by Cleveland Heights put on a show for the homecoming crowd, defeating Strongsville by a score of 41-0. The Tigers used their strong rushing attack and elite defense to cruise to their fifth win of the season.
Cleveland Heights got the ball to start and wasted no time to get going. On the second play from scrimmage, running back John Gordon Jr. took a pitch all the way to Strongsville’s 30-yard line. On the very next play, Marquise Davis took it to the endzone, giving Heights a 7-0 lead just a minute into the game. On the ensuing drive, Heights kept their momentum thanks to Gordon again, as he picked off a Mustang pass and setup the Tigers at their own 41-yard line. Gordon continued to make plays, as he had a 25-yard carry that setup the Tigers with great field position. With 8:53 left in the first quarter; Marquise Davis trotted in from 16 yards out to put the Tigers up 14-0. This would cap the scoring for the first quarter.
Both teams continued to exchange possessions as the clock ticked. Heights was able to grab some momentum when defensive back Henry Perrymond intercepted a pass in the endzone. This gave the Tigers the ball back with 7:41 left in the second quarter. A minute later, the Tigers dialed up a nice counter that allowed Davis to go untouched for a 62-yard score. After a muffed snap, the Tigers led 20-0 with 6:30 remaining in the half. Both teams exchanged possessions, and Heights was left with an opportunity to tack on more points late in the half. With 47 seconds left in the first half, Davis scored his fourth touchdown of the half, this one from 8 yards out. This put heights up 27-0 heading into the break.
Heights did not cool off during halftime, as they scored on their first possession of the second half. Quarterback Amaar Lakes kept a read option and scampered in for a 19-yard score. This put the Tigers up 34-0, which meant the game would be played with a running clock. The scoring for the quarter was done as the clock quickly ran down.
In the fourth quarter, Cleveland Heights was still rumbling down the field thanks to their ground game. Emere Atkins had a nice 33-yard carry to setup the Tigers in the redzone. Then with 8:36 left in the game, Keont’e Turner punched in a 6-yard score, putting the Tigers up 41-0. This finished the scoring, as Heights claimed the victory.
Before naming tonight’s player of the game, it is important to mention the Cleveland Heights offensive line and defense. The offensive line was dominant all night. They opened up great running lanes and allowed the Tigers offense to run all over the Mustang’s defense. The Tiger’s defense was also excellent. The defense held Strongsville to just 119 yards of total offense, while not giving up a single point. The defense also snagged two interceptions, one by Henry Perrymond and the other by John Gordon Jr. These two units were incredible in tonight’s victory for the Tigers.
Tonight’s player of the game goes out to Marquise “Do It All” Davis. Despite only playing the first half, Davis racked up 103 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 8 carries. It seemed that every time he got the ball, something big was about to happen.
This win puts Cleveland Heights at 5-1, as they will travel to Solon next week. Strongsville goes to 3-3 after the loss and will host Medina next week.
