In this week's Cleveland Browns High School Game of the Week presented by Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), the Strongsville Mustangs took on the Medina Battling Bees. Tonight's game was Strongsville High School's Homecoming and Cancer Awareness Game in which the Mustangs helped support the American Cancer Society's Crucial Catch Campaign.
The weather was cold and gloomy, but Strongsville would not let anything rain on their parade as they welcomed the Battling Bees of Medina to Pat Catan Stadium.
With Strongsville's starting quarterback out for the season, they knew that they had to rely on their run game to try to come away with a win and that is exactly what they did. On the Mustang's opening drive, they were able to get down the field with ease, but that momentum would quickly wither away as Medina picked the ball off on their own 15-yard line. Medina was unable to capitalize on the turnover and would punt the ball back to Strongsville. Once the Mustangs got the ball back, they would look to their running game again to put points on the board. Taylor Griffin would eventually strike pay dirt to put the Mustangs up 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Medina would eventually get their offense moving in the second quarter. Their first scoring drive was made possible by their passing game. Their 7-play scoring drive consisted of six passes to open the drive and one 26-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Ryan Fischer. This would cut Strongsville's lead down 10-7 which would be the score going into halftime.
The Battling Bees would get the ball to start the second half and would waste no time to strike again through the air. Fischer launched a deep ball to his receiver for a 52-yard touchdown for Medina and would give Medina their first and only lead of the game 14-10. Strongsville was quick to answer back. The Mustang's big offensive line dominated the trenches and allowed Griffin to rush into the end zone for his second score on the day.
Medina continued to move the ball through the air on offense, but would ultimately be stopped at the Mustangs goal line and forced to settle for a field goal. This would tie the game up 17-17 with 3:27 left to play in the third quarter.
On Strongsville's next drive, they decided to take a page out of Medina's book and look to their passing game to get in the end zone. Mustang's quarterback Tyler Wolters would find his tight end, Richie Roskoph for a 59-yard touchdown pass and put the Mustangs back on top 24-17.
With seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Mustang's would look to their offensive line to bring the victory home for them. The offensive line and the run game for Strongsville would put together a six-minute, 87-yard drive to seal the victory for the Mustangs, as running back Colin Crotty would find the end zone to put the game out of reach for the Battling Bees. Crotty would end up being this week's High School Game of the Week MVP with 16 carries for 116 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. Strongsville won by a final score 31-17.
No game is complete without an outstanding volunteer. This week we would like to recognize Dan Martin whom is the Booster Club President for Strongsville schools. Dan has volunteered for eight years with Strongsville sports. He originally got involved with the boosters to give back to his community and the programs. He also said that the credit goes to his crew. They volunteer their time as well and put in a lot of work to make their booster club so successful.
About Crucial Catch
The Crucial Catch program focuses on early detection, education, and access to screenings that can detect cancer early, when it's more treatable. NFL clubs help intercept cancer in their hometowns by supporting Crucial Catch in ways that meet the needs of their communities. Many clubs extend the reach of the NFL's national program through local grassroots efforts including youth teams and clubs focused on promoting cancer screenings, honoring cancer survivors, and planning special in-stadium or pre-game events in partnership with the Society.
The partnership supports the American Cancer Society's mission to save lives from cancer by funding grants to help people in underserved communities receive potentially lifesaving screening resources. For additional information visit cancer.org/youthcrucialcatch
