MACEDONIA — In a back-and-forth playoff battle that came down to the final minutes, Nordonia defeated Twinsburg 27-24 on Oct. 31 to advance to the second round of the postseason.
Riley Edgehouse’s 30-yard field goal with 4:33 remaining proved to be the game-winner after the Tigers had tied the contest at 24-24 just three minutes earlier.
The Knights’ ground game dominated throughout, with Connor Whapham carrying the ball 32 times for 200 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Steven Fakult added 68 yards and a touchdown on the ground while also connecting on 7 of 19 passes for 109 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown strike to Dominick Jackson in the second quarter.
Nordonia controlled the line of scrimmage, rushing for 284 yards on 42 attempts while holding Twinsburg to just 75 yards on the ground. The Knights’ offense converted 16 first downs, 12 of which came via the rushing attack.
The Tigers kept pace through the air, with their quarterback completing 20 of 38 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns, both to Kienzlen. Twinsburg also benefited from four first downs via penalty.
Nordonia took the opening score when Fakult scored on a 4-yard run in the first quarter, with Edgehouse adding the extra point for a 7-0 lead. Twinsburg answered before the end of the quarter to tie it at 7-7.
The Knights surged ahead 14-7 in the second quarter on the Fakult-to-Jackson connection, but Twinsburg kicker Boerner connected on a 34-yard field goal as time expired in the half to cut the deficit to 14-10.
Whapham’s 8-yard touchdown run in the third quarter extended Nordonia’s lead to 21-10, but the Tigers responded with a 22-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-17.
The fourth quarter saw three scoring plays in a six-minute span. Edgehouse kicked a 41-yard field goal to push the Knights’ advantage to 24-17, but Twinsburg tied it at 24-24 on an 18-yard touchdown pass with 7:40 left.
Edgehouse’s second field goal of the quarter sealed the victory for Nordonia, which controlled possession for 21 minutes and 45 seconds.
The Knights were penalized 11 times for 100 yards, while Twinsburg was flagged four times for 25 yards. Neither team committed a turnover.
Dominick Jackson led Nordonia’s receivers with three catches for 67 yards and a touchdown, while Whapham added two receptions for 20 yards.
Nordonia will advance to face its second-round opponent in the playoffs.
