High school football: Brunswick misses out on a few breaks, falls to Cleveland Heights

CLEVELAND HTS. — Three unlucky bounces in the second half determined whether the Brunswick football team was ultimately going to pull off the biggest upset of the Greater Cleveland Conference season. Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, none of them went their way Friday night. All were bizarre, too, as Cleveland Heights ultimately escaped 20-17 when a 4-yard blooper of a punt bounced off the back shoulder of an unsuspecting Brunswick player and into the arms of the Tigers with 1:05 to play. Out of timeouts, the gutsy Blue Devils (0-4, 0-1) could only watch in disbelief as Cleveland Heights (2-2, 1-0) took two knees to end a wild, mistake-ridden night. The previous unlucky bounce could have put Brunswick in the driver's seat with a 17-13 lead earlier in the quarter. Sensational Cleveland Heights freshman running back Elijah Harris (35 carries, 227 yards) ripped off a 64-yard run to the 5-yard line, but the Blue Devils stiffened to force fourth-and-goal from the 2. Harris took a lead handoff off left tackle just inside the right hash. Brunswick end Trevor Kratche came off a block to get Harris by the legs, and as Harris stretched toward the end zone Blue Devils safety Alex Hubbell came in to strip the ball just inches before Harris' knee hit the ground. Only a handful of the 22 players on the field appeared to realize what had happened, and wide receiver Da'Juan Jones sprinted along the goal line to fall on the ball a mere yard into the end zone. The sideline judge rushed in and confirmed Jones had the ball, giving Cleveland Heights a 20-17 lead after the extra point. The night became even stranger after Brunswick went four-and-out on the ensuing possession but saw its defense hold firm to force a three-and-out. All-Ohio running back Marquise Davis, who didn't play on offense or defense due to injury, punted the ball so high that it only went past the line of scrimmage by 4 yards before hitting a Brunswick player. Miami of Ohio recruit Jamiel Hamm recovered at the Brunswick 36 — 1 yard behind the line of scrimmage — and the officials ruled Tigers ball after a lengthy conference. The first unlucky bounce of the second half also involved a Harris fumble and will certainly be early on 6-foot-8, 340-pound tackle Sandale Jackson's highlight film. With Brunswick clinging to a 10-7 lead late in the third quarter, Blue Devils tackle Quentin Whittingham stripped Harris on third-and-3 from the Brunswick 25, but Jackson alertly picked up the ball, broke at least five tackles and rumbled, bumbled and stumbled before a handful of defenders finally brought him down at the 6. Marcellus Harris scored on the next play to give Cleveland Heights a 13-10 lead, but the Blue Devils responded when Sean Barnett scored on fourth-and-1 from the 10 in the fourth quarter. Though the Tigers were missing West Virginia recruit Brandon Caeser, they still had Hamm and Minnesota pledge Jay'Quan Stubbs and dominated Brunswick up front. The Blue Devils finished with minus-13 yards on 25 carries, while Barnett completed 14-of-38 passes for 135 yards and two interceptions. Cooper Neel had four catches for 62 yards. The Blue Devils still had chances to win, beginning with stealing momentum on the opening kickoff when Jacob Barnes had a strip-recovery. That set up a 36-yard Vincent DiTeodoro field goal, though Harris soon came back with a 3-yard score to give Cleveland Heights a 7-3 halftime lead. Two Tigers gifts on the same drive allowed Brunswick to regain the lead in the third. DiTeodoro was roughed on a 48-yard field goal attempt, then Cleveland Heights committed an encroachment penalty on fourth-and-2 from the 9-yard line to give the Blue Devils life. Barnett scored from 4 yards off the right side to make the score 10-7 with 7:30 remaining in the period. Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com. Cleveland Heights 20, Brunswick 17 BRUNSWICK &emsp;&emsp;3 0 7 7 — 17 CLEVELAND HTS. 7 0 6 7 — 20 First B — Vincent DiTeodoro 36 field goal. C — Elijah Harris 3 run (Harrison Williams kick) Third B — Sean Barnett 4 run (DiTeodoro kick), 7:30. C — Mercellus Harris 6 run (kick blocked). Fourth B — Barnett 10 run (DiTeodoro kick). C — Da'Juan Jones fumble recovery (Williams kick). &emsp;&emsp;B &emsp;&emsp;C First downs &emsp;&emsp;13 &emsp;&emsp;14 Rushing &emsp;&emsp;25/-13 44/247 Rushing average &emsp;&emsp;-0.5 &emsp;&emsp;5.6 Passing &emsp;&emsp;14/38 &emsp;&emsp;9/20 Passing yards &emsp;&emsp;135 &emsp;&emsp;98 Total offense &emsp;&emsp;63/122 64/345 Punting &emsp;&emsp;4/40.8 4/26.5 Penalties &emsp;&emsp;3/15&emsp;&emsp;10/85 Fumbles &emsp;&emsp;5/1 &emsp;&emsp;5/2 RUSHING: Brunswick — Collin Kavulic 6-19, Barnett 9-13, Eli Nichols 3-(-6), Team 2-(-16), Cooper Neel 5-(-23). Cleveland Heights — E. Harris 35-227, Sandale Jackson 0-19, M. Harris 5-13, Team 2-(-4), Justin Godbolt 2-(-8). PASSING: Brunswick — Barnett 14-38-135-2. Cleveland Heights — Godbolt 9-20-98-1. RECEIVING: Brunswick — Neel 4-62, Hayden Swarm 5-41, Kavulic 2-13, Brandon Gross 1-10, Cohen Easa 2-9. Cleveland Heights — Henry Perrymond 7-80, KeJwan Reed 1-12, Landon Pol 1-6.