Rangers cruise past Blue Streaks, as lights go out on home side
· Yahoo Sports
MADISON — The lights may have gone out on the field Thursday night at Madison High School, but the North Rangers left Dick Hamblin Stadium with their season still shining bright.
North improved to 8-0 overall, 5-0 in the Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division after a 37-7 win over the Blue Streaks. The Blue Streaks dropped to 2-6 and 0-4.
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At the 3:56 mark of the first quarter, the light towers on the home side of the field completely went out with the game still scoreless.
After a short break in the action, both coaches and game officials agreed to continue the game with just the two light towers on the visiting side illuminating the field.
“That was new, and credit to [Madison coach Mike] Gilligan and his staff for continuing to play,” North coach Shawn Dodd said. “ We sure didn't want to have to come back out again.”
Gilligan also wanted to complete the game.
"We decided to play and it's a good thing because they did not come back on,” Gilligan said as both teams played in dim lights and shadows the rest of the way.
When play continued, North asserted its ground game running took command. The Rangers scored on their next three drives to take a 22-0 lead into halftime.
North back Josh Fenick scored on a 2-yard run and followed it with a two-point conversion on the first drive to the second half. That increased the lead to 30-0 and forced a running clock the second half.
North finished with 251 yards rushing and did not attempt a pass out of its single wing offense.
“North is a good football team and big and physical at every position” Gilligan said.
Gilligan chose to see the lights as half-on after the game despite the lopsided score.
“We had seven sophomores and one freshman out there playing so that happens due to injury,” he said.
Sophomore tailback JJ Henton gave the homecoming crowd something to cheer for, scoring a 9-yard touchdown run with 7:13 remaining in the game.
Henton, filling in for injured tailbacks Anthony Telenko and Jacob Bystry, finished with 83 yards rushing on 18 carries.
Sophomore quarterback Lucian Kingus completed 9 of his 21 passes for 133 yards, including 89 to senior wide receiver Kam Wilson.
Gilligan hopes to end the season on a good note.
“We want to finish strong and on a positive note for sure,” Gilligan said. “I don't know who were are going to have available next week, but we just have to finish strong and hopefully get a couple of wins.”
Madison (2-6 overall, 0-4) will try for its first CVC win Friday, going to Lutheran West.
North, on the other hand, is now set for its huge CVC Lake showdown that same night.
Both the Rangers and Rebel will put their undefeated seasons on the line, as the winner will secure at least a share of the CVC Lake championship.
“These are high school kids, and we want to enjoy this one,” Dodd said. “Everyone knows what’s at stake next week.”