by Elyria — Lorain Head Coach Jeremy Leyva got his first win as head coach of the Lorain Titans as his team defeated rival Elyria in “The Game” by a score of 42-22 on Saturday afternoon at Ely Stadium.
Lorain received the ball first to begin the ball game and did not waste much time. Senior quarterback Leonard McCall found fellow senior wide receiver Tyler Chapman for a 72-yard touchdown pass to give the Titans an early 6-0 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, Elyria’s Jairus Smith had a big 68-yard return that set up the Pioneer offense with great starting field position. The Pioneers were unfortunately unable to capitalize with a touchdown. However, senior kicker Lex Brunner showed off his leg, connecting on a 46-yard field goal to cut the Titan lead to 6-3.
The Lorain Titans looked to answer back on their next drive, and they did quickly. The Titans went 58 yards in only four plays, including a 20-yard touchdown run by senior running back William Jones to extend their lead to 12-3.
On the next Lorain possession, Elyria caught what may have been its biggest break of the day. A bad snap on a punt attempt sent the ball up for grabs. The ball found the arms of Elyria senior Aaron Ensign, who then ran it 20 yards to the end zone to trim the deficit back to three points at 12-9.
Lorain then took command of the rest of the half, going on a 16-0 scoring run to end the half. McCall showed why he is considered a dual-threat quarterback. Following three straight completions for 28 yards, he ran the ball 40 yards for a touchdown. He then found fellow senior Tyree Morales on the two-point conversion to extend the Titan lead to 20-9.
With around a minute left in the half, the Titan offense got the ball back and moved quickly down the field. McCall completed three passes for 23 yards, including a one-yard touchdown pass to Morales. Following another successful two-point conversion, the Titans led 28-9, the lead they took into halftime.
The teams took some time to feel each other out in the second half. A great Elyria punt gave the Titans the worst starting field position either team had all day. That did not faze the duo of McCall and Chapman, however. From their own four-yard line, McCall found Chapman for a 96-yard touchdown pass, the longest play of the game for either team, to extend the Lorain lead to 35-9.
The Elyria offense, however, was not deterred. The Pioneers were determined and went on a 13-0 run of their own. The Pioneers used wide receiver Jairus Martin as a runner. He ran the ball five times for 36 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown run. A few possessions later, a fumble recovery gave the Pioneers the ball at the three-yard line. The sophomore quarterback found the end zone on a quarterback sneak to trim the Titans’ lead to 35-22.
The Titans felt the Pioneers gaining momentum and finding a way back into the game. That is when they called on Chapman to run the ball, and he took it 84 yards to the end zone to make it a 42-22 game, the score at which the game ended.
With the win, the Titans improve to 1-1 on the season. They will look to continue this momentum when they head to Amherst to take on the Amherst Comets.
With the loss, the Pioneers fall to 0-2 on the season. They will look to get win number one next week when they hit the road to take on the Barberton Magics.
Player of the Game — Lorain’s Tyler Chapman
The senior had three touchdowns, two receiving and one rushing, accounting for a total of 252 yards.
