Berlin Center - The Blue Devils didn't even wait for people to get in their seats before they were up 7-0 on a Justin Lude game opening 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Shane Ewing would also run for two touchdowns, and pass for a third in leading the Blue Devils to a hard fought 30-21 victory.
Ewing would hit Clayton Hull on a 52-yard touchdown pass just before the half, and then run for a 5 and 14-yard touchdown scampers to put the game away in the second half. Ewing would rush for about 75 yards, and pass for over 200 yards on the night.
The Indians however, would never quit in this contest as David Ramsey would hit a school record 40-yard field goal, and Bryan Brinker scored two second half touchdowns to lead Southern. Nathan Melhorn would also add a 49-yard touchdown run.
A tremendous game between the Clippers and Rebels. Whenever these two meet, anything, absolutely anything can happen. Tonight the Clippers escaped with a 42-36 overtime victory.
The two showdowns in the Lower Tier resulted in big wins for the Devils. Both the McDonald and Western Reserve Devils that is. McDonald beat a very good Wellsville team by a 41-19 score, and Western Reserve outscored Southern 30-21. With the wins, both McDonald and Western Reserve improve to 4-0 on the season.
South Range and Springfield also met in a rivalry game. The Raiders overcame a very stingy Tigers defense to win a hard fought game 20-0. The Raiders now improve to 3-1 on the season, while the Tigers drop to 3-1.
In other games, the United Eagles won a spirited game over East Palestine 20-13. The win is the third in a row for the Eagles, while the Bulldogs have struggled to a 1-3 mark. Mineral Ridge is back at .500 as they downed the Lisbon Blue Devils 32-6. The Devils are also struggling as they fall to 0-4 on the season.
In the Lower Tier, Leetonia keeps their unbeaten streak alive as they beat an improved Sebring squad 41-21. The Trojans are now 0-4 on the year. While Lowellville surprised some by beating an improved Jackson-Milton team 27-0. The Rockets picked up their first win in four attempts, and the Blue Jays fall to 2-2 on the year.
Next week the ITCL will continue to take shape as we will already reach the halfway point of the regular season. Good luck to all teams, and congratulations to all teams on a great start to the 2008 season!
