The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
High school football»Week 5 games to watch
ROCKY RIVER AT ELYRIA CATHOLIC
What: Great Lakes Conference game
When: 7 p.m., Sept. 17 Where: Dan Reaser Stadium Records: Rocky River 2-2, Elyria Catholic 3-1
Last year: DNP
For the record: After some confusion as to what games count in the race to make the Great Lakes Conference championship in Week 10, we have our answer. Only games between teams in the same division count for seeding in the division, meaning this is the first game that counts for both of these sides. … Two of the area’s best running backs will go head to head in this one as Rocky River’s Tommy Bebie and Elyria Catholic’s Levi Ellis anchor their side’s offensive attacks. Both also star on defense, as their teams leading tacklers. … This game might come down to whichever team has the ball last. The Panthers have scored 60-plus points in a game this year and the Pirates have an offense that seems primed to breakout at some point.
AVON AT ELYRIA
What: Southwestern Conference game
When: 7 p.m., Sept. 17 Where: Mercy Health Field at Ely Stadium
Records: Avon 2-2, Elyria 3-1
Last year: DNP
For the record: Elyria’s opening salvo in the SWC didn’t go as planned as the Pioneers fell to BereaMidpark in Week 4. The Pioneers’ defense shut down an explosive Berea-Midpark offense but didn’t get much on offense. That’s been a common theme so far in the first four weeks of the year. In Week 1it took almost three whole quarters for the Pioneers offense to hit on a big play. When they did, it launched them to a win. The same happened in Week 3against Lorain. It wasn’t
until Andrew Palos scored on a long touchdown pass that the Pioneers started to take over. … Avon enters at 2-2for the first time in over a decade. The Eagles dropped their Week 4 game in what was a surprisingly lopsided — until the fourthquarter — loss to Avon Lake. Mike Elder’s squad is led by a strong defense and one of the area’s most dynamic runners in Jakorion Caffey. In the loss to Avon Lake, Caffey ran for 115 yards and a score while catching two second-half touchdowns that got the Eagles back in the game late. … The matchup to watch here is Caffey against the Elyria front seven. Isaiah Johnson is one of the area’s best linebackers in the middle of the Elyria defense meaning he and Caffey should meet more than a few times. If Elyria can find big plays early, this should be a very close game.
NORTH RIDGEVILLE AT OLMSTED FALLS
What: Southwestern Conference game
When: 7 p.m., Sept. 17 Where: Vitamix Field at Charles A. Harding Memorial Stadium
Records: North Ridgeville 3-1, Olmsted Falls 3-1
Last year: Olmsted Falls 47,
North Ridgeville 16
For the record: To say North Ridgeville’s 3-1start under a first-year head coach with a very young roster is surprising would be a huge understatement. But here the Rangers are, entering their second Southwestern Conference game of the season on a three-game winning streak — their first since 2015. They’ve done it with a strong running game — Dom Farago has back-to-back games with over 140-yards on the ground — and outstanding run defense. The Rangers run defense held Amherst’s Torre Weatherspoon to just 59yards last week and shut down — for the most part — one of Northeast Ohio’s best
backfield duos at Valley Forge. … That’ll be put to the test in Week 5as North Ridgeville travels to take on SWC stalwart Olmsted Falls and their triple-option offense. The Bulldogs have one of the area’s top allaround backs in Rocco Conti to go along with a stable of other talented runners. … This game should be a close one as the Rangers are a talented team, but unless they can find a way to stop the Bulldogs running attack — like Midview almost did last week — they’ll need to force turnovers or make every possession count on offense. That’s a lot to ask from a very young unit on that side of the ball.