By Thomas Burton
Correspondent
Berlin Center- The game started with WR driving down the field only to have Shane Ewing throw an interception in the redzone. Nick Cupan for McDonald then ran for a touchdown of about 60 yds shortly there after. That would set the tone for the evening. Ewing threw three first half interceptions which matched his total from the entire season.
Mcdonald played outstanding defense all game and didn't give up a WR's touchdown until three minutes remaining in the game. Lead by running backs Alex Sampson, and Nick Cupan, McDonald ran freely against the Reserve defense to push their mark to 7-0 on the season, and more importantly, took sole possession of the ITCL Lower Tier.
The game was especially dissapointing for the Reserve record crowd being their homecoming and the "game of the week". However, McDonald with the dominating performance solidified they're AP ranking in the state.
North Lima - In a game that was not done until the last second ticked off the clock, South Range escaped with a 29-22 victory over the Bulldogs. East Palestine missed on a Hail Mary pass as time expired to preserve the victory for the Raiders.
The Bulldogs grabbed an early 9-0 lead, but the Raiders scored twice just before the half to take a 14-9 lead into the locker room. Hunter Spitz would run for a 60-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half to push the lead to 21-9. The teams would trade scores to bolster the score to 29-22 with the Raiders ahead early in the fourth quarter.
With the Raiders about to put the game away at the 10-yard line of the Dogs, Geoff Salyers would strip Hunter Spitz of the ball and return it to the Raiders 36-yard line. South Range would turn the Dogs away, before the Dogs got one more chance under a minute left in the game.
McDonald has risen to the top of the Lower Tier with a dominating performance against Western Reserve 47-6. While the Leetonia Bears kept on the heels of both Devils by beating a good Lowellville team 20-6. Reserve and Leetonia will now face an elimination game of sorts next week.
Wellsville followed up on they're big win last week by downing a much improved Jackson-Milton squad 21-12, and Southern rolled past Sebring 42-0. Both teams have improved to 5-2 on the season, and still have playoff aspirations.
Crestview is now rolling as they beat Lisbon convincingly 55-0. While South Range rebounded from they're lost last week to escape with a 29-22 victory over East Palestine. Crestview improves to 6-1 on the season, and South Range now stands at 5-2.
Columbiana knocked the Mineral Ridge Rams out of a share of first place in the Upper Tier standings by shutting them out 14-0. United also kept pace with the league leaders by winning an extremely hard fought game against Springfield 13-3.
Nothing gets any easier as next week will showcase another slate of hard hitting, and hard fought games iaround the ITCL. Who wants it more, and who is willing to give they're last ounce of energy may determine the winners from losers in this next couple of weeks.