Bulldogs Pull Away From Rangers 43-20

The student section had a "patriotic" theme...lots of red, white, and blue.  

The Friday, September 9th football game at First Federal Lakewood Stadium was back-and-forth thriller for most of the game, but Olmsted Falls eventually pulled away from the Rangers for a 43-20 win. The game had some similarities to last week, with the Rangers showing some offensive firepower in the first half…but then unable to sustain momentum in the second half.

After an exchange of punts, Olmsted Falls took the lead on its second drive of the game. Senior Andrew Turski ran in a 19 yard touchdown for the Bulldogs, giving them a 7-0 lead with 6:18 left in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, the Rangers tied the game with a 30 yard touchdown pass from Austin Mahar to junior receiver Dayvon Hanible. The play capped an impressive 86 yard drive, where Lakewood mixed quality runs from back Quentin Palmer with efficient passing from quarterback Mahar.  

Olmsted Falls quickly retook the lead, answering on a five yard touchdown run by Turski with 8:43 left in the first half. Lakewood responded with another beautiful drive, going 80 yards on 13 plays to score a touchdown with 4:51 left in the second quarter. The drive, which included key running plays by Palmer and sophomore running back Will Adams, was capped by a one-yard run by Mahar. However, the extra point was no good, so the Bulldogs held a 14-13 lead. Olmsted Falls went on an impressive touchdown drive, stretching their lead to 21-13 on a four yard touchdown run by quarterback Brett Hutkay.

This is when the Rangers put together their best offensive drive of the season. Mahar moved the Rangers down the field with  passes to Adams, Palmer, and senior Nick Bamin. They got the ball to the Bulldogs six yard line with just seconds left in the half. ON a critical third down play, Palmer carried the ball into the endzone with seven seconds left to make the game 21-20. The 80 yard touchdown drive took only one minute and three seconds.

The Lakewood crowd, which included the patriotically-themed student section, was energized at the  half. The Rangers had scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives, and were going to receive the opening kick of the second half. Lakewood seemed in a good position to take the lead and really knock the favored Bulldogs onto their heels.

It was not to be. Lakewood turned the ball over on the second play of their ensuing possession, and Olmsted Falls quickly cashed in. They scored a TD with 8:34 left in the third, making it 28-20 Bulldogs. Although still a one score game, much of the momentum and energy was drained. The eight point lead stood at the end of three quarters, as the Rangers were unable to sustain another scoring drive. The Bulldogs pulled away in the fourth quarter, as their 244 pound running Spencer Linville wore down the Rangers defense for the rest of the game. Olmsted Falls added a couple late scores, making the final margin 43-20.

Lakewood (0-3) is on the road for its next two games, including a visit to Avon Lake next Friday, September 16.  The Shoremen enter the game at 2-1, coming off a victory over Westlake. Gametime is set for 7 p.m.  

Mike Deneen

Mike Deneen has extensive experience covering sports and community stories for the Lakewood Observer. Mike has been a Senior Industry Analyst for the Freedonia Group in Cleveland, Ohio, since 1998. He has appeared on CNBC’s Closing Bell, NPR’s MarketPlace and has been quoted multiple times in The Wall Street Journal. He has made multiple guest appearances on ESPN Cleveland radio. Mike also writes for Inside Northwestern, a website that covers Northwestern Wildcat Athletics. You can reach him on Twitter at @MikeDeneen1 

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Volume 12, Issue 19, Posted 10:53 PM, 09.09.2016