RANGE IS FOR REAL; RAIDERS WASH AWAY MOONEY

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GIRARD, OH- On the soggiest Friday night since July, two historically winning programs went toe-to-toe for the first time in their varsity football history.

South Range.

Cardinal Mooney.

Some said it would never happen, others claim it was destiny this season – either way, we were served reality on Friday night in Arrowhead Stadium in Girard, and it was the Raiders that came away victorious 34-6 when the final snap was taken.

It started out as a defensive struggle between these two juggernauts, as neither team was able to crack the code until just over seven minutes left in the second quarter, when South Range QB Billy Skripac squeezed into the endzone for a touchdown, capping a 99-yard drive for the Raiders.

Just a few minutes later, the Raiders would double up their lead with a connection through the air from Skripac to JD Crouse from 17 yards on a crossing route in the right corner of the endzone.

After the break, in typically Mooney fashion, the Cards came out hot.  Junior standout Quarterback Ashton O’Brien capped off a physical drive with a 1-yard push into the endzone courtesy of his big men upfront- and making the score 14-6 on a missed extra point.

South Range would go back to work on both sides of the ball, and hold Mooney out of the endzone the rest of the contest, but their offense-like the rain, would keep pouring down.

Billy Skripac would take over the ballgame from there, adding a touchdown strike with 5:58 to go in the third quarter to Ayden Leon on one of the best one-handed grabs you’ll ever see in a high school football game to make it 21-6.  Only to be followed on the next drive with a 4-yard run by Skripac to extend the lead to 28-6, and in the final chapter, Skripac would find Crouse again from 25 yards out for the Raider touchdown and finalize things at 34-6.

South Range racked up 377 yards total, with 198 coming from the air, and 179 on the ground.  Mooney tallied 152 yards of offense on 45 plays.

Skripac was named the game’s most valuable player with 11 completions for 198 yards, and three touchdowns off his arm, and 16 carries for 78 yards and two more scores with his legs while being the rushing leader in the game as well.

The stable of horses for Range did their fair share as well as Blake Ewert chalked up 61 yards on 11 carries, Aidan Dominguez had five totes for 19 yards, and Tyler Remish went five carries for 18.

JD Crouse was the contest’s leading receiver with 4 catches for 90 yards, Shane Lindstrom had 3 for 53, and Ayden Leon also had 3 grabs for 50.

Defensively, Tyler Remish led the way for South Range with five tackles, followed by Crouse and Nick Plunkett with three tackles, and Bailey Ryan with 2.5.

Cardinal Mooney’s standout performers included Ashton O’Brien’s eight completions for 90 yards through the air.

Jamar Howell had five carries for 23 yards, Tyon Flowers had three carries for 21, and Camryn Paige had four opportunities for 15 yards on the ground.

Ty Reali was the Cardinal’s top-target with three grabs and 15 yards, while Jon Brenner, Alec DelSignore, Cam Paige, Tyon Flowers, and Adyn Paige each had one catch apiece.

Defensively, Dennis Clark was impressive and everywhere.  Clark racked up 7.5 tackles on the night, followed closely by Will Desmond’s 6.5.  Caleb Beachum and Logan Boyd were also tenacious with five stops apiece.

Mooney’s season comes to a close at 6-7, while South Range remains undefeated at 13-0 and will await word on where they will take on the Perry Pirates next Friday at 7pm.

HARD TO CATCH THE E-TRAIN

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CANFIELD, OH- If you look back at the history of South Range Football over the years, you’ll find some prestigious names that pepper the record books, and are embossed in trophies around campus.

One name that has made headlines this year has been Junior tailback, Blake Ewert.  A young man that has created a storyline as part of the outstanding stable of horses that make up the South Range backfield in 2022.

Ewert is a power back that has the speed to get around the corner, and blaze past the defensive backfield with little effort.

All of this considered, the talent of Ewert doesn’t even come close to the great young man that he’s become off the field.  Blake is a very soft-spoken, and humble young man who always puts the needs of his family and friends ahead of those of himself.

We were fortunate to catch up with the conductor of the E-Train, Blake Ewert at Legends Food and Drinks and discussed this season, and future goals on and off the field.

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NOT TOYING AROUND

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BOARDMAN, OH- Chances are if you’ve ever played a South Range team in the last few decades, you’ve either played against, or heard stories about some of the greatest athletes in South Range history: The Toy’s.

The legend continues, as Raider Sophomore standout, Tristan Toy is picking up the pen to add a new chapter to that storied family name.

Toy has quickly made his impact felt on the defensive side of the ball in 2022, becoming one of the hardest hitting defensive backs in the NE8.  However, while his presence is primarily on defense, when he gets reps behind center in reserve time, or when called upon, the Raiders don’t seem to miss a beat there either.

With the Raiders knocking on the door of the state tournament, this chapter of the story could have the best ending yet for the Toy legacy.

We caught up with the ol’ two-niner to discuss the family, friendships, and what he’s learned along the way.

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LANDON ON HIS FEET

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CANFIELD, OH- When your play draws comparison to one of the greatest professional football players in history, you can get comfortable with getting a new nickname from your coaching staff.

Landon Moore has done just that.

His alter ego “Lenny” has brought loving admiration from teammates and family alike.  Moore’s other alias has been “Lando” throughout his life, but no matter what you call him these days- it had better come with some respect on it.

The Raider linebacker has upped his game this year to help the Raiders get to the undefeated mark through the regular season, and having his number called plenty of times along the way.  When you game plan for South Range, you have to account for where “15” is going to be on the field, and the simple answer is: everywhere.

Moore will chase you from sideline to sideline, and his speed and agility will limit your ability to earn those critical yards, and you’ll often time find Moore leading the Burgundy swarm that South Range is known for.

We checked in with “Lenny” to speak about the season, his teammates, family, and goals and ambitions for his future.

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BRADY HAS YOUR BACK

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CANFIELD, OH- The name “Crumbacher” comes with outstanding connotations around it.  A diligent work ethic, outgoing personality, and humble servant leadership that has set the tone for Raider teams young and advanced for many years.

For Brady Crumbacher, it’s no different.

The young man who looks up to his family and friends, as well as is able to set himself apart from the crowd because he’s truly becoming comfortable in his own skin.

Crumbacher has helped solidify the Raider defensive backfield this year on the gridiron, posting up a perfect record two weeks into the playoffs, and locking down opposing receivers each week.

With the Regional Semi-Finals coming up, Crumbacher will once again look to help push the Burgundy and Gold one step closer to their ultimate goal.

We sat down with 18 to catch up with him about the season, his role, family life, and of course what goes on inside the walls of SRHS.

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HOIST THE COLORS: RAIDERS PROVE POINT AGAINST G-MEN

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CANFIELD, OH- The Raiders have been perfect in the win column this year, and that didn’t change on Friday night against Garfield.  The interesting statistic is that this senior class has never competed in a losing effort on their home turf for the entirety of their varsity football career at Raider Stadium- and that didn’t change either in a 49-10 victory to wrap up the last home game they’ll ever play.

In what started as an eye-opening nearly 8-minute drive, Garfield was setting the tone and staying balanced in their game plan, but stalled out before putting a 25-yard field goal by Ethan Bittence to put South Range behind for the first time all season long.

So, how do the Raiders respond?

The South Range offense exploded out of the chute with a 2-play drive taking up a total of 26 seconds off of the clock, and showcasing a new style they’ve yet to present on the year.  Tyler Remish would start his big night with a 13-yard touchdown after a huge pass play to set things up in the red zone.

After another lengthy drive by Garfield, South Range would force the punt- and cap off a big drive with another Tyler Remish score from a yard away.  Remish would add another score from inside of 5 yards just minutes later  On the next drive, Billy Skripac would connect with Shane Lindstrom for a 12-yard score to put the Raiders up 28-3 at the break.

South Range would get the ball to start the second half, and Skripac would score with his legs from 9 yards out with a physical run at the pylon.

Garfield would then string together their best offensive drive of the game when Keegan Sell capped it off with a 22-yard score on the left side of the field to make the score 35-10.

The Raiders would start the mercy clock again just a little over a minute into the final stanza when Skripac connected with Ayden Leon with a perfect strike down the seam from 37 yards away to put South Range up 42-10.

Sophomore Tristan Toy would put the final score on the board with 3:32 left when he raced into the endzone on the QB Keeper from 31 yards away to give us a final of 49-10 and to put the Raiders into the Regional Semi-Finals in Week 13.

Range finished with 534 yards of total offense on the night, compared to Garfield’s 213.  The main difference in the game was the turnover battle to which South Range won that as well 4-1 against the G-Men with a fumble and three interceptions.

The Raiders picked up 26 first downs in the contest as well, including 17 on rushing attempts, and converted at a 60% clip on third down.

Skripac was 13/16 for 274 yards and two scores through the air, and added another 64 yards and a score with his legs.

The Raider rushing attack was aided by the help of their stable of backs that included a ten-rush, 82-yard performance by Tyler Remish that was highlighted by three trips to the endzone.  Sophomore Aidan Dominguez was big when called upon with six totes and 33 yards Tristan Toy’s 33 yards, Hunter Knauf’s 29, and Shane Lindstrom also had ten.  Together they totaled 260 yards on the ground and the offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage throughout the night.

Lindstrom racked up the receiving yards to the tune of six grabs for 148 yards, while Ayden Leon, JD Crouse, and Tyler Remish each hauled in a pair of grabs for a combined total of 106 yards.

All-YSN standout, Keegan Sell had a big night in his finale, and impressed all in attendance with a touchdown rushing, and an eye-popping 10.5 tackles on defense.  Leo Grandizio also had a big night with seven tackles and one catch for 29 yards on offense.

Eric Geddes was 3 of 14 passing for 48 yards and 3 interceptions.

Garfield finishes their season with a 9-3 mark, respectively, and another successful campaign.

South Range will take on Cardinal Mooney on Friday night for a local-local contest that many have wanted for decades.  The game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium in Girard with a 7pm kickoff time.  YSN will have the game as part of the 5-game Post Season Power Play Pass.

SLOW START, FAST FINISH FOR IRISH

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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, The Ursuline Fighting Irish have marched through the last few weeks with little trouble as they hosted the Tallmadge Blue Devils in Week 12, but they had to overcome some adversity to keep their state title hopes alive.

The Irish offense struggled through their first four drives, gaining first downs but not finding the end zone. Through the first four drives, Ursuline turned the ball over on downs three times, and missed a field goal. Tallmadge took advantage of those opportunities, as Jackson Dougherty found the end zone twice on the ground to give the Blue Devils a 14-0 lead halfway through the second quarter. An Irish safety on Tallmadge’s first play after stuffing Ursuline on the one-yard line started to give the Irish a little momentum, and then a 66-yard punt return TD by Will Burney really got the wheels rolling for Ursuline as the Irish made it a 14-10 game as both teams went into their locker rooms.

The second half was all Irish. After forcing three-and-outs on the first three drives for Tallmadge, the quick fire plays for the Irish came in bunches. The third quarter featured a 40-yard touchdown reception by Will Burney, a 64-yard touchdown reception by Marc Manning, a 4-yard touchdown run by Christian Lynch, and a 73-yard touchdown run by Manning. At the end of the third, Ursuline was up 38-14, as they scored 38-unanswered points to look like their old selves once again. A score from DC Ferrell accompanied by a few late scores from Tallmadge gave the Irish a 45-28 victory, and secured a Week 13 matchup for the Irish for the third-consecutive season. Ursuline will face the Canfield Cardinals next week with a trip to the regional final on the line.

*Contributed By YSN’s Anthony Romo

FALCON FEVER KEEPS GROWING

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GIRARD, OH- In round 2 of Division IV, Region 13 we got a matchup between two familiar foes in Girard and Jefferson as the Indians hosted the Falcons. The Falcons, who are continuing their great season, looked to get off to a hot start against a strong Girard team that can get going at any time. Jefferson’s seniors, especially quarterback Grant Hitchcock showed that they did not want their season to end just yet with a gutsy win over Girard, 26-20.

Hitchcock started Jefferson off right with a 28-yard touchdown pass to receiver Kaige Boczar to go up 6-0. Girard would punch back with an 8-yard touchdown run by quarterback Stephen Sims, but Hickcock and Boczar would connect again to give the Falcons a 12-7 lead at half. To begin the second half, Girard forced a fumble and shifted momentum with an ensuing score on sneaky play by Sims, and Bobby Alejars who grabbed a sweep and found Anthony Bengala for a 30-yard touchdown pass to give Girard a 13-12 lead. Jefferson’s offense kicked it into the next gear after the trick play and scored on two straight possessions thanks again to Hitchcock. Girard would strike late, but time was not in their favor as Jefferson walked away with the victory.

Looking ahead, Girard will end their season with a 8-4 record. Congratulations to the Indians on an amazing season. For Jefferson, they will advance to round 3 and will take on Canton South next Saturday.

*Contributed By YSN’s Brendan Miller

SOUTHERN MOVING RIGHT ALONG

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SALINEVILLE, OH- Round 2 is in the books as we seen a rematch for the third straight year in row between Southern and St. Paul in Division VII, Region 25. The Indians were looking to change up the history as St. Paul has won the past two matchups. Southern used that motivation to back their effort early on. The Flyers came out hot early but Southerns defense and run game were key factors of the Indians ability to keep control of the game after multiple St. Paul attempts to make it a close game as Southern came away with the victory, 42-22. 

The most defining moment of this matchup came when St. Paul took the opening drive down to Southern’s 1-yard line. It looked as if the Flyers would get on the board first. But, the Indians stood tall on a 4th and 1 and forced a turnover on downs to swing the momentum back to Southern. From there, the Indians put up an impressive 99-yard drive with Wyatt Morris punching it in from 8-yards out. The Flyers would not be fazed too much as they struck right back to make it 8-6. But, Southern kicked into another gear, scoring two straight touchdowns after Cooper Edmiston set up a Ryan Exline from 1-yard out with a 47 yard kickoff return and an interception by Markell Smith to set up Colton Soukup from 3-yards out. St. Paul was able to creep back to make it 24-14 at half. In the second half, it was all Southern thanks again to their run game and defense. Morris took a 62-yard run to the house on the opening possession, which was followed by another interception that led to another Soukup touchdown run. Southern then forced another interception and eventually extended their lead to put the game away. Wyatt Morris led Southern with 16 carries for 152 yards and 2 TDs. Ryan Exline added 11 carries for 49 yards and 2 TDs. Colton Soukup finished with 6 carries for 43 yards and 2 TDs. 

Southern will advance to the quarterfinals in Division VII, Region 25 to face off with the top-ranked Warren JFK Eagles next Saturday. Don’t miss it on YSN!

*Contributed By YSN’s Brendan Miller

WARRIORS COOL OFF STRUTHERS TO GET INTO ANOTHER REGIONAL SEMIFINAL

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BELOIT OH- The West Branch football team kept things rolling Friday night with a 54-35 win over the Struthers Wildcats in the second round of the division 4 region 13 playoffs. Coach Tim Cooper now improves his playoff record to 2-0 in his first season at the helm for West Branch.

 

The Warriors were hitting on all cylinders early on when Boston Mulinix scored on a 1-yard touchdown. Just a few minutes later after forcing a Struthers punt, Dru Deshields hooked up with Freshman Jeremiah Thomas on a 23-yard strike for six points making the score 12-0. Struthers would not go away, answering right back on a long 73-yard touchdown run from Anthony Carter to cut the Warriors lead to 12-7.

 

The next drive West Branch was faced with a fourth down. Deshields and Martig connected for the conversion. Later that drive Deshields tossed a 22-yard score to Michael Kanagy extending the score to 20-7. Struthers was able to put together another quality drive resulting in a touchdown making the score 20-14. Unfortunately Struthers was not able to stop the balanced Warrior attack on the night.

 

Warrior running back Boston Mulinix eclipsed the 1,000 yard rushing mark on the season with a 179 yard performance last night. Quarterback Dru Deshields has thrown for over 3,00 yards for the second straight season. West Branch moves on to play 13th seeded Akron Buchtel next Saturday. Where the game will be played is yet TBA. Struthers ended their fantastic season at 7-5.

 

Passing:

Dru Deshields- 26/42, 384 YDS, 4 TDS

 

Rushing:

Boston Mulinix- 30 CAR, 179 YDS, 2 TDS

Dru Deshields- 4 CAR, 18 YDS, 1 TD

Garin Harlin- 2 CAR, 5 YDS, 1 TD

 

Receiving:

Anthony Perry- 7 REC, 147 YDS

Joey Jackson- 4 REC, 34 YDS, 1 TD

Christian Martig- 8 REC, 89 YDS, 1 TD

Michael Kanagy- 4 REC, 74 YDS, 1 TD

Jeremiah Thomas- 2 REC, 31 YDS, 1 TD

*Contributed By YSN’s Michael Ginocchi