Eagles Defeat Euclid 42-7 in Playoff Opener

Eagles celebrate their 42-7 win over Euclid.

St. Edward eliminated Euclid High School from the OHSAA football playoffs Friday night at First Federal Stadium. A 48 yard touchdown pass from Eagle quarterback Kevin Kramer to wide receiver Damerisse Freeman broke open a close 14-7 game in the final minute of the first half.  St. Edward went on to win 42-7, and advances to play Stow-Munroe Falls next Friday.

                Euclid entered the game winning four of its last five games, and fiery head coach Jeff Rotsky had his team ready to go. They took the opening kickoff and went on a ten play drive into St. Edward territory.  However, a batted pass was intercepted by Eagle linebacker Mitchell O’Hara, stopping the drive at the St. Edward 24 yard line. The Panther defense came out with intensity, forcing a “three and out” on the first St. Edward possession. The Eagles seemed flustered in the early going, reminiscent of their season-ending loss to St. Ignatius at First Energy Stadium.

                St. Edward settled down midway through the first period, forcing a Euclid punt and then driving 67 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Running back Curtis Szelesta keyed the drive, with carries of 20 and 15 yards. He scored the touchdown via a 15 yard pass reception with 2:02 left in the first quarter, giving the Eagles a 7-0 lead.  After Euclid punted on the ensuing drive, the Eagles struck quickly, as Kramer hit senior wide receiver Kordell Hoover to make the score 14-0 with 9:20 left in the second quarter.   

                Euclid got some traction midway in the second quarter, forcing a St. Edward fumble at the Eagles 30 yard line. They cashed in the opportunity with a 10 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Noah Mitchell  to wide receiver Ramone Collins. The touchdown cut the lead to 14-7 with 4:18 left in the first half. The Panthers forced a “three and out” on the next Eagle possession, grabbing the game’s momentum. They had the ball at their own 40 yard line with 2:28 left in the second quarter, and had hopes of further cutting into the lead. The St. Edward defense rose to the occasion, forcing a quick “three and out” with two incomplete passes. This forced a Euclid punt back to the Eagles with 1:33 left  on the clock. The Eagles went to work, and the Kramer to Freeman touchdown made the score 21-7 at the half.

                St. Edward pulled away during the second half, using running backs Jordan Castleberry and Seth Burke to wear down the Panthers defense. The Eagle defense was able to contain Euclid’s dynamic playmaker De’Quan Pruitt, keeping him out of the endzone for the entire game. The final 42-7 margin came on a one yard Kevin Kramer touchdown run with 8:59 left in the fourth quarter. They play was set up on an interception by Eagle linebacker Kevin Dever at the Panther 17 yard line.

                St. Edward (now 8-2 on the season) will face Stow-Munroe Falls next Friday at a site to be determined. The Bulldogs, who went 9-1 in the regular season, advanced by defeating Canton McKinley 35-10 in a first-round game at Stow.        

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 24, Posted 11:09 PM, 11.04.2016