By STEVE WILAJ

sports @vindy.com

BERLIN CENTER

Sitting inside the locker room down by two points at halftime of a Division VI, Region 23 first-round matchup with Toronto, Western Reserve — with its back against the wall — made a majority decision.

“It was that we had to come out, fight and play together as a team,” senior quarterback John Clegg said.

That plan worked as the second-seeded Blue Devils scored the final 15 points of the contest to fend off the seventh-ranked Red Knights, 27-17, and avoid an upset Saturday night.

“We didn’t play great, but it was good that we were able to still get away with a win,” Clegg said. “We had to rise above the occasion and fight through some adversity and I think it was a good experience for us to do that.”

Western Reserve (10-1) trailed by five midway through the third quarter after a 27-yard field goal by Toronto’s Danny Zdinak.

However, the Blue Devils responded with a Clegg 1-yard touchdown run with two minutes remaining in the third. Freshman running back Jack Cappabianca then rumbled 54 yards for a score early in the fourth to give Western Reserve a 10-point lead and put the game out of reach.

“Toronto’s a very skilled team that played hard,” Blue Devils coach Andy Hake said. “But we picked it up and I’m really proud of our guys the way they came back. We could have went in the tank, but our guys got it together and it was a great job.”

Toronto (8-3) got on the board first on quarterback Blaine Rawson’s 4-yard touchdown run. That score was set up by Max Tice’s interception, which came on a tipped pass.

The Blue Devils then took a 12-7 lead on a Joe Stubbs 4-yard score followed by a 7-yard touchdown pass from Clegg to Joe Falasca. But the Red Knights capped the first half with a 68-yard touchdown run by Charles Ross III.

“That big run gave us momentum and meant that our offensive plan was working,” Toronto coach Eric Meek said. “Our defense still played very well, too. That was just the best quarterback we were going up against all year.”

Clegg carried the load for the Western Reserve offense — missing running back Even Nesbitt to injury — all night, collecting 117 yards on 17 carries while passing for 88 yards and a touchdown. Cappabianca also finished with 78 yards on eight carries.

“Our line came through in the second half,” Hake said. “We were really disappointed in them at halftime, but they came through and wore the defense down.”

Rawson finished 8 of 15 for 89 yards, while Ross led the ground game with 100 yards on just six carries. Still, in all, Western Reserve’s defense held the Red Knights to just 157 total yards, seven first downs and forced two turnovers.

“It was good to bounce back and fight, but we have to be more consistent,” Hake said. “And we have to finish off drives and we’ll be in better shape.”