Announcement
From The GAZETTE By Chad Grant, Special to the GAZETTE
SHEFFIELD LAKE — After a one-year hiatus the Buckeye football team returned to the top of the Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division.
The Bucks dominated Brookside 42-0 Friday to wrap up their second PAC title in three years.
“This means a lot,” Buckeye running back Cory Reisner said. “We have been through a lot of adversity. We worked hard. We have been through a lot and this feels great.”
At the forefront of the Bucks’ (6-4, 6-1) dominating performance was a defense that played its best game of the season.
“I told the kids at the end that you can’t ask for anything more than getting better every week,” Buckeye coach Billy Burke said. “Tonight we showed that we played the best we have ever played defensively.
“We played a heckuva game as a whole.”
Buckeye forced six turnovers, held the Cardinals (2-8, 1-6) to just 82 yards of offense and returned an interception for a touchdown in the rout.
Turnovers forced by the Bucks’ defense led directly to three of the team’s five other touchdowns.
Buckeye put up 35 points before leading rusher and scorer, Reisner (22 carries, 176 yards) found the endzone for the first time in the fourth quarter.
The Buckeye offense looked sluggish and had trouble with the wet field conditions at times and Burke used a more conservative gameplan for most of the game.
“It got to be a little bit sloppy,” Burke said. “We’re up 21-0, let’s make sure we preserve the right to punt. In football that is a pretty good thing and especially if your defense is playing OK.”
Ryan McCormick, Darrin Read, Jesse Horton and Dickson each found paydirt as Buckeye cruised for most of the game.
Dickson was also the man in the middle of the Bucks’ defense and played in just his second game since coming back from a broken bone in his hand.
“Everyone did a great job of taking care of their responsibilities and doing their jobs,” the Buckeye middle linebacker said.
“When you do your job good things happen.”
Horton had a solid night under center completing 7-of-9 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown despite the sloppy conditions.
Things got a little chippy in the second half as things got out of hand.
Two Brookside players were ejected and the Cardinals were flagged for three consecutive unsportsmanlike penalties late in the third quarter.
Grant may be reached at wp.medina-gazette.com or sports@ohio.net.
