by EUCLID, Ohio — The Berea-Midpark Titans defeated the Euclid Panthers 43-33 Friday night at Euclid Community Stadium, scoring the final 10 points of a game that stayed unsettled until the closing minutes.
Berea-Midpark needed just about every kind of scoring play to get there, too. The Titans scored on defense, struck through the air, capitalized on special teams, and then forced two late turnovers after Euclid had pulled even at 33.
The win moved Berea-Midpark to 1-1 after a 47-42 loss to Brunswick in Week 1. Euclid fell to 1-1 after opening its season with a 14-6 victory over Brush.
The first sign that the night might get strange came almost immediately.
Euclid quarterback Dion Russell completed a pass to Sincere Hamilton, but Hamilton lost the football. Berea-Midpark’s Myson Price recovered the fumble and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Titans a 6-0 lead after the extra point was blocked. The Berea-Midpark roster identifies Price as No. 13, while Euclid’s roster lists Russell as No. 10 and Hamilton as No. 5.
Then Berea-Midpark doubled down.
The Titans recovered an onside kick, and Dylan Papushak soon found Nick Reese for a 35-yard touchdown pass. Reese did some of the work himself after the catch, breaking a tackle on the way to the end zone. A failed two-point conversion left Berea-Midpark ahead 12-0.
Euclid could have folded after giving away 12 points in a hurry. Instead, the Panthers settled in.
Brandon Morgan scored on a 14-yard run late in the first quarter to cut the deficit to 12-6. Euclid then took its first lead when Kei’Shjuan Telfair scored on a 10-yard run and the Panthers converted the extra point for a 13-12 advantage.
The Panthers kept leaning into the ground game before halftime. Cameron Elston capped another possession with a rushing touchdown that pushed Euclid ahead 20-12 with 48 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
That looked like a comfortable halftime cushion for about half a minute.
Papushak and Reese answered quickly, connecting for a 20-yard touchdown pass before the break. The extra point made it 20-19 Euclid at halftime and changed the mood of the game before either team disappeared into the locker room.
The second half kept the same back-and-forth rhythm.
Berea-Midpark got a major special-teams boost when Reese returned a punt 29 yards to the Euclid 11-yard line. Xaviere Harden finished the short field with a touchdown run, and the extra point gave the Titans a 26-20 lead.
Euclid answered through the air.
Russell connected with Zamiar Black for a 15-yard touchdown, tying the game at 26. The Panthers failed on the two-point attempt, leaving the score even rather than putting Euclid back in front.
Papushak then found Calvin Duncan for an 11-yard touchdown pass, and Berea-Midpark moved back ahead 33-26.
Still, Euclid refused to go away.
Russell answered with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Telfair, and the extra point tied the game at 33 with 7:57 remaining in the fourth quarter.
At that point, the night had turned into a possession game. One stop, one mistake or one explosive play looked capable of deciding it.
Berea-Midpark found the explosive play first.
Papushak connected with Reese again, this time for a 33-yard touchdown. Reese broke a tackle near the 20-yard line and finished the play in the end zone, giving the Titans a 40-33 lead with 5:31 remaining.
Then the Berea-Midpark defense took over.
Cooper Booth deflected an interception and returned it into Euclid territory, giving the Titans another short field. Berea-Midpark turned that possession into a field goal and stretched the margin to 43-33 with 3:32 left.
Euclid’s next chance disappeared on special teams when the Panthers fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Berea-Midpark recovered.
For a game that had bounced from 12-0 Berea-Midpark to 20-12 Euclid, then 26-20 Berea-Midpark and eventually 33-33, the final few minutes belonged entirely to the Titans.
Papushak and Reese supplied the biggest offensive connection of the night. According to the game notes, the pair combined for touchdown passes of 35, 20 and 33 yards, while Papushak also threw touchdown passes to Duncan and another Berea-Midpark receiver during the second half. The complete passing and receiving totals were not available in the supplied notes.
Russell kept Euclid in the game with multiple second-half touchdown passes and several completions on sustained drives. Telfair contributed both a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown, while Morgan and Elston also found the end zone for the Panthers.
Euclid also had a punt-return touchdown wiped out by a holding penalty earlier in the game, one of several plays that made penalties and ball security recurring themes throughout the night.
Berea-Midpark next returns home to face Brecksville-Broadview Heights on Sept. 4. Euclid travels to St. John’s Jesuit the same night.
Players of the Game
Berea-Midpark: Nick Reese
Reese caught three touchdown passes from Dylan Papushak, covering 35, 20 and 33 yards, and also produced a 29-yard punt return that set up another Berea-Midpark touchdown. His 33-yard score with 5:31 remaining broke a 33-33 tie and gave the Titans the lead for good.
Euclid: Kei’Shjuan Telfair
Telfair scored twice for Euclid, once on a 10-yard run and again on a 15-yard touchdown reception from Dion Russell that tied the game at 33 in the fourth quarter.
