The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Rangers lead Eagles; game postponed
The North Ridgeville Rangers have a 7-0lead against the North Olmsted Eagles. The game was postponed and will be picked back up at 3p.m., Sept. 14at North Ridgeville.
Just as the North Ridgeville offense was beginning to hum, black clouds started to form over their football stadium.
Soon there was lightning and torrential rains moving in from the west, and within 90 minutes the Rangers’ Southwestern Conference clash with North Olmsted was postponed Sept. 13. The game will start back up at 3 p.m., Sept. 14.
Prior to the meteorological misfortune, the Rangers (0-2, 0-1) got off to a hot start, marching 80 yards in six plays on the game’s opening drive and scoring on senior quarterback Tyler Richmond’s 23-yard run. When the game was called off, the Rangers still led the Eagles (1-1, 1-0) 7-0 with the second quarter about to begin.
In two drives, the Rangers surpassed 100 rushing yards, led by Richmond (5 carries, 77 yards) and fellow senior Shane Swindig (839). The early lead marked the first time they were able to score on their opening drive, and also counted as their first lead of the season.
“We moved the ball and finished off a drive,” Rangers coach Luke Durbin said. “It was a really good
play. Shane Swindig, Tyler Richmond, they did some good things and executed. The offensive line blocked really good. And obviously we’ve got three more quarters tomorrow, and you can’t be happy being up 7-0 after one quarter.”
Richmond got the start under center in place of usual starter Caden Masterson, who’d been nursing a sore back for much of the week. He played briefly during the team’s second drive, which stalled after three straight penal
ties knocked them 30 yards away from a first down.
Richmond was 1-for-2 passing with a 23-yard completion to Mason Grow.
“North Ridgeville came out with some new stuff on offense, some new personnel,” Eagles coach Tim Brediger said. “It catches you by surprise for a play or two, but you just have to respond and react and, unfortunately, we didn’t do that on the first drive. On the second drive we did. We settled down. And that’s kind of how it’s been
all year.”
In two North Olmsted drives, the Ranger defense was strong against the run, holding the Eagles to -8 total yards in seven plays. Cam Bellamy was their leading rusher, with two yards on a single carry.
“(The defense) was flying around, I think they had a couple sacks, played the run real well, and caused a lot of problems right now,” Durbin said. “But we’ve got to come back out and pick it up.”
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