The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Titans dominate in all phases of game
Pick-six and punt return TD help Lorain notch six win in a row
Lorain’s stars shined in every aspect of the game Oct. 6 as the Titans scored on offense, defense and special teams for a complete win against visiting Warrensville Heights, 39-6, on Oct. 6. It was the Titans’ sixth win in a row.
Before the crowd could take a seat after kickoff, Lorain was already on the board, thanks
to a pair of 29-yard runs by sophomore Daylin Dower, the second ending in the end zone. He finished with 180 yards.
Dower scored on the Titans’ next possession and before the Tigers knew what hit them, Lorain was already in control 140. “It started with the front five. Every week it starts with the front line, when they get going, I get going and it’s hard to stop us when they get going,” Dower said. “The game plan was just to ground and pound, ground and pound it every play. (QB Justin) Sturgill did a really (good) job executing and the line did a real good job blocking.”
The Lorain defense decided to join the end zone party as Tyshawn Lighty picked off a
pass ran it back 77 yards for a TD to extend the Titan lead to 21-0 in the first quarter.
Getting stuck in second gear for the rest of the first half, Lorain flipped to the last few pages of the playbook for something special to get the offense jumpstarted. Faking a dive to Dower, Stugill flipped the ball to the fastest man around in Zion Cross on a reverse as he sprinted 20 yards to the house for a 27-0 lead.
On the next possession, the Titans called the same play, but with Lighty receiving the flip this time. Lighty got wrapped up about 14 yards behind the line of scrimmage, but never gave up on the play and broke out of two tackles, shifted field to the right side and burned the entire Warrensville Heights defense for a 36-yard touchdown run that was more like 50 yards.
“The dude was going for my leg and he stopped because he thought I was tackled and the other dude tried to strip the ball,” Lighty said. “I just pulled it and they slipped off and I slipped under them and I was just gone.”
Lorain rode the wave of momentum the rest of the way to close it out. Dakota Mincy added a hard-fought 61-yard punt return for a touchdown that left a sea of Tigers in his wake.
“I was real happy with the game. It was a great win,” coach Dave McFarland said. “I was unhappy with the complacency (of) our offensive line. Offensively we got a little complacent there in the second quarter.
“Our kids play hard. We’re physical. Our defense is improving every week and I still think you win championships with a great defense.”
“It’s nice to see the unselfishness of our playmakers,” McFarland said. “Our guys are stepping up and little things like punt returns and stuff like that. ... We weren’t doing that a year ago.”