by WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – With former Rebel star and current Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt in attendance, the Willoughby South Rebels put on a throwback offensive performance at Harry E. Winters Stadium on Friday (Aug. 27) against the Twinsburg Tigers.
Just like when Hunt was tearing up defenses in the Powder Blue and Grey, the Rebels used a similar approach on Friday in a 39-0 rout of the Tigers to improve to 2-0. South rushed for 209 yards and five touchdowns, looking like Hunt’s hay day with the Rebels when I was a student at South.
In what was believed to be a first-time matchup between Twinsburg and Willoughby South, the Rebels left little doubt to the region as longtime friends Matt Duffy and Mike Bell faced off.
“I’m just really happy with the way they’re playing in all three phases of the game,” South coach Matt Duffy said. “I really appreciate how hard they’re playing. That’s one of the first things I told them after the game. It’s fun when you’ve got kids that really play hard and play the game the way it’s meant to be played.”
Despite a near complete game last week at NDCL, Coach Duffy found some improvements in the week two win, “I think our guys found a way to be in better shape despite the weather being so hot this week. Also, our running game continues to improve and get better.”
Twinsburg’s first drive went by the wayside following a second down sack by Jaydon Searcy as South forced the Tigers to punt.
The Rebels offense showed some force on the first drive as they turned in a nine play, 63-yard drive ending in a score. Ira Sampson got the Rebels into the red zone with a 26-yard run before Colin Quinlan found Delond Moss on a 12-yard crossing route down to the one. Tyrone Singleton found paydirt for a 6-0 lead halfway through the first quarter.
Tyrone Singleton from one yard out. South leads Twinsburg 6-0 with 5:39 left in 1st Q. pic.twitter.com/puACPUBssO
— Tyler Stotsky (@tstotskySID) August 27, 2021
A short field allowed the Rebels to move fast and continue the offensive pressure. It only took South four plays to go 53 yards and find the end zone for the second time. Quinlan connected on a wide-open Tyler Berman for 30 yards and a 13-0 lead with 2:23 to go in quarter #1.
Colin Quinlan to Tyler Berman on a 30-yard TD pass. South leads 13-0 with 2:23 left in 1st. pic.twitter.com/2M8TaKTZzB
— Tyler Stotsky (@tstotskySID) August 27, 2021
The first quarter ended with a bang for South as AJ Hanslik picked off Twinsburg QB Trevor Horvath and nearly returned it to the house. A penalty erased the return but South wasn’t phased. In a steady diet of vintage Hunt, it took six plays (five rushing) for Willoughby South to light up the cannon again. Singleton rumbled home from 13 yards away and put the Rebels up 20-0 less than two minutes into the second quarter.
Tyrone Singleton with a 13-yard TD run. South extends lead to 20-0 with 10:14 left in 2nd quarter. pic.twitter.com/vgBMfOs64M
— Tyler Stotsky (@tstotskySID) August 27, 2021
With another Twinsburg possession stalling, the Rebels added the fourth score of the game. A 50-yard pass from Quinlan to Bryce Figler set up the quick drive. Quinlan got the ball to the one before Ira Sampson powered into the end zone for his first score of the night.
Ira Sampson makes it 26-0 South with an 1-yard rumble. 4:48 left in first half. pic.twitter.com/914OiHPMFD
— Tyler Stotsky (@tstotskySID) August 28, 2021
After getting a sack in the first quarter, Searcy returned with another defensive play in the second quarter by scooping up a loose ball on a fumble.
Two big plays created the opportunity for Andrew Osagie-Erese to find a score. His one-yard scamper in the second quarter created a 33-0 lead right before halftime.
Andrew Osagie-Erese gets in on the action with a one-yard rushing touchdown. Rebels running away up 33-0 with 2:37 in first half. pic.twitter.com/56lBiOhmpf
— Tyler Stotsky (@tstotskySID) August 28, 2021
A near kickoff return touchdown by South to open the half was nullified, but the Rebels weren’t phased just like the first time. Willoughby South got three first downs on a three-play, 50-yard drive that was capped on a Quinlan run of 13 yards for a score. The lead was 39-0 with 10:08 left.
After a kickoff return was called back for a penalty, South drove down the field and scored on their first drive. Colin Quinlan punches it in from 13 yards out. 39-0 Rebels, 10:08 to go in 3rd. pic.twitter.com/WQuZgvC2sv
— Tyler Stotsky (@tstotskySID) August 28, 2021
The second teams battled it out for the final quarter and a half as South’s defense continued to pitch a shutout. Twinsburg drove to the one-yard line but coughed up the football in the final minute, sealing the shutout night for the Rebels.
Twinsburg turns over the ball at the goal line. Final: Willoughby South 39, Twinsburg 0 pic.twitter.com/nB9Px9oG3r
— Tyler Stotsky (@tstotskySID) August 28, 2021
For the night, Willoughby South used 35 plays to compile 335 yards of total offense. The Rebels ran 27 times for 209 yards and five scores but also tallied 126 yards in the air.
The leading rusher was Singleton with nine carries, 91 yards and two touchdowns. Quinlan added 77 yards rushing and one rushing score to his line along with seven-of-eight passing with 126 yards and one touchdown.
Twinsburg, on the other hand, was limited to 157 yards on 52 plays, including just 56 in the first half. Quincy Newsom finished with 31 yards rushing on 14 carries. Horvath completed four-of-six passes with just 41 yards passing and one interception.
“I think it was pretty obvious that we were outplayed, outhustled and even a little outcoached tonight,” said Twinsburg coach Mike Bell, a former head coach at Lake Catholic. “You have to give the Rebels a lot of credit. They came in with a good game plan and did some things defensively that we weren’t expecting them to do.”
Willoughby South will host Maple Heights in Week 3 while Twinsburg travels to Aurora for a matchup.
Player of the Game: Willoughby South QB Colin Quinlan – 7/8 passing, 126 yards, 1 passing TD, five rushes, 77 rushing yards and one rushing TD
