The Chardon Hilltoppers won their second game in a row this past Friday, beating Riverside 22-15. After losing two heartbreaking losses in a row against Madison and Willoughby South, they were determined to get back to their winning ways, which is exactly what they did.
After a disappointing loss to South, the Toppers had a big game at home against a talented Geneva team. The team knew they could not lose this game, and that practice all that week had to be the best they have ever had. Friday came and the Hilltoppers were ready. They scored on the first drive and kept going from there. When the clock struck zero, the final score was 34-6, and the Toppers were victorious once again.
“Oh my God it was so nice to win again,” said senior Drew McCartney. The team felt good about themselves once again, but knew they had a bigger week ahead of them.
The Toppers now had to face the Riverside Beavers, a 6-1 team, whose only loss was to a very solid Perry team in week one. This game was about more than just winning. The Toppers’ playoff lives were on the line.
“We knew this game was huge, and we knew we had to win if we wanted to play in the postseason,” said senior Joey Malone. The Beavers were one of the most talented teams on Chardon’s schedule. Marcus Jones, Riverside’s running back, was a major threat on both offense, and defense. At 6’0”, 220 pounds, he was, and still is, one of the best rushers in the conference. But Chardon wasn’t scared. They had confidence in each other, and knew that if they worked together, they could stop him. They worked harder than ever in practice that week, and it paid off once Friday night came.
The Toppers took the field at 6:00 pm at Riverside. Warming up, they heard tons of trash talk coming from the opponents student section. As much as they wanted to trash talk back, they knew they were classier than that. So instead, they just smiled and laughed at every comment the Beavers’ fans threw at them. Game time arrived and the Toppers were ready. At the end of the first half, the score was 15-8, Chardon on top. The second half was an exciting and memorable battle. With ten minutes left in the fourth quarter, and the score tied at 15, the Toppers’ offense had a 75 yard 8 minute drive which ended in a touchdown. Patrick Sullivan had a 14 yard touchdown run, which ultimately won the game.
“It was a 50 midline option, and I kept the ball. I saw a hole and hit is as hard as I could. The blocking was great, and I was able to find my way into the endzone,” said senior Patrick Sullivan. The Toppers’ defense was able to withhold the Beavers from scoring, and they ended victorious. The final score was 22-15 and the Toppers’ playoff hopes are still alive. This week they are facing another talented team, the University Preppers. They know they can’t take any team for granted, and if they play like they did last Friday, the Toppers will surely play in week 11.