by It was the Mentor Cardinals outlasting the Olmsted Falls Bulldogs by a score of 35-28 in front of a huge crowd. In a game considered to be one of the best games in the area for week 1, it did not disappoint.
Olmsted Falls got the ball first and did what they did all night: run the ball. The trio of Logan Connelly, Cameron Pesch, and Owen Singleton combined for eight rushes for 80 yards on the opening Bulldog possession, which included a Singleton 15-yard run to give Olmsted Falls an early 7-0 lead.
Mentor, down but certainly not out, got running as well. They handed the ball to star RB Jackson Farley seven times, running for 68 yards, including his final run that tied the game at 7 for Mentor. That was only a sign of things to come for Farley in this game.
Olmsted Falls got the ball back and ran again with Connelly and Singleton, with Khye Gilbert also getting a carry. Olmsted Falls went on to score on this drive in something that seemed unconventional in this game, a pass. On his second pass of the game, Pesch found Adam Smith in the end zone, giving Olmsted Falls a 14-7 lead.
After forcing Olmsted Falls to punt from deep in their own territory, Mentor needed just three plays to tie the game back up. After Mentor QB Brogan Jones found Brady Trivisonno for five yards, he gave the ball back to Farley for a 12-yard rush, followed by another nine yards that resulted in Mentor tying the game back up.
The lone turnover for either team happened on the next Olmsted Falls drive, as Pesch threw a pass that found the arms of Mentor’s Jacksen Schultz for a Cardinals interception. Mentor, as good teams do, took advantage of this turnover. Aided also by two Olmsted Falls penalties, they ran four times for 24 yards, the last run being 12 yards by Farley to give Mentor the lead.
Needing a score before halftime, Olmsted Falls proved up to the challenge. Singleton added four rushes for 64 yards, including a 45-yard run that flipped the field. Connelly added 12 yards on the ground as well before Pesch ran it in from nine yards out to tie the game at 21 going into halftime.
On their second drive of the 2nd half, Mentor just needed two plays of 11 and 55 respectively to reclaim the lead at 28-21.
The running trio of Pesch, Connelly, and Singleton got the ball back and combined to run for all but 16 of the 80 yards of Olmsted Falls’ game-tying drive, capped off by a 5-yard touchdown run for Singleton.
Mentor on the ensuing drive gave the ball to Connor Santo and Devin Speigal in addition to Farley. Farley went on to score from 18 yards out to give Mentor a 35-28 lead, which is how this contest finished.
With the win, Mentor begins their season 1-0 and will travel to play McDowell next week. As for Olmsted Falls, they fall to 0-1 and will host another Great Cleveland Conference team in the Brunswick Blue Devils.
Player of the game: Jackson Farley, Mentor. The star senior RB went off for the Cardinals, scoring all five touchdowns. He paired his five touchdowns with an impressive 34 carries for around 377 yards! Jackson Farley is a name everyone needs to keep an eye on this football season.
