Drama precedes S. Range-Lisbon kickoff

Associated Press

The South Range-Lisbon game wasn’t nearly as dramatic as what happened before it even began.

The schools arranged for both bands to perform the National Anthem prior to the kickoff so that South Range lineman Travis Bernard and his sister, Taylor, a band member, would be on the field at the same time.

Seconds after the music stopped, Doug Bernard, an Air Force Master Sgt. who had hurried back from a four-month deployment to Kuwait and Qatar, strolled through the tunnel and surprised his children and wife Denise with an emotional embrace.

“I told them I missed them and loved them,” Doug Bernard said. “It was overwhelming. With this being Travis’ senior year, I really wanted to surprise them.”

“We thought he was coming back tonight, but we didn’t know when,” Travis Bernard said. “I never expected to see him coming out of the tunnel. It was very emotional.”

Once the game started Bernard helped pave the way for Joe Alessi, who carried 20 times for 290 yards and four touchdowns, in South Range’s 56-32 road victory.

“I played the game tonight for my dad,” Bernard said. “It’s really hard when he’s away, but I’m glad he’s back now.”

ALL OR NOTHING

The new so-called “mercy rule” in Ohio prep football — a running clock when the game gets out of hand — has been a part of all four of Sidney’s games. The Yellow Jackets have lost at St. Marys Memorial 71-21 and to Bellefontaine 41-7, then won at West Carrollton 55-28 and beat Fairborn 35-12 — all in the new game-shortened format.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

Jackson had four TD runs of at least 62 yards in a 42-14 win over D6 No. 2 Columbus Ready; Oak Hill defeated Wellston 40-6 in the last currently-scheduled meeting between the two Jackson County Rivals; three generations of officials worked the Oak Hill at Rock Hill game on Sept. 12: grandfather Jim Mahlmeister, son Jimmy Mahlmeister and his son Justin Mahlmeister, who was working his very first varsity game; Middletown Bishop Fenwick (1-3) has lost to three teams that are now 4-0, and faces Hamilton Badin (4-0) this week; Delta beat Bryan 41-28, ending Bryan’s 25-game regular-season winning streak; D4 No. 1 Clarksville Clinton-Massie has outscored its four opponents 204-7; and led by LB Grant Nolder and his three sacks, unbeaten Dresden Tri-Valley allowed only 56 yards in a 35-0 win against defending Division II poll champion Zanesville, avenging a 52-7 loss to the Blue Devils in 2013.

STREAKING

Kirtland has won 49 straight regular-season games, dating to Sept. 24, 2009, when the Hornets lost to Cuyahoga Heights, 20-10.

GROUND CONTROL

Crestview’s Zach Hicks tied a school record with 322 yards rushing and scored four TDs in a 56-32 win over East Palestine; Cody Fitzwater ran for 309 yards and 3 TDs and Mario McFarren scored four times on the ground as Dalton had 545 rushing yards in 59-42 win over West Salem Northwestern; D’Angelo Palladino ran for 270 yards and Ironton had 532 rushing yards in a 41-7 rout of rival Ashland, Ky.; and Camden Preble Shawnee’s Brandon Frost gained 254 yards on 38 carries and scored two TDs in a 43-33 win over Middletown Madison.