By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Streetsboro football head coach Pete Thompson has watched Kyle Giacomo develop as a player ever week this season.

Streetsboro junior receiver Kyle Giacomo sprints toward the end zone for the third of his three first-half touchdowns on Friday in Ravenna.
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On Friday, that trend not only continued, but it reached a new level.

During a second-quarter timeout, as the Rockets discussed their next play call, Giacomo had a question for his coach.

“He saw something that the defense was doing, and he asked me if it was OK for him to make an adjustment,” Thompson said.

As he retold the sideline exchange, the smile that appeared on Thompson’s face was practically all that was needed to complete the storytelling, but he continued.

“I told him, ‘As a matter of fact, no, I don’t mind at all’.”

On the next play, Giacomo made an adjustment on the route stem and it worked pretty well.

Quarterback Colton Cox sent an arching pass that floated behind the secondary of the Ravens’ defense, hitting Giacomo perfectly in stride at full speed for a 46-yard touchdown.

Streetsboro quarterback Colton Cox tries to get the edge as he is tackled.
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It was the third touchdown of the first half for the Cox-to-Giacomo combination, with the duo striking for a 47-yard score to end the first quarter and also a 13-yard score at the beginning of the second quarter.

There was plenty of the Rockets’ powerful running attack, too, highlighting a 49-3 Metro Athletic Conference road victory over Ravenna on Friday.

Giacomo nearly matched his season total in receiving in the game. He entered with four receptions and 132 yards. On Friday, he finished with three catches and 106 yards.

“He had a really nice game last week, too, and he has really started to jell with Colton,” Thompson said. “Kyle is a first-year varsity starter for us, and he is really starting to come into his own. He is becoming a dangerous weapon for us.”

The Rockets’ aerial attack helped break free of the Ravens’ eight- and nine-man defensive fronts designed to help stop the ground game.

Rockets junior running back Marcus Council breaks through the line of scrimmage.
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While Ravenna (2-6, 1-4 MAC) had some success with its interior run defense, the Rockets (6-2, 4-1 MAC) still found space on the edge to rush for 243 yards on 44 carries.

Marcus Council led the way with 99 yards and two touchdowns — on runs of 30 and 20 yards to produce all of the team’s second-half scoring — and totaled 13 carries. It was the junior’s third game back after an early season injury.

“We wanted to use the second half tonight as an opportunity to get him back into game shape,” Thompson said. “In his first game back, he was on a bit of a pitch count, so to speak. Then, last week, in his second game back, we could tell that he was getting gassed so tonight was a chance for us to keep building his endurance back up.”

Janiere Cook had 66 yards and scored the game’s first touchdown.

After a clunky start by both teams that included an interception on Ravenna’s first play of the game, then a turnover on downs by Streetsboro on its first possession, Cook completed a five-play drive by pushing across the goal line on a 15-yard run.

Ravenna quarterback Curtis Ross looks down the field for an open receiver during the second half of Friday’s game against the visiting Rockets.
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The score opened up a 21-point first quarter that also featured a 4-yard run by Ayden Knuebel and Giacomo’s first receiving TD.

Giacomo’s second score made it 28-0 at the 9:11 mark of the second quarter before Ravenna got on the board with a 21-yard field goal from Jose Carpenter. The third touchdown reception by Giacomo ballooned the score to 35-3 at halftime before Council’s pair of second-half end zone visits.

Mark Miller was the offensive leader for the Ravens. He finished with 51 yards rushing and 37 yards receiving. Asygh Gaines added 42 yards on the ground.

Streetsboro’s Ayden Knuebel tries to keep his balance as he heads toward the goal line during the first quarter of Friday’s game in Ravenna.
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