ELYRIA, OHIO – The Pioneers of Elyria needed a win badly after an opening night loss in week one, and despite a sloppy first half they got the job done sunny Saturday afternoon at Ely Stadium in a 32-18 win over the rival Lorain Titans.
The win puts the Pioneers at 1-1, while the Titans fall to 0-2 on the season.
The first quarter was filled with mistakes on both sides, as over 70 yards of penalties were called by the flag happy officials, and there was four turnovers in the first half, two on each side.
The Pioneers got the only points of the quarter, as running back Brandon Price went in on a run up the middle from 22 yards out with 6:32 to play in the quarter to make it 7-0.
The Titans bounced back as Aaron Hough scored from three yards out early in the second quarter for the first points of the game for Lorain.
The PAT was no good, and the Pioneers held a 7-6 lead with 9:55 to play in the first half.
The mistakes on both sides continued, as the Pioneers turned the ball over, and eventually Lorain was able to take advantage, as junior QB Davion Dower threw touchdown to senior Naz Bohannon to put the Titans up 12-7.
The Titans had a shot to add to the lead before the half, but a key pick in the end zone stopped a drive that could have extended the Titans lead.
Elyria came out in the third quarter with a new aggressiveness on defense, and they sacked Dower for a safety early in the quarter to draw the score to 12-9.
They tied the game as kicker Caleb Lewis hit a 24-yard field goal, and it was 12-12 midway through the quarter.
The Titans were not able to move the ball, as the Pioneer defense finally was able to put pressure on the quarterback, and finally Elyria took the lead 19-12.
The score came as junior QB Dontae Beckett hit junior 6-foot wide out Deviian Williams, and Williams did the rest from 25 yards out to take the 7-point lead.
The Titans got their only points of the second half as Dower went up top to senior Daesean Brooks for a 42-yard score to make it 19-18. Lorain used two of their three time outs to try and make a decision for a two-point conversion, but it failed and they trailed by a point with 6:56 left.
The Pioneers put the game away, as they quickly drove downfield, and Beckett went in with leap from a yard out with 5:08 to play to make
it 25-18.
Beckett for good measure ran in from 11 yards out to seal the deal in the final seconds to put the game away at 32-18.
The Pioneers will be on the road next week as they play at Shaw on Friday. Lorain will play their home opener Friday against the Scott Bulldogs.
Player of the Game: Elyria QB Dontae Beckett – He threw his first TD of the season, and despite a shaky first half in which he fumbled inside the Titans 20, he was able to run in two TD’s in the second half, make some nice throws, and avoid mistakes to lead the Pioneers to their first win of 2016.
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