
Twinsburg 2:30- Lucas Keinzlen, 1-yard run (kick good)
2nd Quarter
Nordonia 8:44- Steven Fakult to Dominick Jackson, 44 yards (kick good)
Twinsburg 0:18- Mason Boerner 34-yard field goal
3rd Quarter
Nordonia 8:02- Connor Whapham, 8-yard run (kick good)
Twinsburg 2:12- Dylan Fantone to RJ Ruffin, 22 yards (kick good)
4th Quarter
Nordonia 10:42- Riley Edgehouse 41-yard field goal
Twinsburg 7:40- Dylan Fantone to Lucas Kienzlen, 18 yards (kick good)
Nordonia 4:29- Riley Edgehouse 30-yard field goal
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FINAL | |
| Twinsburg | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Nordonia | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
