Lake County Sentinel
Harvey earns first win with 42-0 shut out of Blue Devils
BY TIM SHIRER
SPORTS EDITOR
Friday night’s matchup at Jack Britt Stadium, also known as “The Britt,” featured the host Painesville Harvey Red Raiders (0-2) and the visiting Wickliffe Blue Devils. The Blue Devils picked up their first win of the season last week when they defeated the East Tech Scarabs 38-6. Harvey dropped their contest to the Jefferson Area High School Falcons 23-19.
Both teams are young. Harvey has 26 underclassmen on their roster which stands at 46 total players. The Blue Devils take the youth movement even farther as they have 31 players on their varsity roster and 19 are underclassman, eight of the 19 are freshman.
Harvey showed early and often in the first half that they were prepared to win their first game as they jumped on Wickliffe and cruised to a 42-0 win.
After both teams went three and out in their first possession Wickliffe got the ball back and looked like they were putting a drive together when Blue Devils Junior Shaun Derganc threw an interception to Harvey’s Tyshawn Vance at Harvey 45-yard line with 5:43 left in the first quarter. The Red Raiders took advantage driving down the field 55 yards on six plays capped off by a Vance 7-yard touchdown run with an extra point by Antonio Soto Rodriguez giving Harvey a 7-0 lead with 2:55 left in the first.
Once again as the second quarter began it looked like Wickliffe was putting a drive together moving to the Harvey 23-yard line when on the first play of the new quarter Derganc fumbled, and Harvey’s Davon Badley recovered. Harvey took possession at their own 16 with 11:52 remaining in the second quarter.
Just two plays later Badley broke free and galloped 81 yard to pay dirt giving the Red Raiders a 14-0 lead after Soto Rodriguez converted the extra point with 10:59 left on the 2nd quarter clock.
When things are going good, well you know the saying. That was the case for Harvey on Friday night as all three phases of their game looked good. After Wickliffe was once again unable to sustain a drive junior Noah Telisman (his first game for the Blue Devils) punted the football 36 yards, not a bad high school punt to the Harvey 28-yard line. That’s when Harvey senior quarterback/defensive back/punt returner Rick Coleman, Jr. took over returning the punt 72 yard to the endzone giving the Red Raiders a 21-0 lead with 8:41 left on the first half clock.
The final Red Raiders TD of the first half came with 4:08 left when Coleman, Jr. plowed through the Wickliffe defense from one yard out to give Harvey a 28-0 half time advantage.
The Red Raiders put 14 more point on two touchdowns on the board in the third quarter before Harvey Head Coach Mickey Mohner put in some second-string guys to finish the game. Junior Blaise Collins scored from three yards out with 8:37 left in the third quarter and sophomore Tyshawn Vance capped off the scoring with a 55-yard TD scamper with 1:43 left on the third quarter clock.
Mohner mentioned after the contest that he was happy that his guys played with more intensity tonight. He didn’t think he saw that as much in the first two games which resulted in losses.
Turnovers played a huge role in the game as Wickliffe turned it over four times (two fumbles, two interceptions) and the Red Raiders did not lose the ball by turnover at all.
Offensively due to the turnovers the Blue Devils could get nothing constituent together all night as their offense totaled 142 yards where the Red Raiders offense racked up 382 yards. 356 of Harvey’s yards were on the ground. Wickliffe did lose a key member of their defense senior Thomas Wenz who reinjured his knee and did not play in the second half.
Next week the Red Raiders will host the Crestwood Red Devils at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils will also be at home when they host the Fairport Harding Skippers (0-3) at Wickliffe Memorial Stadium also at 7 p.m.
tshirer@lakecountysentinel.com follow Tim on Twitter @TBBucsTim or follow us on Twitter @LCSentinelcom
POSTED 09/04/2021 00:00
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