by Canton McKinley (8-3) used big plays on offense and a stifling defense to take down Strongsville (3-8) 37-13 in the opening round of playoff action. Junior RB Nino Hill turned in a dominant game on the ground with 151 yards and two touchdowns, one a 50-yard run. After falling behind 7-6, the Bulldogs scored 31 unanswered points.
Tight Game Early
After forcing a Strongsville punt on the opening possession, McKinley went 67 yards in nine plays and found the end zone on a 12-yard connection from Keaton Rode to Dante McClellan, putting the Bulldogs up 6-0 early. Late in the first, James Swasey picked off Rode and returned it to the McKinley nine. Three plays later, Harsh Patel found big Jerome Williams for a five-yard touchdown. After the extra point, the Mustangs led 7-6.
On the next possession, McKinley would work deep into Strongsville territory, but the defense stood tall, forcing a 20-yard field goal from Rode to make it 9-7 McKinley. Following a three-and-out on the next Mustang possession, Rode found Keith Quincy on a screen pass, and Quincy took it 68 yards to the house, extending the lead to 15-7.
With time running out in the second, the Bulldogs got one final possession. With just 30 seconds on the clock, Nino Hill plowed into the end zone from a yard out to make it 22-7 McKinley at the break.
Bulldogs Roll
The Bulldogs would receive the second-half kickoff and were immediately forced to punt. As Strongsville worked the ball near midfield, Keith Quincy picked off Patel and returned it 65 yards for another McKinley touchdown, making it 29-7.
Late in the third and early in the fourth, the Bulldogs would find themselves inside the Strongsville five but turned the ball over on downs in large part to a stiff Mustangs’ defense. Midway through the fourth, backed up against their own end zone, the Strongsville punter mishandled the snap and was taken down for a safety.
On the first play following the safety, Nino Hill took the handoff around the right side 50 yards for his second touchdown, extending the McKinley lead to 37-7. With a running clock in effect, the Mustangs strategically worked downfield and put another score on the board via a four-yard pass from Patel to Xavier Belvin as time expired to make the final 37-13 Bulldogs.
Keys to the Game
Following a disappointing Week 10 loss to their rival Massillon, McKinley bounced back in a big way, dominating the trenches and limiting penalties that have become costly in recent weeks. When the Bulldogs play a clean game like they did against Strongsville, they will be a tough team to beat in Region 1.
Despite the lopsided score, the Strongsville defense deserves a lot of credit for their performance. Multiple times in the contest, McKinley got the ball inside the Mustangs’ five and were continuously turned away. If not for some clutch defensive stops, the final margin could have been much more significant.
Next Week
With the win, #4 McKinley advances to the regional quarterfinals next Friday night and will host #12 St. Ignatius (3-8). The Wildcats pulled an upset over Mentor 10-7 in round one, their second victory over the Cardinals this season.
Top Performers
Strongsville Mustangs
Harsh Patel: 8-16 58 yards TD 2 carries 7 yards
Xavier Belvin: 22 carries 81 yards
McKinley Bulldogs
Keaton Rode: 8-17 143 yards 2 TD 7 carries 35 yards
Nino Hill: 25 carries 151 yards 2 TD
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
McKinley 6:12- Keaton Rode to Dante McClellan, 12 yards (kick blocked)
Strongsville 1:15- Harsh Patel to Jerome Williams, 5 yards (kick good)
2nd Quarter
McKinley 11:19- Keaton Rode 20-yard field goal
McKinley 8:38- Keaton Rode to Keith Quincy, 68 yards (kick no good)
McKinley 0:30- Nino Hill, 1-yard run (kick good)
3rd Quarter
McKinley 9:09- Keith Quincy 65-yard interception return (kick good)
4th Quarter
McKinley 6:12- Strongsville safety
McKinley 5:07- Nino Hill, 50-yard run (kick no good)
Strongsville 0:00- Harsh Patel to Xavier Belvin, 6 yards
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FINAL | |
| Strongsville | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| McKinley | 6 | 16 | 7 | 8 | 37 |
