by Canton, OH: QB Keaton Rode was on fire Friday night, throwing for 242 yards and a touchdown as the Bulldogs (6-1) took down Federal League foe Lake (5-2) 29-22 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. McKinley took a 23-7 lead into the half, but the Blue Streaks stormed back, finally falling on a failed onside kick attempt.
Bulldogs Start Hot
After forcing a punt on the opening possession, McKinley wasted no time getting on the board. The Bulldogs went 49 yards in eight plays, capped off by a 16-yard pass from Rode to Alex Vazquez to put them up 7-0 midway through the first.
Two plays into the second quarter, Nino Hill took the handoff 12 yards to extend the McKinley lead to 14-0. At the risk of falling behind big early, Noah Kubasky hooked up with Ryan Anderson for a 55-yard touchdown pass, drawing Lake closer at 14-7.
The Bulldogs would take their next drive all the way to the Blue Streaks’ 13 when Benjamin Keith picked off Rode to halt the possession. Backed up deep in their own territory, Kubasky was called for an intentional grounding in the end zone, giving McKinley two points and a 16-7 lead.
On the ensuing possession, the Bulldogs went 68 yards in nine plays for the score, a two-yard run from Stephon Thomas. Following a Lake fumble, McKinley would get one more crack at scoring, but a 44-yard field goal attempt from Rode hit the crossbar, and the Bulldogs took a 23-7 lead into the break.
Lake Battles Back
The Blue Streaks came out of the half and immediately forced a Bulldog turnover deep in their own territory. Starting on the 34, Nathan Baker carried the ball four times for 25 yards and finished the job with a 9-yard score. On the two-point conversion, Baker caught a screen pass and then found Anderson in the corner of the end zone for the points, making it 23-15 McKinley.
Following a missed field goal attempt by Lake, the Bulldogs went 80 yards in nine plays for the touchdown when Thomas went in from nine yards out for his second score of the game. The Blue Streaks’ next drive went all the way to the McKinley five, but the defense forced a turnover on downs.
A Bulldogs’ fumble with 1:47 to go would give Lake life, and they capitalized on a four-yard touchdown pass from Cale Jarvis to Baker to make it 29-22 with under a minute to go. Unfortunately for the Blue Streaks, McKinley recovered the onside kick and kneeled out the remainder of the clock, holding on for a 29-22 win.
Keys to the Game
Keaton Rode played a fantastic game for the Bulldogs, going 13-15 through the air for 242 yards and a touchdown. The chemistry between he and his receivers was obvious as he hit them in stride all game long. The running game was on point as well as RB Nino Hill finished with 80 yards and a touchdown.
The Blue Streaks were behind the eight ball all night long as they lost both their starting and backup QB throughout the contest. Despite that, Lake battled all night long and had a legitimate chance late.
Next Week
The loss drops the Blue Streaks to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Federal League play. They’ll look to get back in the win column next week when they host the Hoover Vikings (3-3). Hoover took down Perry 37-34 in overtime in Week 7.
McKinley is now firmly in the driver’s seat for yet another Federal League title and will look to keep things rolling next week when they travel to Massillon Jackson (4-3). The Polar Bears fell to GlenOak 21-16 in Week 7.
Top Performers
Lake Blue Streaks
Nathan Baker: 19 carries 96 yards 2 TD
Noah Kubasky: 4-6 67 yards TD
Cale Jarvis: 3-6 20 yards 3 carries 19 yards
McKinley Bulldogs
Keaton Rode: 13-15 242 yards TD INT 12 carries 39 yards
Nino Hill: 16 carries 80 yards TD
Stephon Thomas: 10 carries 35 yards 2 TD
Keith Quincy: 4 catches 127 yards
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
McKinley 3:44- Keaton Rode to Alex Vazquez, 16 yards (Rode kick good)
2nd Quarter
McKinley 11:11- Nino Hill, 12-yard run (Rode kick good)
Lake 9:04- Noah Kubasky to Ryan Anderson, 55 yards (kick good)
McKinley 4:35- Intentional Grounding in End Zone, Safety
McKinley 0:50- Stephon Thomas, 2-yard run (Rode kick good)
3rd Quarter
Lake 6:19- Nathan Baker, 9-yard run (2pt. good)
4th Quarter
McKinley 7:58- Stephon Thomas, 9-yard run (kick no good)
Lake 1:13- Nathan Baker, 4-yard run (kick good)
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FINAL | |
| Lake | 0 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 22 |
| McKinley | 7 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 29 |
