The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
LHS Titans getting back on track in LEL opener
Lorain trounces Toledo Scott, faces formidable Heights squad in LEL opener
It’s been an up-and-down season thus far for the Lorain Titans, and last week’s 66-0 victory over Toledo Scott can definitely go in the up category. After all, Lorain held a 36-0 lead after one quarter and expanded that to 60-0 at halftime.
“Toledo Scott was outmanned, like we’ve been outmanned a couple times this year,” Lorain coach Dave McFarland said. “Physically, they just couldn’t match up. So, for us it was about, can we play good, clean, disciplined
football? Can we execute if we focus in on really doing things right? We did, and I was really proud of that.”
Tyshawn Lighty and Daylin Dower led the way for the 2-3 Titans. Lighty caught four passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns and also returned an interception 65 yards for a score. Dower carried the ball four times but gained 102 yards and scored twice.
The Titans were in a position where they could do whatever they wanted on the field. But the gaudy stats are not what made McFarland smile. Instead, it was something that his team didn’t do.
“The thing that was nice about that game was that we had zero penalties,” he said. “We talked about controlling ourselves and playing good, clean football as far as execution and turnovers and penalties, and we did a great job with it.”
Playing with control was especially relevant, as the Titans were without several players who were suspended the previous week for leaving the bench when a fight broke out on the field in a game against Clarkson Secondary School of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
The game ended right then, with Clarkson being declared the winner.
McFarland didn’t want to talk about the Clarkson game, simply saying, “It’s over.” He added that the Titans are looking forward to this week’s Lake Erie League opener against visiting Cleveland Heights.
“We start conference play this week, and the kids are looking forward to that,” he said. “When you go into the conference
it’s like a whole new year.”
It’s a tough place for Lorain to start, as the Tigers are regarded as one of the better teams in the Cleveland area and sit in 11th in Division I, Region 1 with a 4-1 record. Cleveland Heights is led by quarterback Bay Harvey, a transfer from Switzerland.
“They’re really good,” McFarland said. “They’ve got some really good players. I know they have some
kids from last year who were outstanding, and they have a transfer quarterback who is very, very good. They have great speed and size. Obviously, they have some good things going for them. We talked before the Scott game, that to win down the stretch we’re going to have to pay attention to detail and not make mistakes. For us to have a chance in the Cleveland Heights game we have to play mistake-free.”