by AMHERST — In front of a huge crowd on Homecoming night, the Amherst Steele Comets snapped their three-game losing streak, defeating the Elyria Pioneers by a final score of 21-10.
Amherst got the ball first and wasted no time getting going. The Comets gave the ball to star Jack Coleman twice, once on the ground and once through the air. Coleman found the end zone on a pass from quarterback Anthony Passerrello to give the Comets an early 7-0 lead.
Following an Elyria punt, the Comets found the end zone again. Amherst gave the ball to running back Landon Johnson, who filled in admirably throughout the night for the injured Ethan Layne. Johnson ran it in from six yards out to extend the Comets’ lead to 14-0.
Elyria, in need of a spark, got one. The Pioneers recovered an Amherst fumble and took over with their best field position of the night at the Amherst 26-yard line. Quarterback Zach Fury found tight end Wyatt Meldrum from six yards out to trim the Amherst lead to 14-7.
Amherst got the ball back with its best starting field position of the night at the Elyria 16-yard line. Two plays later, Passerrello took matters into his own hands, running it in from two yards out to extend the lead to 21-7.
Elyria got the ball back and was not deterred. The Pioneers put together a 10-play drive to get into range for kicker Lex Brunner, who connected on a 37-yard field goal to make it 21-10 heading into halftime.
The scoring stopped there.
Both defenses pitched second-half shutouts. Amherst and Elyria each reached the red zone but were unable to find the end zone, allowing the Comets to hold onto their 21-10 halftime advantage through the final whistle.
With the win, Amherst improves to 4-3 on the season and picks up its first Southwestern Conference victory. The Comets will look to continue their momentum next week when they head to Avon to take on the Avon Eagles.
As for the Elyria Pioneers, the loss drops them to 0-7 overall and 0-4 in Southwestern Conference play. They will look for their first win of the season next week when they take on a rival in the Midview Middies.
Player of the Game — Amherst’s Landon Johnson
Johnson got the start at running back with Ethan Layne sidelined by injury, and he took advantage of the opportunity. Johnson carried the ball 19 times for 76 yards and a touchdown, showing that whenever his number is called, he is ready for the opportunity.
