by Twinsburg, Ohio – Senior running back Sean Carr rushed for four touchdowns Friday night, propelling Chardon to a 41-7 win over West Holmes Friday night.
West Holmes won the coin toss and elected to receive. On their first possession, Chardon sophomore Leo Colombi picked off a pass. The Toppers then drove down the field and scored, thanks to a six-yard scamper by Sean Carr. The extra point failed, and Chardon was up 6-0.
On the ensuing possession, the Chardon defense forced a fumble. The ball bounced around, and was scooped up by junior defensive back Trey Liebhardt. Liebhardt would take it to the house, and the Toppers led 12-0 not even two minutes later.
But the offense wasn’t done.
Chardon would drive down the field and end the first quarter knocking on the door. On fourth-and-seven to start the second, Alex Henry found Nate Sulka (YSU commit) on a 31-yard touchdown reception. The ensuing point after was good, and the Toppers led 19-0.
West Holmes responded by driving inside the red zone for the first time Friday night.
Noah Clark found Bret Shearer for a conversion on a screen pass, but the Chardon defense did not break, forcing a turnover on downs.
Sean Carr rumbled in for his second score of the game on the next drive to put Chardon up 26-0.
West Holmes would score on their final drive before halftime, when senior quarterback Noah Clark found Garrett Eastep for an eight-yard touchdown reception. This cut the Knights’ deficit to 26-7.
Just like the first half, the second half was all Chardon. Sean Carr ran for his third score of the game, and the ensuing two-point conversion. The Toppers led, 34-7, with 7:39 left in the third.
Remember Leo Colombi, who already picked off a pass earlier Friday night?
He picked off another pass later in the third quarter, and Chardon moved down the field with precision, scoring on a two-yard run by Sean Carr. Carr’s fourth score was the final score of the night, pushing Chardon’s lead to 41-7.
The senior running back had 20 carries for 116 yards and the four touchdowns.
Nathan Tager, who made the game-winning field goal in last year’s state title game, converted two extra points, vaulting him into second place in school history for postseason points.
The Chardon defense has performed like a well-oiled machine throughout this postseason. It continued tonight, as they kept on rolling, getting sacks and forcing turnovers.
Despite losing multiple starters from last year’s state championship team, they have not lost a step. And with a win next week, can cap off an outstanding season and cement a great legacy at Chardon High School!
Check out extended highlights below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaHpnuW-lEU
