INTER-COUNTY LEAGUE QB Ben Johnston lifts Range past rival Springfield

The Raiders stayed undefeated with a 13-7 overtime win.
By DAVE DEVEREUX
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NORTH LIMA -- When South Range meets rival Springfield, it typically means a hard-fought, backyard battle for four quarters.
Or sometimes longer.
South Range senior Ryan Maxwell's 16-yard quarterback scramble set the stage for junior tailback Ben Johnston, whose 3-yard touchdown run gave the Raiders a 13-7 overtime victory over Springfield in Friday's Inter-County League contest.
"It's league play," South Range coach Dan Yeagley said. "And when it's South Range and Springfield, nobody leaves early."
The Raiders (4-0), who committed four first-half turnovers -- three inside the Tigers' 20-yard line -- were forced to rally from a 7-point fourth quarter deficit.
"I wasn't expecting all the turnovers. I think we were trying too hard," Yeagley said. "We told them that. We're a team. We've got to block better and rely on our neighbors. We made some adjustments on the fly and our kids held strong."
Staying close
After a scoreless first half, Springfield struck first when junior quarterback Mason McCambridge connected with Aaron Wood on a 9-yard touchdown pass. Luke Summers added the extra point to give the Tigers 7-0 lead at the 3:23 mark of the third quarter.
The Raiders responded with an 11-play 93-yard drive, capped by junior Tony Darkadakis' 2-yard touchdown run. Pat Majernik nailed the placement to tie the game 7-7 with 9:33 left in the fourth quarter.
"The first half was horrible," Maxwell said. "We just kept focused. We're a team that sticks together."
The Tigers got the ball first in overtime, but failed to gain a first down against the Raiders' defense. On fourth and seven from the 17-yard line, Raiders' senior Joshua Dunn sacked McCambridge, forcing the Tigers to give up the ball on downs.
On South Range's first play, Maxwell carried into the middle of the Tigers' defense, setting the Raiders up first and goal on the 4-yard line. Two plays later, Johnson plowed across the goal line to give the Raiders the win.
"It started with the defense," Maxwell said. "We knew if we could get the stop that the offense would take care of itself. Once we stopped them, right then we were ready to take it to 'em."
Leaders
Maxwell sparked the Raiders ground attack, rushing 13 times for 106 yards. Johnston added 16 carries for 70 yards as the Raiders rushed for 196 yards.
Springfield was led by McCambridge, who gained 59 yards on 21 carries, while completing 12 of 27 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown
Wood hauled in four passes for 61 yards for the Tigers (1-3, 0-1).
"Any time you play your rivals and lose in overtime it's tough," Springfield coach John Smith said. "We're a young ball team that's nine points away from being 3-1.
"We're hoping our kids are resilient enough to come back and be ready to go to work tomorrow. And I think they will be."