by Berea-Midpark Holds Off Amherst Steele, 20-14, in Thrilling Showdown.
BEREA, Ohio — The Berea-Midpark Titans built a 20-point lead and were able to hold on defeating the previously unbeaten Amherst Steele Comets 20-14 on Friday 9/11 at George Finnie Stadium at Baldwin Wallace University.
Berea-Midpark (3-1, 1-0 Southwestern Conference) controlled much of the game after a scoreless opening quarter and took a 6-0 lead with 16 seconds left in the first half. They were able to build their lead to 20-0 late in the third. Amherst Steele, which entered the game 3-0, rallied late in the second half by scoring two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.
Amherst threatened on its opening possession, driving deep into Berea-Midpark territory before they tried a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line which Berea-Midpark stuffed. The Titans then immediately created a spark of their own when quarterback #2 Dylan Papushak connected with receiver #1 Nick Reece for a 48-yard gain from the Berea-Midpark 2-yard line. The drive ended shortly after with a sack on 3 rd down by #87 Anthony Litz for Amherst.
Amherst attempted a 21-yard field goal midway through the second to get on the board first, but it was blocked by Berea, and it remained scoreless. Berea-Midpark started the scoring with just 16 seconds remaining in the first half. Papushak found Reece for a 2-yard touchdown pass to put the Titans ahead 6-0. The extra point was no good.
Berea-Midpark extended its lead midway through the third quarter. Running back #0 Xaviere Harden broke loose for a 39-yard touchdown run with 5:10 remaining in the third, giving the Titans a 12-0 advantage.
Just over two minutes later, Papushak and #10 Andre’ Alexander connected on one of the games biggest plays. On a well-designed screen, Alexander made multiple Amherst defenders miss and raced 62 yards for a touchdown. Papushak then found Reece on the two-point conversion, pushing the lead to 20-0.
Berea got the ball back in their own territory and was looking to put the game away early. Papushak was looking deep but was picked off by defensive back #15 Sam Tollett who returned it all the way to the Berea 26-yard line.
Amherst finally answered as the third quarter expired. Quarterback #12 Anthony Passerrello rolled left and found #13 Christian Vorhees for a 12-yard touchdown pass. The extra point cut the deficit to 20-7.
The Comets kept the pressure on in the fourth quarter. With 6:01 remaining, Passerrello hit #0 Jack Coleman for a 48-yard touchdown down the middle of the field, bringing Amherst within 20-14.
The Titans appeared to be in danger of surrendering the lead when Harden broke free for a 38-yard run, but he was stripped at the end of the play. Amherst recovered at its own 39-yard line with 5:51 remaining.
Berea-Midpark’s defense responded with a crucial stop, giving the Titans the ball back with just over four minutes remaining.
Amherst eventually regained possession with 1:11 left and no timeouts, needing to drive 80 yards for the game winning touchdown. The Comets reached their own 31-yard line, but their comeback attempt ended when an incomplete pass on fourth-and-10 turned the ball over to the Titans.
Dylan Papushak finished 18-of-25 passing for 294 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, while Nick Reece caught eight passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. Andre’ Alexander had three receptions for 111 yards, highlighted by his 62-yard touchdown.
Harden led the Titans on the ground with 161 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 fumble. For Amherst, Anthony Passerrello completed 14 of 27 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Jack Coleman caught seven passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, while Christian Vorhees added six catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Berea-Midpark’s defense made several critical plays throughout the night, including the goal-line stand on Amherst’s opening drive, the blocked 21-yard field goal in the second quarter, and the late fourth-down stop that preserved the victory.
Berea-Midpark earns the win with a 20-14 victory over an Amherst Steele team that entered the night unbeaten and sends the Titans into the next week with momentum in the Southwestern Conference race.
Players of the Game
Berea-Midpark — WR #10 Andre’ Alexander: Alexander provided one of the biggest plays of the night, turning a well-designed screen pass from Dylan Papushak into a 62-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He finished with three catches for 111 yards and added 23 rushing yards.
Amherst Steele — QB #12 Anthony Passerrello: Passerrello helped lead the Comets’ second-half comeback attempt, throwing two touchdown passes. He connected with Christian Vorhees for a 12-yard score as the third quarter expired and later hit Jack Coleman for a 48-yard touchdown in the fourth. He finished 14-of-27 for 172 yards and also rushed for 50 yards.
