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Eastlake, OH- In the 62nd Border Battle from Nick Carter Stadium, Willoughby South was victorious 35-14 over their rival from Eastlake North for the 19th time out of 20 matchups thanks to Tyrone Singleton and his 217 yards rushing.
The visiting Willoughby South Rebels started with a bang offensively to open the game. Senior Quarterback Colin Quinlan found Junior Wide Receiver Delond Moss for a big gain of 34 yards. South continued to move the ball down the field, but their first scoring chance of the night was halted as The Rangers forced a turnover on downs early in the 1st quarter. Following one of many turnovers on downs for North, the visiting Rebels from Willoughby South found the endzone on their 2nd drive of the game.
The key to the drive was a big 3rd and 15 conversions following an offside penalty by North. Quinlan hit Junior Wide Receiver Niko Frizell over the middle to keep the drive alive. The next play was one of many big runs for South Senior Running Back Tyrone Singleton. A run of 32 yards set up his first of 3 touchdowns in the first half, as he rushed up the middle from 4 yards out to give the visiting Rebels a 7-0 lead with 3:15 remaining in the 1st quarter.
The Eastlake North Rangers rebounded quickly after giving up the first score of the game. A 12 play 70-yard drive led by Senior Running Back Derick Martinez and Senior Curtis Thomas got North right back in the game. With 9:07 remaining in the half Martinez took the handoff from Quarterback Zach Rummel into the endzone from 11 yards out to knot up the score at. The biggest play of the game would come on the following drive.
On 4th down and 1 from their own 29-yard line, Willoughby South’s Head Coach Matt Duffy decided to make a risky decision that would pay off. As Tyrone Singleton raced out to the left end for 71 yards nearly untouched to give the Rebels a 14-7 advantage with 7:23 to go. Singleton speed, agility and elusiveness was on full display on that run.
North went right back down the field again as the game’s momentum was shifting back and forth between the two teams. But at the 3:58 mark, South gained it back and never let go. The Rangers were looking to tie the score, but the Rebels had other plans. A huge fumble in the red zone was recovered by Freshman Lukkas Kutz, thus foiling a huge opportunity for the home team.
Following a series of strong runs from Singleton, once again he found the endzone this time from 37 yards out. Running to the left side Singleton showed off his speed and dashed towards the pylon for his 3rd score of the half. With the score now being 21-7 Eastlake North needed to make an answer before halftime. North failed to do so, once again moving the ball wasn’t the issue it was finishing off drives. For the 2nd time in the half, South forced a turnover on downs keeping their 2-touchdown advantage.
The 2nd half saw more scoring opportunities but not enough points for the home team. South was able to block a field goal attempt with 6:06 remaining in the 3rd quarter to maintain control. After forcing another turnover on downs for the 3rd time, South’s Tyrone Singleton scored his 4th touchdown of the game this time from 6 yards out.
In the 4th quarter both teams found the endzone, with 5:46 remaining Singleton continued his incredible night scoring for the 5th time from 21 yards out ending his performance in style. Derick Martinez of North added his 2nd touchdown of the game under a minute left to make the score 35-14. North’s Receiver/Running Back Curtis Thomas left the game after halftime with an injury, this proved to be costly for the Rangers as he was on his way to an excellent night and quite possibly making a big difference in this game.
Players of the Game:
Willoughby South Senior Running Back- Tyrone Singleton 13 carries, 217 yards, 5 touchdowns
Eastlake North Senior Running Back Derick Martinez- 36 carries, 185 yards, 2 touchdowns
