by Written by Tyler Hatcher
Amherst, Ohio – Amherst scores 24 unanswered points to beat North Olmsted 24-7 in their final non-conference game of the season.
Points took a lot of work to come by early on as rain poured down. Neither team could find their footing early on. North Olmsted senior kicker/ punter Brennan Graf kicked some booming punts all game, which included a first-quarter punt that would end up over 50 yards deep. Amherst followed up on this with a punt back to North Olmsted and gave them their best positioning of the night.
Senior Quarterback Tommy Horsfall would convert a 4th down, then on the next play, threw his longest pass of the game to fellow senior Michael Passafiume on a double reverse pass for 36 yards. This drive was swiftly followed by a touchdown run by Horsfall, plus a PAT, the only PAT made in the slippery conditions to make it 0-7.
The teams would exchange a few more possessions and an Amherst turnover on downs before the Comets made some bolder moves. The duo of Amherst seniors J.R. Bires and Cole Norris would take turns running the ball before Bires ran it in from 14 yards out. The PAT was no good, but the Comets were on the board, trailing 6-7 in the 2nd quarter.
With under a minute left in the first half, Norris completed a 37-yard pass to senior Tristyn Young to put the ball within the 5-yard line. Unfortunately for the Comets, a false start penalty as time expired would halt the drive. The Comets would end the half with a one-point deficit against the Eagles.
The duo of Bires and Norris would strike again for the Comets on their second drive of the half. Bires would have a hard run, breaking multiple Eagles tackles for a 17-yard touchdown run to give the Comets a 12-7 lead. Norris joined in on the action, capping off a 59-yard drive in which he ran the ball five times with an 11-yard touchdown run to make it 18-7 in favor of the Comets.
After the Comets completed two runs combined for three yards, Norris would change the pace and opt for a passing drive. On his second and last completion of the game, he connected with Young again, this time for a 49-yard touchdown pass, bringing the final score to 24-7.
In the last minute, Amherst would shut down North Olmsted’s possession when senior Ashton Draga intercepted a pass from Horsfall, and the celebration for Amherst was on following a knee from Norris.
The win puts Amherst 3-0 going into conference play on the road against fellow undefeated team, Midview.
Players of the Game
Amherst: Senior QB Cole Norris, 2/6, 86 yards passing, 1 TD, over 100 yards rushing, and a TD.
Norris showed why he is one of the most exciting players in northeast Ohio with this performance tonight.
North Olmsted: Senior K/P Brennan Graf was a huge reason the Eagles were ahead in the field position battle early, including a punt with a total distance of over 50 yards. Graf would also make the only PAT by either team on the night.
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