Lake County Sentinel
Blue Devils season comes to an end with 26-14 loss at Mineral Ridge
BY TIM SHIRER
SPORTS EDITOR
(MINERAL RIDGE, OH) -The Wickliffe Blue Devils year began with such promise. Some said it was the best team since the 2020 team. They got off to a 2-0 start pummeling their first two opponents by a combined score of 69-15.
Then came week three and as fate would have it everything changed on one play when junior QB Dom Porcello suffered a season ending knee injury on a run. Porcello has assured everyone he will be back next season and is already rehabbing the injury. Porcello is young man the whole city of Wickliffe as well as his Dad Wickliffe head coach Marce and well as his Mom Leah should be proud of.
The Blue Devils pushed on and went 6-2 the rest of the regular season with sophomore QB Jagz Zivnoska at helm thrust into action in week three. He went 5-2 as a starter and had the full support of his team led by seniors Nick Oboczky, Sam Parker, Colton Alan Johns, Davion Martin, and Matthew Fiorelli.
On Friday night as the Blue Devils traveled to Mineral Ridge to face the 9-1 Rams, they knew the battle wasn’t going to be easy. It was not, as the Blue Devils trailed 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. Everything was working for the Rams.
Mineral Ridge got on the board first with 6:15 left in the opening quarter senior kicker Steven Gutierez booted a 23-yard field goal to give the Rams a 3-0 lead.
The Rams were not finished in the opening quarter. After the Blue Devils pinned Mineral Ridge deep in their own territory, Rams junior Timothy Serensky found the edge and took the ball 85 yards, giving the Rams a 10-lead.
The Rams lead grew to 17-0 after they drove 48 yards on nine plays when senior Ethan Deley capped off the drive with a 1-yard run. It looked as though we were in for a running clock. The Blue Devils kept their composure and started to come back.
With 1:29 left in the first half and Mineral Ridge driving again Blue Devils senior Xavier Wells intercepted a Preston Kline pass and returned it 62 yards for a touchdown, the Blue Devils were on the board and Rams lead was cut to 17-7 at halftime.
The Blue Devils drew first blood in the second half with 9:33 left on the fourth quarter clock when Oboczky scored from two yards out. Sophomore Braylen Torrence converted the extra point, and the Rams lead had dwindled to three.
Less than three minutes later the Rams scored again on a five-yard TD run by junior Chandler Busse giving the Rams a 24-14 lead.
The final score of the game came with 4:54 left in the game when Wickliffe was lined up to punt after their drive stalled on a disgusting call by the official who was at least 30 yards from the play threw a flag. The snap on the punt was bad, and Torrence had no choice but to kick out of the endzone and the Rams led by what would be the final score 26-14.
The Rams move on and will play Hillsdale next week.
This is not the end for the nine Blue Devils seniors, some have more sports to play at Wickliffe, but all have bright futures in life off the football field. Oboczky will continue his football career at Dennison University..
tshirer@lakecountysentinel.com follow Tim on Twitter @TBBucsTim or follow us on Twitter @LCSentinelcom
POSTED 10/31/2026 00:11
Related Stories
Blue Devils huddle after their 26-14 playoff loss to Mineral Ridge on Friday night . Photo by Tim Shirer
This Space could be yours
Thousands of People Will See it
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
email us for more info at:
