By Greg Gulas

sports@vindy.com

CANTON

Jordan Edmondson rushed for 231 yards and four touchdowns and as Warren JFK beat Ashland Mapleton 42-34 in a Division VII, Region 25 semifinal Saturday night at Canton Central Catholic High.

“My offensive line just made it happen tonight,” Edmondson said. “Coach [Jeff Bayuk] gave us a pep talk at the half and the adrenaline was pumping, especially after we recovered the kick-off to start the second half. We play for the ‘K’ and glad to be playing another week.”

The seventh-seeded Eagles will play top-seeded Cuyahoga Heights next Saturday at a site to be announced today. The Redskins were a 21-6 winner over East Canton.

The Warren JFK defense went up against the third-seeded Mounties’ vaunted passing attack and while quarterback Logan Pharmer completed 30 of 46 attempts for 344 yards and three scores, he came up empty on six of his last 11 attempts.

“It’s hard to simulate an offense like that in practice, but our kids did a great job of doing that in practice this week,” Bayuk said. “We only had three seniors on the field tonight and our defense came up big when we needed them most. I’m not so sure things go our way without that momentum swing at the start of the second half, but we capitalized when we needed to.”

It took JFK just 52 seconds to get on the board as Edmondson raced 61 yards on the second play of the game for the early 7-0 lead.

Pharmer, who completed 20 of 24 passes in the first alone for 183 yards, found Ethan Hartley from four yards out at 8:59 of quarter to tie the game at 7.

A Pharmer 1-yard run that capped an eight-play, 41-yard drive near the end of the session staked the Mounties (8-4) to a 14-7 margin after the first 12 minutes of action.

Pharmer’s second rushing touchdown of the game, also from a yard away, gave Mapleton a 20-7 lead after the PAT kick was blocked.

The Eagles (7-5) drove to the Mounties’ 12, but four straight incompletions by quarterback Christian Marantis stalled the drive as the first half ended

On the kickoff to start the second half, the ball bounced off a Mounties helmet and Warren JFK recovered.

A Merantis 8-yard strike to Cameron Hollobaugh five plays later cut the Eagles’ deficit 20-14.

After Edmondson scored on a 7-yard run at 5:08 of the period, the Eagles took their first lead of the game at 21-20.

Edmondson’s 21-yard run at 4:56 gave Warren JFK a 28-20 lead.

“Jordan is such an explosive runner and Cam, in the greatest moments of the game, is the player you want to snap the ball to, hand off or throw to,” Bayuk said.

Hollobaugh appreciated his coach’s words.

“I appreciate coach saying that about me and I love when the ball is in my hands,” he said.

Edmondson’s fourth TD from 38 yards out made it 35-20 kin favor of the Eagles, but Pharmer found Hartley for a 9-yard score to cut the deficit to 35-26 midway through the fourth quarter.

Isaac Hadley stretched the Warren JFK lead to 42-26 on a 2-yard run at the 1:36 mark. The Mounties scored the final TD on another Pharmer-to-Hartley strike with 36 seconds remaining.