By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Statistically speaking, the Ravenna Ravens were not supposed to win on Friday night.

Ravenna’s CJ Ross (2) and Tykwon Ward celebrate during the fourth quarter of the Ravens’ 21-0 win over Mogadore on Friday.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

When your opponent is Mogadore, a program unmatched in success in Portage County, the numbers will always tilt against you.

The Wildcats, who lost in their opener at Field last week, entered Week 2 in Ravenna having not lost back-to-back games since the 2004 season. From then until Friday, the team had posted an incredible 24-0 record following a loss.

Furthermore, Mogadore had not started a season 0-2 since 1994. And even that statistic is skewed a little, considering in that season, the Cats actually won in Week 1 over Manchester (15-12), but the win was eventually forfeited.

The last time Mogadore “physically” lost its first two games to open a season came in 1975, when they were defeated by Manchester (0-18) and Crestwood (0-39).

For Ravenna, good thing statistics and odds are not what always wins a football game.

“They wanted to be the one team to break all of those streaks,” Ravenna football head coach Brian Coman said.

Mission accomplished.

Ravenna used a pair of gamebreaking plays in the first half, a defense that forced six turnovers and a collection of electric runs, ironically out of the Wildcat, from Bryant Thompson in the fourth quarter to highlight a 21-0 victory at Portage Community Bank Stadium and Harry Gilcrest Field.

The triumph was the first of Coman’s career as a head coach after taking over the program this season.

“Tonight felt really great,” Coman said. “To get that first win under my belt is good, but tonight felt great because the guys really came together to get this win. They came ready to play.”

Being ready was showcased on the first possession of the game.

Ravenna running back Amare Marshall is pulled down by Mogadore’s Maddox Smith.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

With Ravenna facing a third-and-11 from its own 29-yard line, quarterback CJ Ross became a playmaker.

Initially, he dropped back to pass, but when the initial coverage did not present anything, he pulled the ball down and rolled out to his right. Just when it appeared that he may consider dashing for a run, he saw Trey Carter open down the field uncovered. He quickly stopped, set his feet and delivered a strike to Carter, who pulled in the pass and raced untouched to the end zone for the 71-yard score on the third play from scrimmage. Jose Carpenter’s extra point made it 7-0, which was the only score of the first quarter.

Ravenna’s second game-changing play came in the second quarter, when it appeared that the Wildcats were on the verge of tying the game.

A fourth-and-4 conversion by the Wildcats, on a nice 27-yard throw from Karson Jaber to Nick Stephenson, put Mogadore into the Red Zone. Three plays later, the Cats were faced with another fourth-and-4. This time from the Ravenna 9 with 5:22 to play in the first half.

After calling a timeout, Mogadore attempted a toss-sweep pass to the right edge, but a disciplined Tykwon Ward stayed within his assignment depth, remained in coverage and when the pass was thrown, he was there.

Ravenna wide receiver Trey Carter (11) nears the goal line for a first-quarter touchdown that spanned 71 yards on a throw from CJ Ross. Bryant Thompson (5) and Bobby Melzer (15) trail the play and celebrate.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

Ward initially bobbled the interception, but once he secured it at the 4-yard line, he hit another gear and sprinted 96 yards for the touchdown. Carpenter kicked his second point-after and Ravenna suddenly had a 14-0 lead.

“He made a great play. Honestly, I am not sure he could have made that same play last week,” Coman said. “He was disciplined and stayed back instead of rushing up on that sweep. Last week, he probably would have come sprinting in and they would have thrown it right over his head.

“I was proud of him,” Coman added. “I have been hard on him throughout the preseason, because I need him to be confident in himself.”

For Mogadore, it was the first of three trips to the Red Zone inside of 6 minutes in the second quarter.

Trailing 14-0, the Cats marched back into the Red Zone on their next possession, but once again, the offense stalled. A fourth-and-6 play from the Ravens’ 15 was picked off in the end zone, on a seam route, by Thompson, with 1:22 in the half.

Ravenna’s Keon Fortson (23) tries to bring down Mogadore quarterback Karson Jaber during Friday’s second half.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

On Ravenna’s first play from scrimmage after the interception, which was strangely the only offensive play the Ravens would run in the second quarter because of Mogadore’s long, time-consuming and run-heavy drives, it fumbled the ball on a big hit that popped the ball into the air.

Aaron Rumschlag was right there to pull it out of the air at the Ravenna 10, setting up the Wildcats for a potential score just before halftime with 31.6 seconds left.

A throw into heavy coverage was again picked by Ward, this time on the 6-yard line that he once again raced all the way back for a score, was called back because of a defensive holding penalty. It set Mogadore back up at the 10 with 5 seconds, but the team’s last attempt before the first half ended was a scrambled pass attempt that ultimately became a sack and fumble recovered by the Ravens.

The second quarter was a strange quarter in which Mogadore dominated in plays ran (27 to 1), yards gained (86 to 4) and time of possession (11:30 to 30 seconds), but failed to score any points and Ravenna actually extended its lead.

To start the second half, though, Mogadore received the opening kick and its ground game, pushing forward with a noticeably different spark out of the Full House, gained an edge at the line of scrimmage. It resulted in a 10-play, 6-minute drive that moved the chains, but again stalled at the Ravenna 30-yard line and ended with an interception by LaDarion Askew.

Ultimately, the two teams were scoreless in the third quarter and the fourth quarter was mired by more Mogadore turnovers and Ravenna discovering its best sustained offense in the game by running Thompson out of the Wildcat formation. Thompson’s speed, joined with his jump cuts and vision, put a jolt into the Ravens’ offense. He ran 10 times in the fourth quarter for 105 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown with 6:48 to play that all but sealed up the Ravens’ victory.