FALCONS MAKE A STATEMENT

EUCLID OH- Looking to avenge their 27-42 loss almost a year ago, the Austintown Fitch Falcons headed north to face off against the Cleveland Benedictine Bengals at Euclid High School.

After receiving the opening kick, the Falcons immediately went to work. Almost 8 minutes and 14 plays into the game, quarterback Devin Sherwood got his boys on the board first, curtesy a 14-yard touchdown scamper.

While the Falcons first scoring drive was perfectly sustained, they have the ability to strike quickly as well. On their very first offensive play of the second quarter, Sherwood connected with senior Nate Leskovac for a 66-yard touchdown, boosting the Falcon lead to 14-0.

Already ahead by two scores, Fitch could smell blood in the water. Thanks to the alignment of the Bengals on the ensuing kickoff, Head coach T.J. Parker gave the green light for an onside kick, and his special teams unit produced.

Taking over on the Benedictine 46, Sherwood’s offense looked to strike again. The Falcons needed just 7 plays from plus territory to get into the endzone and make it a three-score game off Sherwood’s 29-yard pass to a wide-open Todd Simons in the front of the endzone.

With the score standing at 20-0, after a failed fake field goal by Fitch on the extra point, quarterback Ronnie Schultz and the Benedictine Bengals would start their drive at their own 25. With the first sign of life seen by the Bengals all night long, a mix of air and ground attack pushed the Bengals down to the Fitch 1 yard line before running back, Duane Jackson, was able to power it in for the score.

Back to a two-score game, the Falcons needed a little under 3 minutes to respond. In just 8 plays, T.J. Parker’s high powered offense was back into the endzone with Nate Leskovac now doing it himself with a 4-yard touchdown run from a wildcat formation, pushing the score to 28-7 after Fitch went for and converted their 2 point conversion.

Coming out of the half and trailing by 3 scores, Benedictine needed to strike quickly, and they did. Just 1 minute and 35 seconds into the half, Duane Jackson had his second rushing touchdown of the game from 4 yards out.

Unfortunately for the Bengals, their scoring would end, there while the Falcons were just getting started. Another Nate Leskovac touchdown run from a wildcat set, this time from 1 yard out pushed the lead back out to 3 scores with just 3 minutes and 43 second remaining in the third quarter. Then Sherwood’s final touchdown pass of the evening to Tyler Evans from 15 yards out would put a cap on the scoring for the night, moving the score to 42-14.

BIG PERFORMERS

Austintown-Fitch:

Devin Sherwood: 16 completions on 27 attemptsfor 262 yards, 16 carries 81 yards, 3 total TDs

Todd Simons: 6 catches 111 yards 1 TD

Nate Leskovac: 2 catches 72 yards, 5 carries 13 yards 3 total TDs

Cleveland Benedictine:

Duane Jackson: 14 carries 94 yards 2 TDs

Andre Rodgers: 7 carries 50 yards

UP NEXT

Fitch: T.J. Parker and his men will head home to take on Coach Reno and his Steubenville Big Red (3-1).

Benedictine:  It’s been a tough schedule for the Bengals and it doesn’t get any easier in week 6, the Bengals will plays host to Saint Ed’s (3-1) on Friday night.

*Contributed By YSN’s Jamie Thomson