(1) Perry vs. (2) South Range football: Preview capsule for Nov. 17 game
Nov. 16—(1) Perry vs. (2) South Range
What: Division V, Region 17 championship game
When: 7 p.m., Nov. 17
Where: Twinsburg's Tiger Stadium, 10394 Ravenna Road, Twinsburg
Records: Perry 13-0, South Range 12-1
Last week: Perry def. Garrettsville, 42-14, South Range def. Lorain Clearview, 48-21
On deck: Winner advances to play the winner of Harvest Prep (11-1) and Wheelersburg (9-3) in a state semifinal at 7 p.m. on Nov. 24
For the record: The state's top-ranked Division V team — Perry — meets the reigning Division V state championship team — South Range. The Raiders haven't missed a beat under first-year coach David Rach, who took over when legendary coach Dan Yeagley retired after last season. They've won 11 straight since a 21-7 win over Division II Green in Week 2. As for Perry, the Pirates have running-clocked every team they've faced this year except for Kirtland, which is the top-ranked team in the state in Division VI. ... South Range QB Tristan Toy has thrown for 1,262 yards and 10 TDs (with 11 interceptions) to go with 961 yards and 16 TDs on the ground. Blake Ewert (1,934 yards, 21 touchdowns) is the bellcow back, though Aidan Dominguez (569 yards, 14 TDs) can also tote the rock. Gaven Nagy and Brady Crumbacher each have more than 30 catches this season in the Raiders' offensive attack. ... Perry can light up the scoreboard, too. Jayden Studio went over the 1,000-yard mark last week in the win over previously undefeated Garrettsville. Add in the passing of Walter Moses (1,918 yards, 23 TDs) and the receiving of Brayden Richards (35 catches, 587 yards) and Luke Sivon (35-754) and the Pirates can be tough to defend whether it's in grind-it-out drives or with quick-hitters. That Moses has completed 73 percent of his passes (115-for-158) is about as efficient as it gets. ... Perry, however, hangs its hat on defense. The Pirates have held nine teams to single digits and only one team (Geneva) scored 20 points on them. The front seven, including noseguard Drew Smith and linebackers Owen McKoon and Dom LaMacchia, dominated last week against the G-Men. If the Pirates' defense can perform how it has all season, that will be a big key, though this South Range offense is the most diverse and high-scoring that Perry has seen all season long. ... South Range won this showdown last year. Can the Pirates get retribution?
Value of high school football scout teams not lost on area's regional finalists
