by Strongsville, Ohio — Round one of the OHSAA playoffs saw a Week 6 rematch between the Cleveland Heights Tigers and Strongsville Mustangs. Cleveland Heights found their way into the rematch after a monster performance from RB Marquise Davis led them to a win last week over Shaker Heights.
For Strongsville, their Week 10 win over Brunswick propelled them to the #8 seed with the chance to host the rematch. The rematch would be controlled by the home Mustangs for most of the game. Running back Sam Dimacchia and the run game jolted Strongsville to victory. The Mustangs carried the ball 29 times for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns on the night.
The first quarter of the contest was a defensive battle. Cleveland Heights possessed the ball twice and were only able to muster up 32 yards of offense. As for Strongsville, they only had one full drive in the opening quarter. That drive spanned 7 plays and traveled 32 yards down field. However, the drive ended with a punt.
The Mustangs’ 2nd drive of the game started in the first quarter and ended with the first play of the 2nd quarter. It was capped off by an 8-yard touchdown run from Sam Dimacchia. Strongsville won the race to the scoreboard and led the game 7-0 following the PAT.
On the ensuing Cleveland Heights drive, running back Mercellus Harris took the first play of the drive 65 yards to the house. Emere Atkins followed the score with a successful 2-point conversion. The Tigers now led 8-7 just moments after trailing.
The Mustangs offense picked the defense right up as a quick 2-play drive found the end zone. Sam Dimmachia’s 46-yard run set himself up for a 15-yard touchdown run. His 2nd score in just minutes put Strongsville right back on top.
On the night, Dimacchia finished with 21 carries for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns. Following the game, he had this to say about the performance, “I can’t do what I do without them [the offensive line] I love them. They’re giving me good looks and good reads. Honestly, all the glory should go to them and not me.”
Cleveland Heights was able to go on 4 more drives in the second quarter but failed to score any more points. Strongsville’s defense surrendered just 22 total yards in those 4 drives after allowing a 65-yard score early in the quarter.
Strongsville’s run game was ready to attack as quarterback Nolan Beard ripped off a 50-yard touchdown run to extend their lead. Later in the quarter, Vincent Roncone extended the lead further with a 33-yard field goal that put the Mustangs up 24-8.
Following an interception from Strongsville’s George Majernik, the Mustangs had a chance to score again right before the half. However, they failed to convert a hail mary pass and went into the locker room up 24-8 at the break.
The 3rd quarter played out similarly to the 1st. Each team was only able to complete one drive through the duration of the quarter. Strongsville’s opening drive lasted 6 plays that journeyed 17 yards and ended with a punt.
Cleveland Heights’ drive had promise as they drove deep into Strongsville territory. However, the Mustang defense produced a stop on 4th down to give their offense possession.
On the ensuing Strongsville drive, a mishandled snap was recovered by Cleveland Heights. The recovery set them up at the Mustangs’ 38 yard line. The Tigers were able to capitalize on the turnover as John Morris took a handoff into the end zone from 4 yards out. The following 2-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful as Strongsville maintained a 24-14 lead.
The Tigers were still not out of the game as they forced a quick 3-and-out on the Mustangs’ next offensive possession. With the clock as the enemy, Cleveland Heights needed chunk plays in a short amount of time to get another score.
As they attempted their first pass of the ensuing drive, Mustang DB JJ Pleasant read the pass and picked it off. He proceeded to return it 28 yards to the end zone for a pick-6 to put to nail in the coffin. The Mustangs now led 31-14 following the PAT with just under 4 minutes to go.
“It’s huge. Our first home playoff “W” since 2008. So, it feels great to be able to do what I do on defense by making plays and making tackles, but also contribute to the scoring.” stated Pleasant on his important pick-6.
Cleveland Heights’ final drive would end with a turnover on downs to give Strongsville the 31-14 victory.
The Strongsville Mustangs were looking for a complete game from all three phases, offense, defense, and special teams, prior to the game. With 3 rushing touchdowns, a field goal and multiple kickoffs for a touchback, and a defensive touchdown, it is safe to say they executed their goal.
Head Coach Jason Trusnik had this to say about his team’s performance, “Tonight was a team win. Everybody did their job and did their part. We had a defensive score, offense moved the ball when they had to, and special teams played a solid game. When you can play all three phases good, good things happen.”
Strongsville will look to continue their season in Round 2 next Friday night as they await the official announcement on who their opponent will be.
