Ranger Rally Falls Short; Lakewood Falls 28-27 in Thriller

Coach Ribar speaks to the team after the heartbreaking 28-27 loss to North Olmsted.

What started out as a lopsided game turned into a nail-biter between the Lakewood and North Olmsted football teams. Lakewood stormed back from a 28-0 first half deficit to nearly pull off one of the biggest comebacks in program history. The Rangers showed tremendous heart and effort, but were unable to notch their first win of the season.

The game started very poorly for Lakewood, which played without key defensive starters Kevin Musai (injured) and Blake Setta (one game suspension). The Eagles quickly exploited the Ranger defense, scoring touchdowns on each of its first four offensive possessions. To make matters worse, the Ranger offense failed to sustain any drives, resulting in a 28-0 North Olmsted lead halfway through the second quarter. The Eagles dominated every aspect of the game, with senior running back Christopher Jones scoring three touchdowns with over 100 rushing yards in the first half. It seemed a mere formality that North Olmsted would extend the lead to thirty points, thereby enacting the OHSAA “running clock” rule and allowing the Homecoming crowd to go home early to watch the Indians baseball game on television.

However, the Rangers settled down on both sides of the ball. The defense stopped North Olmsted on its final two drives of the first half,  keeping the margin within 30. The Rangers received the second half kickoff, and the offense put together one of its best drives of the season. They drove 63 yards on 15 plays, capped by a five yard touchdown run from Joe Byczek. The drive took over six minutes, but it cut the lead to 28-7. Eagle fans realized that the running clock was not going to kick in, but they still felt comfortable with the lead.

North Olmsted failed to move the ball on its next drive, then attempted a fake punt from its own 25 yard line. Ranger senior Sean Wiggins snuffed out the attempt, giving the Rangers great field position at the Eagle 29 yard line. Six plays later, senior running back Quentin Palmer ran in a six yard touchdown to cut the lead to 28-14 with 1:35 left in the third quarter. Ranger fans were beginning to sense a momentum change, as Palmer began wearing down the North Olmsted defense during the second half. Junior defensive lineman Jared Naida stepped on the next Eagle possession, getting a big sack and helping senior Tommy Paul to stop another fake punt attempt. That turnover gave the ball to Lakewood at the North Olmsted 45 yard line. After a couple of hard Quentin Palmer runs, quarterback Austin Mahar hit Sean Wiggins with a 29 yard touchdown pass. Junior kicker Attila Nagy made his third extra point kick of the night, cutting the lead to 28-21 with  8:40 left in the game. With each score, Ranger fans and players gained more confidence, and the energy level rose with each play. The Eagle fans that previously expected the “running clock” were now just hoping to escape with a win.   

After giving up a few first downs, the Ranger defense held on the next drive, forcing a North Olmsted punt. The Eagles made a beautiful punt, forcing the Rangers to start the next drive from their own 5 yard line. Ranger quarterback Mahar faced an Elway-size challenge, trying to move 95 yards to tie the game with only 3:37 left on the clock. Lakewood quickly moved down the field, first with a 37 yard pass from Mahar to Wiggins on a key third down. Three plays later, Mahar threw a pass to Palmer, who carried the ball (and some Eagle defenders) 38 yards to the North Olmsted three yard line.  On the next play, Palmer scored a three yard touchdown, making the score 28-27 with 1:55 left in the game.  Ranger fans went berserk, jumping and screaming louder than any point during the season.

Rather than attempt an extra point to tie the game, Coach Mike Ribar chose to run a two point conversion play to take the lead. It was a bold call, but understandable since Lakewood was riding a wave of momentum. Mahar took the snap, then attempted a Tebow-style “jump pass” into the endzone, but the play was broken up. The Rangers trailed 28-27, but weren’t dead yet. They attempted an onside kick, but the Eagles recovered it at the 50 yard line. The Ranger defense came up big again, forcing another punt with less than a minute to go.

The Rangers had one last chance to take the lead. They started their final drive at their own 40 yard line with 23 seconds left to go in the game. They hit their first pass play to Wiggins, moving the ball into Eagle territory with 16 seconds left. Fans were on the edge of their seats, waiting to see if the Rangers had another big play left. Mahar completed his next pass, but the attempted lateral was fumbled and North Olmsted got the ball back with 11 seconds to go. They held on for the win, giving Eagle fans a sigh of relief.

Lakewood fell to 0-5 with the loss, and now looks to Friday’s home game against Avon. The 7 p.m. kickoff is part of Lakewood High School’s Homecoming celebration, which will include the annual Homecoming Parade. Avon will be the first of back-to-back home games, as the Rangers will host Westlake on October 7 at First Federal Lakewood Stadium.

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 20, Posted 12:00 AM, 09.24.2016