SOUTH RANGE CRUISES TO NE8 TITLE

HUBBARD, Ohio – On the finale of the regular season, Hubbard and South Range faced off to decide the NE8 conference champion. The Eagles needed to win to grab at least a share of the conference title, partnered by a Poland loss would have given them the outright championship. All South Range needed was to beat Hubbard to secure their first NE8 Football title, and they did it in style.

From the start, the Raiders looked to attack. After winning the toss, the Raiders elected to receive and only needed 7 plays to get on the board. On a drive that saw big gains from junior running back Dylan Dominguez and senior quarterback Michael Patrone, Dominguez was able to punch it in from 13 yards out just a little over two minutes into the game.

Hubbard, set to start their drive at the Eagle 31-yard line, marched out their third starting quarterback in three weeks. Following injuries to first string Kobe Krisuk and backup Evan Jarvis, sophomore Nik Hendrix got the start week 5 against Poland. With Jarvis back in the lineup this week, he was now tasked with the quarterback duties.

Unfortunately for Jarvis, things got off to a rocky start. On the third play of the drive, Jarvis’ first pass of the game was intercepted and set the Raiders up at the Hubbard 33.

Four minutes after his first score, Dominquez was able to find the endzone again, this time from 7 yards out, increasing the Raider lead to 14. Hubbard already trailing by two scores needed to produce on their second drive of the game, and who else to turn to but T.C. Caffey. On the first play of the drive, all Jarvis needed to do was give the ball to Caffey and watch him work. Bouncing it out to the left before snapping a defender off with an impressive spin move, Caffey had nothing but green in front of him on his way to a 67-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 14-7.

Just as Hubbard got their first bit of momentum, South Range struck fast to rip the rug right out from the Eagles. Responding to Caffey’s big run, Dominguez took one of his own runs up the far sideline into the endzone from 68 yards out.

Following a Hubbard three and out, South Range moved the ball down the field at will. The Raiders went 65 yards in 6 plays, capping their drive with a 28-yard jet sweep to pay dirt from senior Luke Blasko.

Trailing by three scores, Hubbard was in desperation mode and not looking to go away easily. The Eagles attacked the edges of the South Range defense, hitting them again and again with the outside run. Brant Boraweic would put an exclamation point on Hubbard’s first sustaineddrive of the game on a jet sweep from 26 yards out, bring the score to 28-14.

On the Raider ensuing possession, Dominguez would put the ball on the ground, allowing Hubbard to take over at the Raider 32. This was the Eagle’s time to strike and make it a one-score game prior to halftime, but instead would go three and out and allow South Range to march down the field and see Harley Novak put one through the uprights from 32 yards out going into the half.

While the first half saw these two teams trading blows, the second half was all South Range. Scoring on 2 of their first 3 drives of the half, the Raiders were able to expand their lead to 44-14 and put the running clock into effect. Having no answer for the South Range defensive line, Hubbard failed to put points on the board to stop the running clock.

*Last night was just the 2nd time in Hubbard’s history that the running clock has come into effect with them on the losing side. *

BIG PERFORMERS

South Range:

Dylan Dominguez: 18 carries 199 yards 3 TDs

Luke Blasko: 6 carries 117 yards 1 TD

Michael Patrone:​6 completions 11 attempts 73 yards 1 TD

                             ​6 carries 49 yards 1 TD

Hubbard:

T.C. Caffey: 10 carries 72 yards 1 TD

Evan Jarvis 7 carries 84 yards

UP NEXT

Hubbard: It’s a familiar foe for the Eagles next week. After being voted the #9 seed in Region 9, Hubbard will take on #24 Alliance (0-6). The Eagles and Aviators faced off both in 2018 and 2019. Hubbard won big in their first matchup, 63-13, but the Aviators were able to get revenge on their home turf last season, winning 17-13.

South Range:  Voted as the #2 seed in Region 17, the Raiders have a bye next week. They will await the winner of #15 Harrison Central (3-3) and #18 Rootstown (2-4).

*Contributed By YSN’s Jamie Thomson