by MEDINA, OHIO – A week after being blanked at home by Mentor, the Cleveland Heights Tigers showed their resilience with a resounding 42-28 victory over Medina Friday night, reminding the Greater Cleveland Conference that their season is far from over.
The Tigers (2-5, 2-2 GCC) flipped the script early when senior defensive end Deon Solomon delivered a jolt of energy late in the first quarter. Reading the play perfectly, Solomon jumped into a passing lane and returned an interception 20 yards for a pick-six, giving Heights an early 6-0 lead.
Medina wasted little time responding. Early in the second quarter, junior quarterback River Blomquist connected with senior wideout Brian Wuchter on a 21-yard strike, giving the Bees their first and only lead of the night at 7-6.
But it didn’t last long. Heights’ junior quarterback Lamarcus “Two” Greenwood, who played the game of his young career, answered with a 20-plus-yard touchdown pass to classmate Jariah Morgan. That score put the Tigers back on top, 12-7, and opened the floodgates for Greenwood’s explosive night.
Moments before halftime, Greenwood showed his poise again, finding two-way senior standout Henry Perrymond on a crisp 13-yard touchdown to stretch Heights’ lead to 20-7.
Head coach Bryce Jones praised how his team established itself right away.
“We came out and we started fast today,” Jones said postgame. “We did a good job coming out on the right note and seeing guys consistently get the opportunity to make plays.”
Still, the Bees (now 3-4, 1-3 GCC) came out of the locker room determined to swing momentum. Senior quarterback Beckett Vogrin fired a deep ball to Wuchter, who sprinted 80 yards untouched to bring Medina within six, electrifying the visiting sideline.
Greenwood, however, refused to let Heights falter. The junior orchestrated back-to-back scoring drives, threading a beauty to Sirr Gibson in the back of the end zone before reconnecting with Perrymond for their second touchdown hookup of the night. With 4:39 left in the third, Heights’ lead had ballooned to 36-14.
Yet, true to GCC form, Medina clawed back. Senior running back John Nagel powered across the goal line in the waning seconds of the third quarter, and Vogrin later found Kellen Hathaway on a 10-yard scoring toss early in the fourth. Suddenly, the Bees had trimmed the deficit to just 36-28.
But Greenwood had the final word. With Medina threatening and the pressure mounting, the dual-threat junior used his legs to seal the deal, breaking free for a 20-yard touchdown run that iced the game and sent the Tigers sideline into celebration.
By the final whistle, Greenwood had accounted for five touchdowns—four through the air and one on the ground—cementing himself as the night’s star. His head coach made sure to point out just how critical his composure was.
“I think Lamarcus did a good job,” Jones said. “They brought a lot of pressure and he was under duress, but he was able to calm himself down and get a couple good throws in to kind of get himself into a rhythm. You kind of saw him get consistent as the game went on and that was huge for us.”
For a Cleveland Heights team that looked flat in last week’s shutout loss to Mentor, Friday night was about pride, response, and positioning themselves in a tight GCC race. Now sitting at 2-2 in conference play, the Tigers have firmly reinserted themselves into the battle for a top-three conference finish.
“This was about showing who we really are,” said Greenwood after the game. “Last week wasn’t us. Tonight—we played Heights football.”
With a newfound surge of confidence and their playmakers clicking, the Tigers’ season suddenly feels alive again.
Next Up:
The Tigers will host rival (3-4, 2-2 GCC) Euclid next Saturday afternoon on the corner of Cedar & Lee in a highly anticipated matchup. Medina will host rival (4-3, 3-1 GCC) Brunswick in the annual Tom Fasko Gridiron Classic.
Key Players of the Game:
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Tigers Jr. QB Lamarcus Greenwood: 5 total touchdowns (4 passing, 1 rushing)
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Tigers WR/S Jariah Morgan: 2 interceptions and 1 receiving touchdown
