Lake County Sentinel
North Rangers win first ever playoff game shutting out Brush 41-0
BY JOEY SCHNEIDER
STAFF
(EASTLAKE, OH) - On a chilly night Friday, the OHSAA football playoffs started with games all across Ohio. In the city of Eastlake, the North Rangers who finished the regular season 9-1 and were seeded sixth in division II, region 5, hosted the 11th seed Brush Arcs who finished the year 6-4. The Eastlake North Rangers would once again make history (first Ranger team to be 8-0) as they defeated the Brush Arcs 41-0, winning their first playoff game in school history.
North's head coach Shawn Dodd said before the game "The team is not satisfied just making the playoffs, the kids want to win, they have been loose all week and ready for the game." Earlier in the season (week 3), Brush head coach Ricky Powers said, "We have a strong team, they worked hard in the weight room and now we just need to get their minds to where their bodies are." He followed it up tonight with "I'm proud of the team getting here. It's not easy getting into the playoffs, especially in a tough division, but we did it." After starting 1-2 in their first three games, the Arcs went 5-2 the rest of the year to earn their playoff spot. The game fielded great players such as North juniors Josh Fenick and Johnny Murphy and well as senior Arc's leader Munir Lewis who has committed to playing defensive end at Louisville.
It was all North all game long on Friday as Josh Fenick was all over the field on both sides of the ball, scoring touchdowns as running back and delivering big hits as the middle linebacker. Fenick scored the game’s first four touchdowns. His first was on a two-yard rumble into the end zone with just 41 seconds left in the first quarter. Fenick then scored on a nine-yard run, and again a few minutes later after a Brush fumble, on a seven-yard dash. His fourth and most impressive score came as the clock expired in the first half as he dropped back for a pass, and decided to try and run, breaking three initial tackles in the backfield and four more tackles on his way into the end zone to give the Rangers the lead 28-0 heading into the locker room.
The second half was more of the same with North's defense being bullish all night. The Ranger's defensive end Cortez Diming III was unstoppable on Friday. He finished the game with two sacks and five tackles for loss. The Ranger's other defensive end Johnny Murphy was delivering bit hits himself any time the ball carrier was near him.
The Ranger's speedy sophomore Brycen Palmer scored just four minutes into the third quarter on a 55-yard sprint up the middle as the offensive line parted the Arc's defense and put the Ranger's in the lead 35-0, and starting the running clock.
Brush was finally able to get into the redzone, but North's defense really wanted the shutout. With the ball on the one-yard line the Ranger's stopped two rushes by the Arc's, and on third down, from the one, Brush quarterback Isaiah McClain tried a quarterback sneak. The Ranger's plowed forward and caused a fumble that they recovered keeping their shutout.
North would finish the game with one more score, as running back King Mattice would get in on seven-yard run, leaping into the end zone with two minutes left in the game. The clock would wind down to zero as the Ranger's win their first ever playoff game 41-0.
The Brush Arc's fought hard all night long. They had an excellent season going 6-4, but the night belonged to the Ranger's. Coach Dodd addressed the team after the game, and as they have all season long, sung their victory song, Sweet Caroline in the end zone after the game as they celebrated with friends and family.
Eastlake North will be on the road next week playing the number three seeded Nordonia Knights (9-1) who had a week one bye. The game will be in Macedonia at 7 pm.
POSTED 10/30/2026 23:45
Related Stories
. Photo by Joey Schneider
This Space could be yours
Thousands of People Will See it
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
email us for more info at:
sales@lakecountysentinel.com
