Team

Western Reserve

Record	Div.	Conf.
8/3	Div. VII	Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference

Team

McDonald

Record	Div.	Conf.
8/2	Div. VI	Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference

By Tom Williams

williams@vindy.com

MCDONALD

After scoring two touchdowns on the run and passing for two more, Western Reserve quarterback Wyatt Larimer still had one big play left.

Moments after McDonald scored two touchdowns in 59 seconds to slice Western Reserve’s comfortable lead to seven points, Larimer took off, racing 32 yards.

That burst enabled Western Reserve to run out the clock for a 34-27 victory and take over the driver’s seat for the Inter Tri-County League Blue Tier championship.

“This is the championship of our season,” said Larimer who rushed for 104 yards and passed for 154. “Getting this win really helps us out with our playoff projection. Everyone on this whole team contributed and it was awesome.”

Western Reserve (5-2, 2-0) is tied with Mineral Ridge (3-4, 2-0) for first place in the league. They’ll play in Week 9. Next week, Western Reserve faces Jackson-Milton (5-2, 1-1).

“No rest for the weary,” Western Reserve head coach Andy Hake said. “I give credit to McDonald, they played like [heck]. They don’t quit.”

“Our kids hung in there, they made big plays all night,” Hake said.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Jack Cappabianca’s 3-yard touchdown made it 34-13.Game over? Not exactly.

After a long kickoff return, McDonald quarterback Ben Carkido found Jake Reckard for a 7-yard touchdown. Seconds later, Western Reserve fumbled and McDonald’s Nick Lowry recovered at the Western Reserve 33.

Carkido then found Dylan Portolese for a 13-yard touchdown that had the Western Reserve sideline on edge.

Larimer settled everyone down with his long run.

“He’s just a special player,” Hake said.

McDonald (4-3, 1-1) head coach Dan Williams agreed.

“Larimer is a great runner, a heck of a player,” Williams said. “I liked the fight in our kids, we never quit.

“We just couldn’t get [their offense] off the field.”

Western Reserve wasted no time grabbing an early lead, marching 71 yards on eight plays. Larimer completed two passes for 36 yards and capped the drive with his 9-yard touchdown run. His point-after kick missed.

Early in the second quarter, Reckard scored on a 7-yard run and Joe Sudol’s kick gave McDonald a 7-6 lead.

It didn’t last long. On the next offensive snap, Larimer found Jeep DiCioccio running free in the middle of the field and connected for a 65-yard touchdown. The conversion run failed keeping the score 12-7.

“We’ve been practicing that play for a while,” DiCioccio said. “I’m just glad I got into the end zone. [McDonald] has great players, too. They played their butts off.

“This is huge, gives a lot of momentum going forward,” said DiCioccio who had two receptions for 79 yards. “This team is coming together at a very good time.”

Late in the first half, Western Reserve drove 95 yard on nine plays. Larimer completed two passes, one to Nick Cooper for 45 yards and the other to Tyler Higgins in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown and 19-7 lead.

In the third quarter, Williams gambled on a fourth-and-6 play at the Western Reserve 45. Carkido’s pass fell incomplete and two plays later Larimer scored on a 47-yard run for a 26-7 lead.

“We had a good play called and just didn’t execute,” Williams said. “Had to take a chance somewhere.”

Carkido completed 11 of 25 passes for 186 yards.

“This is a big deal beating them this year because we lost to them last year,” Hake said.

Larimer called last year’s loss “a huge motivation to get back at them and finally get bragging rights on our side and beat a great football program.”