Keystone Clinches The First Lorain County League Title; Wildcats Top Wellington 41-7

By Asa Haslage

LAGRANGE, OHIO – The visiting Wellington Dukes came to battle the Keystone Wildcats in a game where lots of implications were at hand.

Keystone battling for a top playoff spot, Wellington also looking for a playoff spot, and Keystone for the inaugural Lorain County League title. Both teams‘ fans filled up the stands very well, despite the very cold weather.

Keystone scored on their first offensive drive, with a Dylan Naylor rushing TD, his 6th of the year, making the score 6-0 Keystone.

Wellington wasn’t too far behind, scoring on a 10 yard Nick Laposky TD making the score 7-6 Wellington. Keystone then scored again, this time a Shackleford brother connection, a 52 yard passing TD.

The score now 13-7 Keystone, a back and forth matchup early in the game.

To start the second quarter, Keystone put together a 5 play 79 yard drive ending with another Naylor rushing TD making the score 20-7 Keystone.

As we approached halftime, Keystone kept rolling on offense, with once again, Naylor scoring a rushing TD, making the score 28-7 Keystone after a 2 point conversion.

Keystone altogether looked very good in the 2nd quarter, with a Dominic Torok interception giving Keystone even more momentum than they already had.

Not too long after the first interception, this time it was Ryne Shackelford intercepting another one of Wellington QB CJ Polen’s passes.

As we entered the 2nd half, it was obvious what Keystone’s game plan was, feed Naylor the ball and run the clock out, Keystone owned time of possession in the 3rd quarter.

Jacob Shackleford ran the score up even further, with a 20 yard TD run, stretching the Keystone lead to 34-7. Dylan Naylor, with 1:41 left in the 3rd, intercepted Polen’s pass and almost took it to the house, but was brought down inside the 5 yard line.

As the 4th quarter started, Wellington showed they weren’t going down easy, forcing turnovers to try and get something going for them offensively.

But eventually, Keystone got the ball back, and it was Naylor scoring number 4 on the ground making the score 41-7, insuring the running clock rule. Dylan Naylor had an incredible game, 4 TDS, and 1 INT, along with his 6th 100 yard rushing game of the season, and with Clearview’s 20-19 win over Black River, Keystone clinched the first ever Lorain County League title.