Lake County Sentinel
South wins Civil War, topping North 27-7
BY JOEY SCHNEIDER
STAFF
(EASTLAKE, OH) - It was a tale of two halves in Nick Carter Stadium as The Eastlake North Rangers played host to rivals, the Willoughby South Rebels. North vs. South is always the game circled on each other’s calendars every year. Whether you call it the Border Battle, Civil War, or the Game of Games, it brings out pride in both schools and communities.
The stadium was packed on both sides. Both communities showed up in droves. Both student sections were big and loud. The teams both loose, and ready for the 65th meeting between the two schools, with South leading the series 33-29-1. North has only come out victorious twice in the last 20 years, one of those times being last year.
Kickoff was palpable, the crowds both going crazy as North received the ball first. South's senior defensive back Landon Brown intercepted in the ball in the first quarter setting up a 57-yard touchdown connection between the Rebel's sophomore quarterback Luke Jensen and junior wide receiver Marquez Lashley, giving Willoughby South the early lead.
The Rangers would answer the call and step up on the very next drive as senior running back Drake Martinez found a hole up middle, cut to the outside and took the ball 68 yards to even the score 7-7.
South's running back, junior Jayden Hardy, who has had a plethora of big runs this season would have another one, bouncing to the outside and out running the Rangers 48 yards for South's second score of the first quarter.
Both defenses would hunker down in the early parts of the second quarter. With 3:48 left in the half, South's sophomore linebacker Scotty Balash intercepted the ball over the middle of the field and ran it all the way down to North's ten-yard line. Three plays later Maquez Lashley would take a reverse nine yards in the end zone for his second touchdown of the game and giving the Rebels the lead, 21-7.
South would again get the ball back this time on an interception by senior Mason Matriano with just 33 seconds left in the first half. South advanced the ball quickly with good throws by Luke Jensen finding open receivers culminating in a 30-yard pass to Marquez Lashley for another South touchdown. Lashley's third of the game. After the missed extra point, the Rebels would take a 27-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Both teams adjusted at the half as neither team wanted to give up another score. Eastlake would lock down South the entire second half. The Rebels would do the same.
The Rangers had three long drives in the second half that would end the same way, with South's defense snuffing out each drive on a fourth down.
The Rebels would again stop the Rangers on a fourth and long with 2:32 left in the game. After Jayden Hardy picked up a first down, the Rebels went into victory formation and ended the game with a final score of 27-7.
After the game South's head coach Matt Duffy was asked about the big plays in the first half. "Those big points early, we got a big one from Marquez (Lashley), and a big one from Jayden Hardy. We really got the momentum and stuck with it" he said. He then added "You got to give credit to them because they did some things defensively to keep us out of the end zone and you just have to give credit to them for how they finished."
Willoughby South (3-5) will be at home next week taking on a very tough team in the Kenston Bombers (5-3). Eastlake North (3-5) will again be at home also taking on a great team with the Chardon Hilltoppers (5-2) coming into town.
POSTED 10/12/2024 00:56
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Photo by Joey Schneider
