Rocky River Tops Parma 31-13

This recap is presented by Setta Trophy.

Many players for the Redmen called this game a must-win before kickoff, but the Redmen came out sluggish in what was the biggest game to date in their push towards a possible playoff birth. Rocky River would put together multiple scoring drives in the first half, mostly lead by standout junior running back Dameon Crawford, who proved to be much more then the Redmen could handle on this chilly northeast Ohio evening.

Crawford would tally two of his three total rushing touchdowns in the first half as Rocky River used the running game to stifle Parma’s surprisingly talented offense. After a field goal and the two Crawford rushing touchdowns, Parma broke through as junior running back Mark Post scored on a three yard scamper to close the gap to 17-7.

However, before the half sophomore quarterback Michael Finnegan would not be denied as he also added a rushing touchdown to the Rocky River score, leading us to a 24-7 halftime mark.

Unfortunately for the Redmen, they would not have starting quarterback Kyle Lyon in the second half, as he came out on to the field in a walking boot and crutches, signaling his night as over. This forced in young sophomore quarterback and backup Justin Yates for the Redmen, who performed admirably despite being out matched by a tough Pirate defense.

After a short glimmer of hope from Bryson Durham, who ran in a one yard touchdown of his own for the Redmen to close the gap even further, Crawford broke out a monumental 52-yard touchdown run to put the game seemingly out of reach for the Redmen.

Though solid performances from Durham (13 carries, 72 yards and a touchdown) and senior captain Collin Leyden (50 yards receiving, 6 tackles, 2 interceptions), the Redmen could not find a way to stop Crawford, who would finish with 43 carries for 360 yards and three touchdown on the day for the Pirates. Both teams now sit at (5-3), and also have only one loss a piece in conference play.

The Redmen will travel to North Royalton next week to take on Holy Name in another key conference match up, while Rocky River will face Elyria Catholic, who is trying to rebound after a string of tough losses following a hot start. Both games are next Friday, with kickoffs set for 7:00 PM eastern.

This recap is brought to you by Setta Trophy.