By ryan buck

rbuck @vindy.com

north lima

South Range junior running back Joe Alessi could not look any less threatening.

A mop of blonde hair sits atop a face that smiles easily and reveals a mouthful of braces.

But when Raiders quarterback Ryan Miller hands him the ball behind an earth-moving offensive line, the beast comes out to play.

Alessi gashed visiting Cuyahoga Heights (6-5) for 295 yards and four touchdowns in the Raiders’ 49-42 shootout win in a Division VI, Region 19 quarterfinal Friday night at Memorial Field.

“He’s a phenomenal runner,” said South Range coach Dan Yeagley, “and he can giddy up and go, which is a difference. When he can get into the secondary and make things happen, that makes a big difference.”

Alessi scored on runs of 1, 25, 65 and 10 yards, but it was his final burst that showcased his skills and provided the winning margin.

In the closing minutes, the Redskins cut the Raiders’ lead to 7 points. After Raiders special-teamer Greg Dunham snared the onside kick try and fullback David McCabe’s clutch catch and run brought them into scoring territory, Alessi did what he does best.

He darted left after taking a handoff from Miller, followed a block from McCabe, stiff-armed one would-be tackler and bounced out to the left sideline and outraced two Redskins defenders that looked to have an angle.

An emphatic jump across the goal line and a primal scream punctuated the run.

“I like taking my aggression out on the field,” Alessi said. “I love football.”

The Raiders (11-0) led 49-35 and survived another Cuyahoga Heights touchdown and onside kick attempt to close out the win.

The 65-yard sprint with 5:12 left in the third quarter capped a 14-point rally after Cuyahoga Heights tied the game at 28 early in the second half.

“I think that one was supposed to be a stretch play,” Alessi said. “[Cuyahoga Heights] did a good job of hitting the corners, I saw a crease, made a cutback and I took it.”

Miller’s big-plays also were crucial, and clinical.

After a scoreless first quarter, Alessi’s 1-yard run gave the Raiders a 7-0 lead. Three minutes later, Miller’s textbook play-action pass found a wide-open Bryce Allen from 36 yards out for a 14-0 lead.

With the game tied at 28 early in the third, Miller again executed a perfect play-fake and hit Zach Thorpe for a 58-yard score.

“We can’t give [Cuyahoga Heights] the ball obviously,” said Yeagley, who sought out Redskins quarterback Jordan Martin for his performance. “Coach [Al] Martin and his son, the quarterback, know how to run their offense. It’s hard to defend a good passing team like that and we haven’t seen somebody like that before.”

Martin threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two more as he brought his team back time and again. First-half scoring plays of 38 and 19 yards to twin brothers Trent and Tyler Gallo preceded a 19-yarder to Jack Alpert and a 3-yard slant to Craig McDaniel in the fourth quarter.

Martin also threw four costly interceptions, one of which Billy Goodall returned 40 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.