The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
SOARING FALCONS
Firelands takes the field for its Week 3 game against Vermilion on Sept. 3. The Falcons soared to a 42-14 victory. High school football coverage
Firelands started the season off 0-2 and looked to get their season back on track.
In their home opener, they took care of business with a 42-14 win over the Vermilion Sailors in the Stillman Cup.
It took all three sides of the ball for Firelands to come out with the victory.
On offense, it was their running game. Led by running backs Corey Newark, Weston Strader, and quarterback Kyle Ransom. They combined for over 200 yards rushing and four rushing touchdowns.
“The offensive line today was amazing,” Newark said. Credit to them. They did a great job down the field and getting in the way , making good holes for us.”
Whenever Firelands needed a play to score points. Newark was there by scoring in the remaining minute before halftime and on a 75-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter after the Sailors scored. To make the score 34-14.
“meant a lot,” Newark said. “It felt great. It gave us a seal for the win. I couldn’t imagine a better feeling.”
The kickoff return for a touchdown occurred right after Vermilion’s Cole Groene scored from 11 yards out to make it a 2-possession game, shifting the momentum back to Firelands.
The defense was in Vermilion quarterback Ben Rini’s face all night. Especially in the second half. Strader sacked Rini multiple times in the second half, helping to give the Falcons better field position.
“Our kids responded in the second half,” Ryan O’Rourke said after the win. It was a close game at halftime… Not only is Strader good defensively, but he is grinding out some hard runs.”
One of those hard runs was a 1-yard touchdown run up the middle on their opening drive in the second half to extend their lead to 26-6.
Firelands scored on their first possession of the night, courtesy of the legs from their quarterback Kyle Ransom, who punched it in on a 7-yard touchdown run to take a 6-0 lead early.
Ransom finished as the Falcons leading rusher with 102 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The other touchdown was from 25 yards out off a scramble.
Vermilion was a holding call away from at least tying the game on their opening drive as Ben Rini connected with Ayden Bath for a 50yard catch and run.
When you’re playing football, you’re going to have setbacks every once in a while,” Vermilion coach Brett Colahan said. “You try and minimize that as much as you can. But, if they do happen, you have to be able to overcome them… Tonight wasn’t that night.”
The drive stalled after that, setting up a bad snap on the punt, giving the Falcons great field position.
The Falcons opportunity was squandered as running back Weston Strader fumbled the ball on the 1-yard line.
After Week 3, both teams have 1-2 records.
Next week, Firelands goes on the road for the third time this year to face Wellington, their first Lorain County Conference team team of the year. Vermilion will also go on the road to face Scott High school in Toledo.