by North Royalton, OH – The Highland Hornets defeated the North Royalton Bears in a battle of defenses, with key plays from both teams. Highland took home the win with a score of 52-14 in an onslaught of touchdowns across the second half.
The North Royalton Bears kicked off this Friday night game against the Highland Hornets, hoping to take last week’s game against Nordonia in stride. At the start of the first quarter, things were already looking up for North Royalton, with a quick turnover by Highland to start the second series of the game.
Moving onto offense, North Royalton found some new headway with senior Lincoln Lee making a 20-yard rush to get some movement for his team. This was followed by another 15-yard carry that set them up within striking distance of the end zone.
This teed up a series of plays that got North Royalton closer to the end zone and was topped off with a touchdown from senior Rory Hannah and an extra point by Srojan Novakovic. This made the score 7-0 at 4:30 in the first quarter.
Highland, shifting onto offense, made an opening breakthrough with senior Anthony DePompei executing a 30-yard sweep up the away team’s sideline. This allowed the Highland Hornets to make key screens to charge up the field, slowly winding up 7 yards from the end zone.
Less than 10 yards from the end zone, sophomore Colton Wadle charged the ball straight in for Highland’s first touchdown of the game. Senior Jonah Kowza scored the extra point, tying the game at 7-7.
North Royalton quickly received and then turned over the ball shortly after due to a fumble in the offensive backfield, meaning that Highland was back on the charge toward the end zone. With little time on the clock to capitalize, this play marked the end of the first quarter.
Moving into the second quarter, Highland quickly lost its momentum, with junior Kyle Saul making a quick interception from the end zone. At this moment, it was clear that it could be anybody’s game.
Keeping up with Highland’s energy, North Royalton quickly surged up the field with key plays from Lee and Hannah. But with a few key sacks from Highland’s defense, this brought an end to the series of momentum swings both teams weren’t afraid to show off.
Both teams continued to struggle to make any headway against the other, with each team getting key stops in order to snuff out touchdown-worthy plays. For every pass, there was someone prepped and ready to take the other down, and for every rush, both offensive lines collapsed.
Highland had a different method of obtaining points, however. On a fourth down, Kowza kicked a 46-yard field goal to put 3 quick points on the board for Highland.
Highland kept up this momentum and quickly shut down North Royalton’s offense. With senior Jake Weber, the Hornets decided to keep this hot momentum going with another touchdown. Kowza scored the extra point, bringing an end to the first half with the score at 17-7.
Moving into the second half, North Royalton started with possession, and the trend of yard-by-yard pushes continued at the start of the half for the Bears. Quickly turning over the ball at the 14-yard line, North Royalton opened a unique opportunity for Highland to score.
DePompei quickly capitalized on the opportunity with a 15-yard touchdown and extra point from Kowza, making the new score 24-7 at 10:30 of the third quarter. The game was quickly becoming an uphill battle for North Royalton.
Opening strong in the series, North Royalton started bringing the heat with screens from junior Daniel Piper and key carries from Hannah. This series was fought for on each first down by North Royalton, making it clear to Highland that they would not score again anytime soon.
Keeping up the same charge for over 7 minutes in the quarter, North Royalton crossed the finish line with a 2-yard touchdown from Hannah. Novakovic scored the extra point, making the new score 24-14 at 3:30 in the third quarter.
Highland’s first play on offense would shake the stadium, however. On a 20-yard pass from senior Jonathan Prucha, Weber completed the pass and charged 50 yards straight into the end zone for another touchdown just after obtaining the ball. Kowza scored another extra point for the Highland Hornets, making the new score 31-14.
North Royalton struggled to gain any momentum in the next series after this play, and the ball quickly made its way back into Highland’s hands.
First play back on offense, the Highland Hornets decided it would be the team’s game, with senior Bed Radigan making a 59-yard rush across the field and scoring another touchdown for Highland. Kowza got the extra point, making the new score 38-14.
Shortly after the play, North Royalton gained possession of the ball, bringing the third quarter to a close.
With the final quarter clock ticking down, options were growing scarce for North Royalton to make any headway in the game. This was quickly cemented with a quick turnover and touchdown from senior Evan Faust, followed by an extra point from Kowza.
This made the new score 45-14 and started the true countdown clock for North Royalton going into the fourth quarter. Unable to make any headway, the defensive gridlock resumed, and the ball was turned over once again.
Highland’s offense kept up the trend of quick touchdowns with another from junior Levi Clark and an extra point from sophomore Grayson Swaan, making the new score 52-14.
After regaining possession of the ball, North Royalton was met with defeat at the hands of the Highland Hornets, with a final score of 52-14.
Player(s) of the game:
Rory Hannah-(2 TDs, 17-yards rushing)
Senior Jake Weber-(2 TDs, 80-yards rushing)
