Less than five yards away from a go-ahead touchdown with under a minute to play on Friday, North Olmsted Coach
Mike Ptacek
and the Eagles watched certain victory slip out of their hands on a rain-soaked field at Westlake High School.
Demons defensive back Adam Hamdan forced a fumble by North Olmsted quarterback Mike Shoemaker at the 3-yard line with 39 seconds remaining in game and Westlake held on for a 10-7 Southwestern Conference victory.
Demons sophomore linebacker Anthony Zappone recovered the fumble as Shoemaker was headed toward the end zone for what would have been a game-winning score.
The Eagles had marched 66 yards in less than four minutes with the game on the line. Westlake head coach Dave Campo said his defense stepped up when it needed to. "We were just grinding and playing the type of SWC football that other teams have been playing against us," Campo said. "We finally stepped up and did it."
Ptacek said he was proud of the effort his team gave on the game’s final drive. “We did what we had to do,” he said. “We responded and we drove the ball. It’s not because of a lack of effort.”
Nick Tecco's 27-yard field goal with 9:36 remaining gave the Demons a 10-7 lead. The kick capped a 13-play drive that covered 65 yards and used more than nine minutes of game clock. Westlake senior receiver Joe Lowe opened the scoring when he hauled in a 31-yard touchdown pass from Mike Massaad on the second play of the second quarter.
Lowe caught the ball at the North Olmsted 20-yard line and outran four Eagles defenders on his way to the end zone. Joe Lumpkin put North Olmsted on the board with 3:11 remaining in the first half when he crashed into the end zone from three yards away. John Rodriguez's extra point tied the score at 7-7.
The fumble soured an otherwise sweet performance by Shoemaker who rushed for more than 50 yards, including 22 on the final drive. The 5-foot-9 junior completed eight of nine passes for 75 yards and did not throw an incompletion until less than four minutes remaining in the game. He hooked up with senior Kevin Burkett for 26 yards during a first half touchdown drive.
The win gives Westlake its second SWC victory of the season against one loss and a 3-3 record overall. The Demons travel to Olmsted Falls for a showdown with the Bulldogs next week. With the loss, North Olmsted drops to 1-2 in the SWC and 3-3 overall.
The Eagles host Brecksville on Friday. Ptacek credited Westlake’s offense for being able to stay on the field for much of the third and fourth quarters. “We only had three possessions in the second half,” he said. “When it’s a sloppy game like that, you try to make plays. We were able to sustain that last drive, but we just weren’t able to finish.”
Meanwhile, Campo gave credit to his team for making plays and limiting turnovers. “We made a few more plays and made a few less mistakes,” he said. “Our kids are starting to believe. That’s the key.”