The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Bengals take OT thriller
In overtime, Benedictine receiver Devon Fox (8) catches a touchdown pass in the back of the end zone which had deflected off a fellow receiver in front of NDCL defender Josh Peroni (5). The Bengals won, 31-24. Lions. Malone’s two-yard score put NDCL ahead, 7-0.
Demchuk threw the first of his three touchdown passes, a 26-yard completion to Michael Williams, to tie the game, 7-7, by halftime.
NDCL’s Zach Urda intercepted a pass early in the third quarter. Charles Forbes scored from the one for a 14-7 NDCL lead.
Demchuk found Fox for a 69-yard score to again tie the score.
Forbes’ 56-yard touchdown pass to Alec Roberts put NDCL ahead, 2114, headed to the fourth quarter.
Fox recovered a Lions fumble and returned it 85 yards to tie the game, 21-21.
Benedictine forced a punt with less than two minutes to play, but muffed the return, which gave NDCL the ball in Bengals’ territory with 1:38 to play. Gabe Brkic gave the Lions a late 24-21 lead when his 47-yard field goal sailed through a headwind with 39 seconds to play.
Demchuk and the Benedictine offense gained 52 yards in 38 seconds to set up Shuran’s field goal with a second to play.
Top players
NDCL » Malone carried 23 times for 127 yards and a touchdown. BENEDICTINE » Demchuk completed 17 of 35 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat attack
BENEDICTINE »
303 yards NDCL » 335 yards
They said it
BENEDICTINE COACH CARTER WELO » “I told Ivan get ready to kick, and he stepped up, hit the crossbar, and it went in. That’s a team that’s going to go deep in the playoffs and win a lot more games.” NDCL COACH ANDREW MOONEY » “I told our guys at halftime we would have to come out and answer the bell every drive. It’s a tough, hard game against a tough, hard team. It doesn’t change the goals we have and it’s a great learning lesson for us.”
Up next
NDCL travels to Walsh Jesuit on Oct. 6. Benedictine hosts Lake Catholic.