Perry senior quarterback Walter Moses (11) uses a stiff-arm to pick up extra yards.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Sitting near the 20-yard line, with a spitting mist of rain falling from the air, the Streetsboro football team had their eyes locked on head coach Pete Thompson, who delivered his postgame thoughts to his group.

In the distance behind the Rockets’ leader was the scoreboard that told the story of the final chapter to a historic season.

Perry 45, Streetsboro 21.

It was an emotional farewell to what has been a memorable and record-setting season for the Rockets.

The Rockets’ Marcus Council powers across the goal line for Streetsboro’s first touchdown of the game during the second quarter on Friday.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

The Pirates snapped their undefeated run, with a combination of a precision-passing offense and a fast and physical defense in the Division IV Regional Semifinal showdown.

Even still, the Rockets pulled to within 24-21 late in the third quarter (3:23) and had the Pirates (12-1) on their heels when senior quarterback Cohen Klimak scored on a 6-yard run that was followed by a Logan Sadowski extra-point kick.

Streetsboro (12-1) attempted to catch Perry off-guard on the ensuing kickoff with an onside kick, but the Pirates were ready and easily handled the kick to set up tremendous field position at the 50-yard line.

Two plays later, senior quarterback Walter Moses, who was electric all game long, dropped back to pass and was very nearly sacked, but pulled away from the grasp of a Rockets defensive lineman, then calmly delivered a strike to uncovered receiver Jimmy Ashburn along the left sideline. Ashburn pulled in the throw and raced 52 yards for the score.

Perry’s extra-point attempt turned into a failed 2-point conversion attempt because of a botched snap, making its lead 30-21, but more importantly, the play shifted the momentum immediately back to the Pirates on the quick-strike touchdown.

It also was the first score of 21 unanswered points to close out the game, which at one point, appeared destined toward a thrilling fourth-quarter finish.

“When we scored to make it 24-21, we felt like we had taken some of that momentum back,” Thompson said. “Our sideline was jacked up, and we thought we had (Perry) on their heels a little bit. Then they hit that long touchdown on us, and I felt like that was the back-breaker in the game. We had a (defensive) call that we liked, we got pressure on the quarterback, and we just couldn’t get to him all the way. He slipped out, and they executed the scramble drill very well.”

Streetsboro’s Cohen Klimak eludes the pass rush of a Perry defensive lineman.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

It was one example of many where Moses was the difference-maker in the game.

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound right-arm signal-caller, who has committed to play at the University of Toledo, was nearly unstoppable.

He completed 17-of-21 passes for 327 yards and threw five touchdowns to four different receivers.

All of Moses’ scoring throws were of at least 20 yards. He hit Carter Hopkins for a 38-yard touchdown in the first quarter, Brody Petruccelli with a 41-yard score in the second quarter, Hopkins again with a screen pass that turned into a 63-yard touchdown in the second quarter, then Ashburn’s 52-yard back-breaker in the third quarter and a 20-yard toss to Luke Sivon midway through the fourth quarter.

“He is going to Toledo for a reason, and he played like it tonight, that’s for sure,” Thompson said. “He executes with precision and played great. The entire Perry offense was prepared and played fast. I have to give a lot of credit to their staff, because they scouted us very well.”

Even when Moses made a mistake, like a first-quarter interception on a seam route that was first deflected by Cohen Klimak, then intercepted by a diving Jackson Gula, the Pirates’ defense was there to clean up the mess.

Streetsboro’s Manny Gibson tries to break free of Perry’s Luke Sivon.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

In fact, the Rockets created a pair of first-quarter turnovers, with a fumble by Perry on the first play from scrimmage (recovered by Manny Gibson) joining Moses’ lone interception.

Neither miscue resulted in points for the Rockets, though.

It allowed Perry, which won the Division V state championship in 2023, to build a 17-0 lead by the 7:08 mark of the second quarter before the Rockets’ offense could find itself and find the end zone three times in a span of 13 bridged minutes between the second and third quarters.

The first score was a 6-yard run by Marcus Council that cut the Rockets’ deficit to 17-7 with 4:35 left in the second quarter.

Perry struck next with one of its many big plays, this one on the 63-yard screen that popped the score back to 24-7 just 16 seconds after Streetsboro’s score.

The Rockets scored again in the closing seconds of the first half, though, on a 1-yard run by Klimak that made it 24-14 at halftime.

Klimak scored again in the third quarter to make it 24-21, then three straight touchdowns for Perry bumped the score back out to 30-21, 38-21 and then the final score of 45-21.

Streetsboro senior quarterback Cohen Klimak ducks under Perry’s Anthony Zagrocki during third-quarter run.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

Streetsboro’s offense was led by Klimak, who finished with 159 yards rushing on 32 attempts. Council had 11 carries for 56 yards.