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MACEDONIA, Ohio– It was a night where there seemed to be plenty of second chases for both teams. In the end, it was Nordonia that took advantage of the Berea-Midpark mistakes, running away with a 30-21 win Friday night.
After the Titans were able to score on the game’s opening drive after Adriel Mendez ran it in for a 25-yard touchdown, the Knights began finding some answers. It all began with the rushing attack from junior running back Rocco DeLorenzo.
He was able to do a sound job churning out yards and keeping drives alive for quarterback Ben Chesser to find a rhythm under center. DeLorenzo bullied his way into the end zone for a nine-yard score to give his team a 13-8 lead with seven minutes left in the first half.
On their next possession, just two minutes later, freshman quarterback Steven Fakult got the ball in the backfield and found senior wide receiver Mike Ebert for a 51-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter.
The Knights were able to head into halftime with a 20-8 lead, something head coach Jeff Fox was proud to see.
“It was a really good half of football,” Fox said. “Our kids settled in and continued to get better and finally put some consistency together there.”
The second half was where the Titans had a slew of chances to make it into a one-possession game, even giving the Knights a little scare in the fourth quarter. With the Knights punting inside their own 20-yard line with under eight minutes left, Bowling Green commit Austin Clay was able to return the ensuing punt inside the Nordonia 15-yard line.
Five plays later, he caught a touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 30-21 with under six minutes left. A two-point conversion would turn the game into just a one-possession game, but Devyn Zahursky couldn’t find the end zone due to a myriad of Knight’s pulling him down.
The Knights felt a little weight lift off its shoulders, holding a nine-point lead with just over five minutes left in the game. With their ensuing possession, they were able to eat away at the play clock, killing more than four minutes, and shutting down any opportunity for a Titan comeback deep inside their own territory.
“It’s fun to watch, we have a pretty good defensive unit but I think we can continue to get better,” Fox explained about his defense.
The Titans entered the 2023 season with at least five Division I college recruits and the Knights boast a young, talented bunch led by Israel Petite and Air Force commit Asher Wilson. However, as they did in week one, the Knights found a way to fight and scrap their way to another win, starting the season off with a 2-0 record.
“We’ve gotten the job done even though there have been some sloppiness and things we’ve got to clean up,” Fox said about starting the season with two consecutive wins. “I’m excited to see where we go…we’re going to get back to work right away and the idea is a growth mindset and it’s just one week at a time.”
Great article! Keep up the good work Mike.