UPSET ALERT: North Royalton Shocks Wadsworth 44-37 For Share of Suburban National Crown

Wadsworth, OH: The North Royalton Bears (5-5) rolled into Art Wright Stadium and came away with a 44-37 win over Wadsworth (9-1), clinching a share of the Suburban League National Division crown. Senior quarterback Joe Kinney led the way offensively, going 13-22 for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Mannix Wasco also turned in an impressive performance, finishing with 25 carries for 178 yards and the game-winning touchdown with 39 seconds left.

First Half

The Grizzlies came out of the gates hot, marching 80 yards in eight plays and getting on the board thanks to a one-yard run from Cooper Gray. North Royalton responded with an eight-play drive of their own, covering 72 yards and tying the game on a one-handed, 27-yard touchdown grab from Mehar Kandola, tying the score at 7-7 after one.

Early in the second, the Wadsworth defense forced a fumble, setting the offense up with great field position at their own 45. On 4th & 1 near midfield, Jacob Earnest took the handoff right up the middle for a 46-yard touchdown. After Earnest plowed in for the two-point conversion, the Grizzlies led 15-7.

On their next drive, North Royalton moved the ball all the way into the red zone. Facing 4th & goal, Sasha Sunjevaric nailed a 24-yard field goal to draw the Bears closer at 15-10.

The Grizzlies got great field position on the ensuing kickoff, taking over at the Royalton 42. With under 20 seconds remaining in the half, Earnest plowed in from a yard out, giving Wadsworth a 22-10 lead at the break.

Second Half

On the second play of the third quarter, Joe Kinney found Joseph Calarco for a 56-yard touchdown, drawing Royalton closer at 22-17. Later in the quarter, the Bears would start a possession on their 42. A halfback pass from Mannix Wasco to Calarco set Royalton up deep in Wadsworth territory. On 1st & goal, Grady Baugh burst through the line for a three-yard touchdown, giving the Bears a 23-22 lead.

Early in the fourth, North Royalton would get on the board again on a seven-yard pass from Kinney to Brian Houshour to extend their lead to 30-22. The Grizzlies would respond on their next possession, tying the game at 30-30 thanks to a one-yard touchdown from Earnest, his third of the game.

With just over nine minutes remaining in the game, fans were still in for offensive fireworks. North Royalton took the lead back, 37-30, on a one-yard run from Baugh with six minutes left. The Grizzlies responded with a quick drive of their own, tying the game on a 50-yard completion from Hall to Calix Lemp with 4:29 to go.

North Royalton began their game-winning drive on their own 20. It would take 13 plays, but the Bears took the lead when Mannix Wasco front flipped into the end zone with 39 seconds remaining. Wadsworth would get one more shot with two timeouts, but four straight incompletions gave the ball back to Royalton. One kneel down from Kinney sealed the deal, giving the Bears a 44-37 victory and a share of the Suburban League National.

Keys to the Game

According to Fantastic50.net, the Bears were 21-point underdogs coming into the contest. North Royalton far exceeded expectations, using a balanced offensive attack to pull the upset. When a team is able to throw for 250+ and rush for nearly 200, they’re going to be tough to beat regardless of record.

On the defensive side, the Royalton defense kept quarterback Brysen Hall off balance and limited the Wadsworth passing attack for most of the contest. They also came up with a big fumble recovery in the third quarter that led to a touchdown.

Next Week

Both North Royalton and Wadsworth are advancing to the playoffs in Division II Region 6. According to JoeEitel.com, it appears as if these two squads will meet again in Week 11 at Wadsworth. Official playoff matchups come out Sunday.

Top Performers

North Royalton Bears

Joe Kinney: 13-22 274 yards 3 TD

Mannix Wasco: 25 carries 178 yards TD

Joseph Calarco: 7 catches 187 yards TD

Wadsworth Grizzlies

Brysen Hall: 8-17 167 yards 2 TD

Cooper Gray: 38 carries 205 yards TD

Jacob Earnest: 3 carries 48 yards 3 TD

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter

Wadsworth 9:00- Cooper Gray, 1-yard run (kick good)

North Royalton 5:40- Joe Kinney to Mehar Kandola, 27 yards (kick good)

2nd Quarter

Wadsworth 7:02- Jacob Earnest, 46-yard run (2 pt. good)

North Royalton 3:33- Sasha Sunjevaric 24-yard field goal

Wadsworth 0:09- Jacob Earnest, 1-yard run (kick good)

3rd Quarter

North Royalton 11:39- Joe Kinney to Joseph Calarco, 56 yards (kick good)

North Royalton 1:47- Grady Baugh, 3-yard run (2 pt. no good)

4th Quarter

North Royalton 11:07- Joe Kinney to Brian Houshour, 7 yards (kick good)

Wadsworth 8:39- Jacob Earnest, 1-yard run (2 pt. good)

North Royalton 6:09- Grady Baugh, 1-yard run (kick good)

Wadsworth 4:29- Brysen Hall to Calix Lemp, 50 yards (kick good)

North Royalton 0:39- Mannix Wasco, 13-yard run (kick good)